Bar owners and craft brewers alike need to schedule recurring events as a part of their marketing strategy.
Beer-specific events are one of the most potent ways to build a strong and reliable brand that can make other marketing efforts more effective. However, to make your event successful, it’s more vital that you stand out. Here’s how you can achieve this.
The Success of Beer Events
One of the most recommended event strategies for bars is to simply put one on because they’re just that beneficial for your brand.
From pop-up events to beer gardens, it’s been proven time and time again that at least half of the food and drink festival attendees will buy your beer simply because it’s in their immediate vicinity, and at least 40% of them will sign up for your newsletter.
In the same Eventbrite survey, 99% of attendees would recommend your brewery to a friend, meaning you have the potential to quadruple your profits from a single event. Although those numbers are high, they only belong to the most creative brands because the market has become oversaturated. No matter how good your beer is, you still need to break out of the mold.
3 Unique Brewery and Bar Marketing Events Tips
You have the beer, and you have the brand. All that’s left is making a name for the beer connected to your brand. Use the following marketing techniques to do just that.
1. Think Outside the Bar or Brewery
When people think of a “beer event,” the immediate assumption is that it’ll be held inside the brewery taproom, on festival grounds, or inside a bar.
Don’t rely on these predictable settings because your event will just feel like a copy of another, which won’t differentiate your brand. An exciting venue is more likely to pull in new and seasoned beer aficionados than the beer itself.
Consider what you want to be known for when choosing a venue. Are you a fun brand? Rent out a laser tag building or a donut shop. Are you more interested in attracting a high-class crowd? Choose an opera house. Are you adventurous? Try an abandoned train station or treehouse.
2. Offer Creative On-Brand Cuisine
Beer and food is the perfect combination, but bar food, like burgers, fries, and wings, leaves little to be desired. Even if your bar offers the best bar food on planet Earth, it won’t attract people to your event. However, unlikely combinations will get the attention of event goers.
At the same time, you can’t just go wild with the types of food you offer, or you’ll spoil the beer. It’s important to know what pairs with what, like fruit beers and peach cobbler, to provide a more dynamic, foodie-specific experience.
Some other great, but unpopular combinations, include lager beer with shrimp pasta, pilsner beer with grilled cheese, and stout beer with brownies.
3. Offer Some Quality Entertainment
No one just wants to sip beer and stare at the wall. Your patrons will need something to keep them entertained while they sample all of the great beer and food you’re offering.
With that in mind, a live band is an obvious solution, but that won’t make you stand out. Unless the band you’re bringing onstage is incredibly famous, they’re unlikely to draw a large, interested crowd.
What we recommend is to couple your entertainment with the type of demographic who enjoys your beer. Consider hiring a human-based circus a la Cirque Du Soleil, renting out a bunch of arcade cabinets, putting on an eating competition, or hosting a trivia night for your patrons.
