Starting Your Own Brewery? 3 Branding Tips to Getting Your Beer on Everyone’s Lips

You’ve been toying with the idea for years, you’ve done all the research and made every possible preparation – and now, it’s time to officially start your very own beer company. But with almost every city already being chock-full of breweries, succeeding with your business won’t be as easy as it was only a few years back at the beginning of the craft beer boom.

Making an impactful first impression and attracting customers is no mean feat. So, in order to get people to take that first sip and realize your beer’s supremacy, you’ll have to take certain steps before launch day. Read on below for our best tips to branding your beer company and making a name for yourself in the long run.

Find Your Identity: What Sets Your Beer Apart?

First, you’ll have to know exactly what you’re selling and why it’s so unique. Now, you may be thinking: “Of course I know what I’m selling, I made the beer myself!” And we’re not doubting that. However, you don’t just need to know the taste and recipe of your product – you also need to know the story, feeling and identity you’re selling along with it.

It’s been an exceptionally tough few years for small breweries, and surviving will take solid sales numbers. To achieve this, customers will need to remember you and choose your beer over others – so make sure you give them a reason to. Find that key trait that makes your company special and model your marketing after it.

If you’re using unique spices and flavors, feature them heavily in your marketing material and hand out free samples. If you’re tapping into the booming non-alcoholic market, taste tests will also be important, perhaps along with drink recipes to get people to try it out. If your labels are designed by local artists, get their work out there on billboards and ads – you get the idea.

Create a Standout Name for Your Beer Company

When you’ve found what sets you apart, coming up with a name that matches seems much more straightforward. In some cases, what works best is to simply just go with an important location to the brewery – as has e.g. been done by Budweiser (named after the town of Budweis) and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (named after Dogfish Head Road in Southport, Maine).

Others prefer to get more creative, ending up with names such as Clown Shoes Beer, Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. or Flying Dog Brewery – leaving customers with more questions than answers, piquing their imagination and thus also their interest.

While going down the latter road can make for a fun creative process, it’s also very easy to get stuck. In that case, a name generator can be of great help to give you fresh ideas for your beer company name. Even though you don’t end up going with exactly what was suggested, it’ll still help you break out of your usual thought patterns and get a bit more creative.

Get Your Name and Story Out There

The last important step to take with your new brewery is to spread the word. For most businesses, starting with the local community is the logical way to go. Hand out samples in town squares, at markets or other events, host an opening party with a barbecue – make sure the locals see you as part of the community and develop a taste for your products.

And, like we mentioned earlier, don’t just sell your beer. Sell the story of your business. Consumers today buy everything down to their underwear based on their values and identity – and by showing them what you’re about, you allow your target audience to see themselves in you. Parents will love visiting a local family business with a playground and restaurant next to their brewery on a day out. Artists will want to support other artists if they’re featured on the packaging of your beers. People who love to experiment with their cooking will relate to your love of unusual ingredients – and so on.