"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Beer Coasters will drive Visitors to you
If you want more traffic on your beer label's website, the simple, useful and well-accepted beer coaster may be the answer! A recent German market survey describes the beer coaster as one of the consumers' favorite forms of advertising. Survey ...
How to Make Beer
Making beer is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, fun. With the rise in popularity of homebrewing, there are a wide variety of top quality ingredients available. You can literally make hundreds of styles of beer that will taste great and impress your ...
Pizza, French Fries, Beer and Other Diet Foods...
Now this is the real American Dream! I’m here to let you know that it is totally possible to lose all the fat you want while eating nothing but junk food. The only hitch is that all the fat you want to lose is going to have to be zero!Here are some ...
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The Challenge for Breweries in Today's Regulated Marketplace is immense. For the past decade the advertising of alcoholic products has been increasingly subject to both government regulation and self-regulatory bodies. In Canada, the CRTC's August 1996 Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages severely restricted the way in which alcohol products are presented on both radio and television. It is not an exaggeration to say that any advertisement adhering to these regulations would be dull indeed, and almost obscure any attempt at promotion - you can't enjoy yourself and drink beer at the same time! Print material such as entrepreneurial magazines and newspapers are less restricted, though regulated by provincial Liquor Boards. The same ethical limitations apply: do not link enjoyment with alcohol consumption; do not direct your ad to youth; do not over-promote; do not pass Go! Also, self-regulation within various media abounds.
In the United States a similar situation exists. The Federal Trade Commission and Congress are the key regulating authorities. In addition, individual media and media groups establish their own code of ethics, often refusing to publish or broadcast alcohol advertising.
The challenge? How do breweries and microbreweries 'get the word out' about their products within an advertising marketplace of such limited visibility where self-promotion is frowned upon?
When traditional methods are not a viable option we must identify and utilize those of the future. One way breweries can take advantage of modern advertising options is to share your product with the world on the Internet. You may already have a company website. It's fun, it positively promotes your product with enthusiasm as no TV ad is now permitted to do. Your T-shirts and ball caps have their own page. Potential customers are visiting your website on a regular basis, once they stumble across your site on a night of Internet surfing. However, is this kind of customer traffic really the most effective use of such a dynamic advertising tool? All that creative and technical effort and your audience consist of web junkies and the occasional salesperson trying to sell you something. The solution to this problem is targeted pixel marketing. Websites are being developed which help increase traffic on subject related web pages. For instance, pixel space for your beer label on the beer home page may be purchased for a reasonable cost. The label then links with your own webpage.
Beer festivals may be a long established custom, however the modern version is a true advertising event and increasingly popular, not only with the locals. Beer fans travel far to attend their favorite bash. To choose the festival which most suites your product, the Internet comes to the rescue once again. A number of websites list festivals. Check the bottom row of thebeerhomepage.com for the most popular beer festivals around the world.
Besides a shift in promotional methods, a fresh approach in attitude will go a long way in changing public perception of beer. Taking a leaf out the wine industry's book may be the answer. Wine sales have risen since their advertisers started promoting wine "as a natural product, a healthy option, a sophisticated and educated choice, a compliment to food and equally popular with men and women. In fact, beer can also boast all these things, but its public perception is poor by comparison" says Peter Kendal of Molson Coors Brewers. He continues, "Beer is a wholesome, natural product, made from malted barley and hops. Moreover, moderate (and we stress moderate) beer drinking is just as healthy as moderate wine drinking".
To conclude, these are only a few examples of the way a modern approach to advertising need not battle with established regulations. A positive, open mind and a willingness to switch gears should lead to a healthy return on your advertising dollars.
About the author:
Keith Tomlinson is the President of Excalibur Communications, the company that created TheBeerHomepage.com Pixel Marketing web portal. Besides web marketing and development Excalibur provides value added 1-800 lead generation, tracking and conference call services to a wide range of clientele through North America. Visit http://www.thebeerhomepage.com to find out more about this exciting and fun new way of advertising.
Written By: Keith Tomlinson
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