As the craft beer industry faces increasing threats, from declining sales to increased industry competition to alternative beverages claiming beer’s shelf and cooler space, marketing has become more important than ever for the industry’s many breweries. Despite this, craft beer has never had an event completely dedicated to improving the knowledge base of the people responsible for marketing breweries and beer. That will change at the end of March when the Beer Amplified Marketing Conference for Breweries is held in Boston March 27-28. Craft beer-focused PR agency, Kevin York Communications, is planning and hosting the conference.
“Typically marketing has been only a small part of larger professional development events in craft beer that are focused predominantly on production and operations. We wanted to change that and give beer marketers the support they really need,” explained Kevin York, president, Kevin York Communications. “Making the liquid is obviously important, but the ‘if you make it they will come’ approach no longer works. In an increasingly competitive environment, breweries need to professionalize their marketing efforts and give the people responsible for marketing better tools, knowledge, and education.”
In that vein of thinking about better equipping beer marketers, Beer Amplified’s lineup of speakers will all come from outside the beer industry.
“For years beer marketers have told us they want to hear from marketers outside the industry rather than from other brewery marketers,” explained Scott Staiti, vice president, Kevin York Communications. “Beer Amplified will help to take attendees outside the echo chamber of beer to hear insights, learnings, and success stories from marketers working in industries like sneakers, apparel, hospitality, consumer tech, wine, and more. We wanted to deliver an experience similar to large scale marketing conferences, but frame it through the lens of beer.”
Adam Grossman, the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Boston Red Sox, will deliver the keynote, discussing building a national and international brand while remaining a significant part of the community for local audiences, as well as supporting a transition to digital retail sales.
Other session speakers will focus on topics such as analytics, branding, content creation, direct-to-consumer and eCommerce marketing, marketing budgeting, marketing for chain sales, marketing for inclusion, new media marketing, partnerships, public relations, SEO, social media advertising, social media algorithms, strategy planning, and traditional physical marketing, word of mouth marketing, and working with agencies.
In addition to session speakers, attendees will have the opportunity to share experiences and insights directly with each other at peer brewery-to-brewery roundtables where discussion topics will include event marketing, social media, storytelling, and more.
Tickets for Beer Amplified can be purchased here.
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