The Brewdog Company

The Brewdog Company

The Brewdog Company has grown from a micro-brewery to a craft beer giant, and its success is primarily attributed to its branding strategy. Branding is significant in the beer industry, which is highly fragmented but still dominated by the large multinational breweries that have over time developed due to acquisitions or mergers. With the emergence of new firms in the industry, change occurs as the beer companies such as Brewdog try to remain relevant. Also, branding is what the companies in the bear sector use to differentiate them and retain and attract customers. For instance, Brewdog is a craft brewery developed in a small garage in a small town in Scotland in 2007 by two young friends known as James Watt and Martin Dickie. Years later, what used to be a micro-brewery is valued at over two billion dollars and is a global firm with production plants in areas such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The secret of Brewdog’s success is, without a doubt right products and, more importantly, its branding strategy. In a competitive environment, Brewdog has used branding to become a favorite to the consumers and attain a competitive advantage.

Theories

One theory that applies to Brewdog branding is the big brand theory, which focuses on brand identity. Brand identity is what a company would like its brand to be, represent, and stand for. Also, it is what a company says its brand is, and this means that for a company to be able to develop a truly remarkable brand, it has to establish the pillars of its brand identity. Some of the pillars are why the brand exists and who, why, and what the company is. Generally, people don’t buy the products or services sold to them but rather what the company promises, which is the value. Value means a company is offering what no one else can provide, meaning that the product or service is unique or different. A well-established brand identity is the foundation of a good branding strategy that will ultimately ensure the success of a company. Having a distinct, compelling, and authentic brand identity is significant since the brand cannot be replicated, and the brand stands a good chance of consumers noticing it in a very competitive market. Further, it aids in clarifying the brand’s position amongst the competitors and aids in building value around the brand.

Another theory is the functionalism one, which states that mental states are recognized by what they do instead of what they are comprised of. According to this theory, the survival of the Brewdog brand is dependent on the brand showing that it is superior to its primary competitors. According to the approach, being unique is essential. For instance, a diamond is of particular composition that is independent of other minerals, and that is what makes it unique.

Literature review

Brewdog has an innovative and bold brand strategy that is founded on consumer attitudes and behaviors. According to the above theories, one brand strategy of the company is to develop the insider community. Brewdog has placed itself at the center of a community of those who love beer hence winning the loyal support of these persons. Also, because of being close to the beer loves, the company can identify any anti-brewery attitudes quickly and make effective business decisions that will ensure their brand is protected. Further, the Brewdog brand is at the heart of a movement to develop a beer that tastes different from the familiar big brands in the market. As a brand, Brewdog defines itself as ‘post-punk, apocalyptic motherf*cker of a brewery,’ and the message targets its standard audience. Still, less conventionally, the company has released a catalogue that comprises all the beer recipes for free. The catalogue consists of 215 recipes, including its signature Punk IPA. Further, there are instructions included, and they are meant to help homebrewers. Also, top tips from Brewdog brewers and a glossary of key terms are included. The Co-founder, James Watt, says that what motivated them to release a catalogue is that as a brand, they have always loved sharing passion, expertise, and knowledge in the craft beer society. Therefore, they decided to take the spirit of collaboration to the next level by sharing all the Brewdog recipes. For other brewers, they thought that this was a poor business decision that was reckless since competitors could copy these recipes. Arguably, the big brands might not be interested in the recipes of Brewdog, but the brand risked competition from other craft beer brands. However, to the company and some of the brand experts, the move was because of the company’s proper understanding of its brand identity and knowing who its target consumers are. To them, the clients who are bored with mainstream beers are offered a chance to get involved in the craft beer moved through the catalogue provided by Brewdog. Thus, if Brewdog got the amateur brewers to create Brewdog beer when these brewers had decided that they have had enough of the well-established beer brands, Brewdog would have positioned itself as the beer of choice in the society.

AdditionallyAdditionally, for an expert who would like beer that is not unique but also intriguing, the catalogue provides a chance to evaluate the ingredients and procedures that are utilized when developing Brewdog beer. It is an experience that is usually denied to the client at the bar or pub, and this means with the full range of beers in the catalogue, there is a high chance that the consumers will find something that suits their tastes. Thus, the catalogue is a marketing tool that treats the consumer as an insider, and the consumers consider themselves to be equal with the Brewdog brewer.

Further, according to the above theories, another thing that the Brewdog Company has worked on is being authentic. They have premium cans that are their authentic vessels. In the current world, there exist many cheap foods and drinks that are mass-produced, prompting the customers to look for authenticity. For instance, at Brewdog, they play to the feelings of nostalgia by insinuating that older and more traditional beer guarantees authenticity. Additionally, the need to protect our environment cannot be ignored by the brand Brewdog. It is because the environmental consumer movement has gained a lot of popularity and is changing consumer behavior and consumer trends. Further, recent studies have shown that a significant number of consumers are now choosing to buy brands on the basis that they do either social or environmental good.

Also, in the mind of its consumers, Brewdog is an anti-industrial beer that has democratized craft beer by not only bringing it to pubs, clubs, and other drinking places but also the homes of its consumers. The communication power of the brand is unmatched, and it has superseded all the multinational firms that sell beer. To make sure the company’s brand identity is maintained, the firm develops various communication strategies. For instance, in 2010, the company packed its beer in glass bottles and inserted them into stuffed animals. It was a very absurd way of packaging its beer, and it was only a few pieces that were sold with a price that arranges from five hundred to seven hundred pounds. However, the brand didn’t produce the beer with stuffed animals to be sold but instead to create noise around the brand. Most of the people talked about the brand from a negative perspective, but they made the brand more famous. Further, in another instance, Brewdog workers drove a tank towards Camden High Street in London to launch a vast crowdfunding campaign. During the event, they showed images of the two founders naked on the walls of the house of parliament in London. The event was talked about for a long time. AdditionallyAdditionally, they have gone as far as manufacturing beer under the Atlantic Ocean and launching stuffed cats from a helicopter over London city. Their ideas are, without a doubt, strange, but they serve the purpose. However, for Scottish people, this is not extreme since a majority of Scottish business persons use unusual and excessive actions to build their brands. The Scottish business persons prefer their brands to be very visible and of low cost.

Also, across the world, the fight against industrial beer has increased, giving Brewdog a chance to become a champion for craft beer. The fight against industrial beer is because it has become boring a significant number of consumers want to retire what they call the old beer. An example is that in the year 2008, Brewdog managed to get a lot of visibility in the national newspapers of Britain. The ability t get national media coverage is not only because of the financial means that the company has but also because of the consumers’ need for a change when it comes to beer. Brewdog is a brand that is innovative enough to identify an opportunity and work on fulfilling the needs of consumers. The consumers wanted a fun and contemporary brand, and that is what Brewdog has delivered. Currently, it is one of the most referenced brands when it comes to non-conformism and innovation. Brewdog has shown other brands that they can use conventional methods of branding and disrupt the status quo that has existed in their industry for so long. Because of unconventional marketing methods, Brewdog is now one of the most selling beer brands. Also, the brand has shown other brands on how to be fashionable and create their own identity.

One of the founders of Brewdog, known as James Watt, once said that in the current business environment, a company could not control its brand since they can only influence consumers’ perception of it. Branding is presently impacted by technology, and companies should learn not to have a budget for marketing and use whatever amount is needed to brand themselves. Also, the co-founder acknowledges that consumers want something real, genuine, of good quality, and a product that will make them passionate. It is why Brewdog has built a brand that people live that brand, value it, and give the consumers the power to decide.

Finally, what makes the brand of Brewdog great is that it has several voluntary financiers that it can count on. The financiers have been critical in making sure that the brand is a success and that the values of the brand are embodied and communicated in a manner that attracts and retains consumers. Just recently, Brand Finance, a reputable institution, placed Brewdog as the 19th most significant and most affluent beer brands globally. It was the only craft brewery brand in the list means that the branding of the company has been successful so far. Also, the target consumers for the company are young persons who greatly identify themselves with the brand. Lastly, the name, logo, brand image, and slogan of the company are consistent with each other and also target customers, and that is why the company is so successful.

Conclusion

In summary, looking at the craft beer movement and, in particular, the Brewdog brand shows us that the customer of today is tired of the conventional beers. They desire authenticity from craft beer and also join the craft beer movement to reduce or eliminate their boredom. Also, the opportunity for Brewdog consumers to get into the fun of brewing their brands has given them some vital knowledge about beers and a sense of superiority in the beer community. Last, Brewdog is a beer brand that has purposed to remain relevant by participating in corporate social responsibility activities.