Post Categories: April 2015

Knowledge Portal: A Perfect Pairing—Interactions Brings Tasting Beyond the Brewery

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The adult beverage market represents over $170 billion in sales each year in the U.S., and is a category that continues to see impressive growth and diversification. From craft beers to flavored spirits to fruit ciders, it seems brewers and distillers are always coming up with something new for consumers to try. But it can be difficult to give consumers the full tasting experience—often the key to trial and adoption of a product—where they’re most likely to buy.

“By partnering with Interactions, our first Mixology event was very successful as customers experienced not only a new flavor experience, but also an education from the Interactions’ [Brand Ambassadors] on what mixology is and the brands’ profiles. Their recap was fantastic and made it to the top of my organization as a how-to on conducting a Mixology Off-Premise sampling event.” –Representative from MillerCoors

That was the challenge one East Coast grocery chain approached Interactions with in late 2013. Until then, many of its stores had been trying to host events in partnership with popular breweries to feature new and interesting products. But because the retailer’s associates couldn’t legally pour alcohol and the brands couldn’t send representatives to all stores on the same days, they couldn’t pull together a cohesive program. By tapping into its experienced business and creative development staff, as well as its national database of over 40,000 trained Brand Ambassadors, Interactions was able to bring the retailer together with over 30 brewery partners and develop a consistent chain-wide program. Today, the program features an average of 300 adult beverage marketing events each month and continues to grow.

“We work with both the retailer and the breweries to plan, schedule and execute events that further both of their priorities,” says Lauren Harrison, Account Executive at Interactions. “For example, each time the retailer publishes its quarterly shopper magazine, we reach out to any brewers featured to see if they want to host upcoming events to take advantage of the retailer’s promotion. We also create events to showcase new products and show how different beverages can be mixed to create a new flavor profile.”

“We schedule events and train our Brand Ambassadors according to the alcohol laws in each state,” Harrison continues. “We also work with the retailer and the breweries to train and educate our Brand Ambassadors to ensure they’re strong representatives of both partners at all events.”

This isn’t Interactions first foray into the adult beverage market, and its capabilities go well beyond the grocery retail environment. “We’re a full-service experiential provider for alcohol brands,” explains Harrison. “We can design, plan and execute events—and provide reporting to measure their success—both on premise and off premise, from retail stores to music concerts to sporting events.”

To learn more about adult beverage experiential marketing events and campaigns, contact Lauren Harrison at lharrison@interactionsmarketing.com.

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