Brisbane Brewing Company Social Media Marketing Plan

Introduction

Through a marketing plan based on a social media platform, Brisbane Brewing Company is targeting consumers of alcoholic beverages between the ages of 18 and 25. Due to their unique tastes and individual traits, these consumers should not be viewed as common-place beer drinkers — they are discerning and craft-oriented. Because they primarily interact through social media, many firms have adopted this mode of marketing as an integral tool within their marketing strategies. Beyond being one method of reaching out to consumers, social media has become a major means of sending out communications to a wide audience. Interestingly, many businesses still do not fully understand how it affects their bottom line, despite the fact that its advocates loudly champion its benefits. Many organizations simply employ social media because everybody else is doing the same.

To distinguish himself from his comic namesake from Bolton, a social media marketing expert named Peter Kay partnered with one of the best-loved breweries from the West Country, Bath Ales, to introduce both Facebook and Twitter as part of their core marketing strategies. He monitored the level of activity from the outset, and this immediately demonstrated the importance of social media. Peter began by evaluating online sales over one time period and compared the results with a second time period during which the company actively engaged with its clients on Facebook and Twitter (How Bath Ales grew its online sales using social media, n.d.).

He revealed that the outcome indicated an increase in online sales of 56% for Bath Ales. This survey was carried out between the pre-Christmas period beginning on 14th October 2010 and the period ending on 4th January 2011. These sales were compared with those of the previous year, with social media activity being the only variable. The secret of Peter's success was using social media as a communicative tool. He explained that he taught Bath Ales to use social media to gauge what their customers thought and to make them feel that their interests were taken seriously.

Peter points to Trey Pennington, the social media guru, as a major source of inspiration. Despite Pennington's tragic death in 2011, he left behind a powerful legacy for those involved in social media marketing. Peter insists that Trey imparted three fundamental lessons: that everyone wants to believe his or her life is important, that everybody wishes to be listened to, and that everyone expects to be understood (How Bath Ales grew its online sales using social media, n.d.).

Getting Closer to Customers

By adopting this method, Brisbane Brewing Company can engage people experienced in social media marketing to help the company monitor what consumers say about their services and products on both Facebook and Twitter. In practice, this means that if a consumer tweeted that they were drinking Keg Beer from Brisbane Brewing Company, the company would retweet to express appreciation. Within a short time, many would begin viewing Brisbane Brewing Company as an organization that values its clients, and more people would start creating content about the company on social media platforms, spurring its growth. Rather than Brisbane Brewing Company announcing to the world how fantastic their products are, social media users would do this instead.

The senior marketing managers of Brisbane Brewing Company claim that since starting this campaign, the company has never been closer to its clients. To the company, the impression created by using social media is like word-of-mouth spread about their brands by customers in a pub. Through such a social media strategy, the company is able to appreciate what their customers do on Facebook or Twitter, and at the same time mention other brands in their product line that customers might also enjoy. The key is being appreciative by acknowledging the effort someone takes to tweet about the company's brand.

Like many other organizations, Brisbane Brewing Company recognized the importance of maximizing the opportunities presented through social media. By identifying the value of social media, the company understood that ignoring it would be to their disadvantage. By partnering with experienced social media marketing professionals, the company can initiate inspirational training sessions full of great ideas. These training programs should also motivate staff and leverage social media marketing experts as mentors for at least six months in order to get the intended social media campaign off the ground.

It is imperative to develop a social media plan that suits the business. There is now no doubt that social media is firmly established as a marketing and networking tool. Despite this, digital forms of communication have not overshadowed traditional methods of marketing. What works best for businesses now is to engage with customers in the ways they prefer and wherever they are, whether offline or online. By employing a social media strategy, Brisbane Brewing Company is therefore able to target consumers in the 18–25 age range.

Description of the Organization

There are many businesses that speak about the advantages of social media marketing, and Brisbane Brewing Company is among the most prominent proponents. However, not many can accurately demonstrate practical indicators of the opportunities or impact that social media tools provide to businesses. In short, few organizations are certain about their ROI, or return on investment.

Brisbane Brewing Company has migrated to a location in the middle of West End, featuring a Brewing Onsite Bar and Deli. This is a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city center. Brisbane Brewing Co. maintains more than eight beer brands in production, brewed in batches of 1,000 liters. Nearly all the brands are keg beer, distributed to Woolloongabba and other bars located outside so that locally brewed draught beer is consistently available for keg party hire. The brewing cycle determines the availability of all brands. The distribution network is owned by Grant Clark and Michelle of Brisbane's busy Brewhouse. Brisbane Brewing Co. has a capacity of 60–70 customers at any time, both inside and in the laneways. Food offerings are likely to include smoked and roast meats, salads, and a charcuterie board.

Market and PESTLE Analysis

Within the Australian beer industry, the market is gradually but remarkably changing. Traditionally, this segment mainly depended on young adults being absorbed into the market. Alongside an aging population, young adults have shifted from heavy beer to mid-strength, light, premium, and imported varieties. This is coupled with the increased popularity of ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs), which currently account for 16.1% of alcohol consumption within the 18–25 age group, presenting a major challenge to the industry.

The 18–25 alcohol consumers show low brand loyalty, with only about 18% sticking to a particular brand. The fact that more than a quarter of 18–25 alcohol consumers regularly drink more than six brands indicates their openness to multiple offerings. Because this group contributes almost 41% of volume across all categories, multi-brand consumers are especially important. When considering the characteristics of all categories, the percentage volume held by premium and imported beers at 12% and RTDs at 16% is of particular interest. Both categories have been sustained through the development of new products and innovations, keeping them constantly relevant to this group. Considering that 18–25 drinkers are highly fashion-conscious and trend-aware, these categories hold greater appeal for them (Morgan, 2003).

The PESTLE analysis addresses the external macro environment of the industry. Every industry is affected by its political and legal environment. Laws such as higher taxation intended to curb alcohol consumption greatly impact the alcohol industry, particularly in relation to drivers. Organized crime and unregulated distribution networks also affect the growth of the industry. The brewing industry is further influenced by waste disposal regulations, various environmental protection acts, and carbon footprint criteria. Brisbane Brewing Company lags behind some competitors because it entered the market relatively late; however, by employing social media as a marketing tool, it has managed to establish itself as a key market player.