With more than 7,300 craft breweries all fighting for mindshare at a time when category-wide growth has slowed to single digits, many beer company owners are taking a hard look at how their businesses will thrive in the years to come.
“There’s no doubt it’s a tough time for a lot of brewers,” Monday Night Brewing co-founder Jeff Heck told Brewbound. “With the number of breweries that are coming into the space, we just have to be better, and better at what we do, and that starts with listening to the consumer.”
In an effort to capture drinkers’ attention, many companies are elevating experiences in their taprooms, introducing new products, and refining their brand stories.
“If you can cultivate the society of your fandom, get them interested in your brand, make your brand relevant, make it relevant to them, make it [so] your brand adds value to their life and their lifestyle, then I think you will overcome the saturation,” said Fifty West Brewing director of sales Del Hall.
In the video above, numerous attendees of the 2019 Craft Brewers Conference, held last month in Denver, Colorado, explain how they are standing out in a crowded environment and overcoming challenges in the marketplace.