IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: beer

  • Carolina BalloonFest

    Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 1.52.45 PM

    What is it?

    Every year Statesville, North Carolina hosts the annual Carolina BalloonFest.  This is a three-day event full of hot air and fun.  With over 50 hot air balloons taking to the sky, Carolina BalloonFest will definitely leave you speechless.  This festival consists of numerous family-friendly events to keep everyone entertained.  From hot air balloon rides to a balloon 5k run, this festival has a little of everything.  The festival includes: ballon viewings, balloon flights, live music, beer and wine tasting, kite making and much more.

    Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 1.52.34 PM

    Tickets are $10 dollars and can be purchased onsite at the festival.  For more information regarding the festival see: http://www.carolinaballoonfest.com.

    For a Cause

    Each year the festival chooses a variety of local charities to support.  Last year, over 17 charities received donations from the event.  Distributing over $76,000 dollars last year, Carolina BalloonFest not only provides fun and entertainment to the community, but also, a helping hand to those in need.  The organization states on their website that over the past five years they have contributed over $274,000 dollars to the community.  Ranging from cancer organizations to Boy Scout troops, many benefit from this weekend of fun.

    Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 1.52.06 PM

    Com as Design

    Think of words you would use to describe fall.  Was “festival” one of the words?  To many, fall means dedicating weekends to a vast variety of festivals.  County fairs, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and apple picking are all part of the fall theme.  But what is it we find so attractive about these events?  Is it the goods sold at them?  Or the idea of a group of people coming together for a united reason?  The design an organization or company decides to pursue for an event is very important.  Promoting what their target markets will find most attractive is crucial.

    By focusing on language in their design, Carolina BalloonFest uses phrases such as “help continue our charitable mission” and “experience the magic” to persuade their target audiences to attend their event.  This organization has decided to put a large emphasis on the charitable aspects of the festival.  The website has a section labeled “Our Mission” that describes exactly what charities benefit from the proceeds.

    The festival also places a large emphasis on being family-friendly.  Adding a list of activities that will take place over the course of the event, Carolina BalloonFest uses strategic naming of these activities to catch a parents’ eye.  “Kid Zone,” “Kid Fun Run,” and “Learning Center” are a few examples of designing language to fit a certain target market.

    Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 2.02.27 PM

    It is clear when dealing with communication, design is key.  Remembering the power of design aspects, such as language, will ensure that you are successful in your communication efforts.

    Sources:

    http://www.carolinaballoonfest.com

  • Hopping Into Fall

    LHBW_Fest_CC_web-662x1024

    With beers like Belgian Triples, Indian Pale Ales, Oatmeal Stouts- one can get lost in the logistical nightmare of creating an individual brand. Dogfish Head and Flying Dog breweries created slogans, “off-centered ales for off-centered people since 1995” and “good people drink good beer”. Fortunately for local Lighthouse Beer and Wine, the hard part is no longer the beer, but bringing individuals together.

    This year’s 14th Annual Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival will continue uniting breweries with beer-loving consumers- overlooking beautiful Downtown Wilmington. According to NC Beer Guys, more than 120 breweries will be present on October 24. The festival runs from 1pm-5pm, with the option to purchase VIP tickets, allowing for early entry. Paired with craft beer and wine, the event will host local food trucks and live music, featuring Greensboro natives, Holy Ghost Tent. The festival does not stop there! A portion of proceeds are donated to The Carousel Center, “a non-profit organization committed to assisting victims of child abuse, providing critical care services throughout Southeastern North Carolina”. The combined thirteen Beer and Wine Festivals, donated $150,000 to the cause.

    Screen shot 2015-09-23 at 12.43.30 PM

    Lighthouse takes to social media, outreaching to communities and consumers, past Wrightsville Beach. Promoting the 14th Annual Festival through the normal social media contenders:Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram– as well as a website. Each outlet allows Lighthouse to reach their consumer base and audience- with obvious overlap. The seamless flow from platform to platform, and from consumer to provider, bolsters the brand immensely. The identity that Lighthouse Beer and Wine has developed, is the result of careful social media management- and dedication to a specific brand image.

    Screen shot 2015-09-23 at 8.45.35 PM

    Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival has been at the top of every beer-lover’s fall to-do list for nearly a decade and a half, it has done a great job at remaining relevant with the new ways of integrated marketing. When one explores their social media accounts along with its website and blog, their identity is consistent and tailored to their audience. Lighthouse beer and Wine is very active on social media, especially so on their Instagram account. They share regular updates about:

    • New craft beers, wine, and sake
    • Information about the festival
    • Friendly reminders to purchase festival ticket(s).

    Lighthouse promotes the festival within the store itself. It provides the opportunity to walk into the store, purchase a case of beer or bottle of wine and grab a ticket to the festival. How easy is that! 

    “The traditional marketing plan can do no more than give us a snapshot of a point in time. It doesn’t help us make the right decisions as we move forward in a complex and constantly changing marketplace” (Shiffman, 2008). The Engagement Theory discusses the importance of moving away from the traditional marketing approach, which only focused on profit of the business, and on toward the bigger picture: building the brand and engaging with your publics. As long as Lighthouse Beer and Wine Festival continues to keep this outlook at the forefront of their marketing strategy, they will remain a trademark of fall in Wilmington! 

    Now that you have heard what we have to say, what do you think? Does Lighthouse Beer and Wine reach their fullest potential with their approach to social media and customer interactions? Or does it leave something to be desired?

    -Jonathan Callahan, Erin Fouhy, Julia George, Joseph Hines, and Sarah Suggs

  • Platinum or Gold?

    There’s no question that Budweiser left an impression with their “Brotherhood” Clydesdale commercial. Twitter was abuzz? with admiration for the unbreakable bond of a horse and it’s “brother.” But what about the other Budweiser commercial? The one where they announced their brand extension, “Budweiser Black Crown.” The commercial claimed to be made for the “finest” of our society by stating the beer is made from the finest ingredients and having a glamorous crowd call it their own.

    It’s not uncommon to announce a new product or brand extension at the Super Bowl, in fact just last year Bud Light released “Bud Light Platinum.” This commercial claimed to be a step up from the regular Bud Light brew by striving for platinum, not gold.

    Two similar brands announced similar brand extensions. Budweiser decided to appeal to the elitist in all of us, Bud Light chose to approach our more ambitious side. The clean, crisp factory setting of the Bud Light factory versus the rustic romantic setting of the Budweiser celebration.

    It seemed to us that Bud Light took a bigger risk by ditching the typical crowd voicing their approval and choosing a stark white background to contrast the vibrant blue bottle. In this case, we think the risk paid off. Which commercial do you prefer?

    – Zach Abramo, Callie Fenlon, Lauren Habig,  Alexandra Huss, Michael Nunes, Daniel Schaefer, Dann Williams

  • Valentine’s Day goes green for beer?

    Asian night clubs, beer, sword-fighting, and the color green are not what people would typically refer to as romantic or associate with Valentine’s Day. However, this year Heineken has decided to market its product unconventionally by creating a campaign based on Valentine’s Day.

    Heineken’s Serenade campaign has videos of a man and woman on a first date, running and dancing through an Asian night-club with jazz music. The man on the date is charming and wows the woman with his skills of swordsmanship, popularity and dancing. At the end of the video, the man and the woman both drink a Heineken and the phrase “open your world” pops on the screen. The video gives the impression that Valentine’s Day can be enjoyed by both sexes in far more exciting ways than the typical flowers and chocolates. Heineken rebrands itself as a more adventurous way to enjoy the holiday and for couples to open themselves up to new possibilities, while remaining appealing to both women and men alike.

    Another aspect of Heineken’s Valentine’s Day campaign is the Facebook app which creates a personalized video for users to ask a friend out on a date through a song. This service promotes Heineken as a matchmaker of sorts. While the videos satisfy the users’ needs of asking out their romantic interests, they also give Heineken greater exposure. As Facebook users see the videos on their friends’ profiles, they will notice that Heineken created the video. The more that people see the advertisements, the more likely they will think of Heineken the next time they purchase beer.

    Heineken has certainly taken an unconventional approach to marketing itself during the Valentine’s Day season. Unlike other companies sticking to the traditional concepts of love and romance, Heineken has chosen to use the holiday as a chance to market itself as an adventurous matchmaker. If the campaign proves to be a success, it is possible that we will see many more companies choosing to taking this unique approach to marketing their products in future Valentine’s Day seasons.

    -Ashley Oliver, Molly Jacques, Hunter Wilson, and Josh Vester

  • “The Most Interesting Blog In The World”

    One organization that does an exceptional job building their brand and message through effective corporate communication is DOS EQUIS. Dos Equis has been brewed since 1900 and was developed by master brewer Wilhelm Haase who emigrated from his native, Germany, to Mexico and fused brewing traditions from both places to make a unique, blended beer. This brand has grown in popularity ever since, but has recently skyrocketed thanks to some effective marketing and advertising ploys.  The “most interesting man in the world” campaign made its debut in 2006 and was designed by the marketing firm Euro RSCG for the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery. The ads feature Jonathan Goldsmith as “the most interesting man” and are narrated by Frontlines Will Lyman.
    Rather than an embodiment of the brand, “The Most Interesting Man” is a voluntary brand spokesperson: he and Dos Equis share a point of view on life that it should be lived “interestingly”. According to the company, U.S. sales increased each year between 2006-2010 and tripled in Canada in 2008. Although exact figures were not provided, sales of Dos Equis have increased by 22% at a time when sale of other imported beer fell 4% in the U.S. This campaign changed their identity from a mere beer brewing company to a revolutionary product; thanks to the endorsement from one of the most accomplished men on the planet. Not only is the endorsement a golden ticket for the company, but their advertisements have also proven to be successful. The ads are surrounded with catchy quotes, including: “He is the life of parties he has never attended” and “Sharks Have a week dedicated to him” as ways to connect with common themes that the audience will recognize. Goldsmith recently said in an interview that he realized how successful the campaign had been when a man came up to him in a restaurant, telling him that he had asked his young son what he wanted to be when he grew up, and the boy replied, “I want to be The Most Interesting Man In The World”.
    “Stay thirsty my friends”.   – Jared Sales, Sally Shupe, Oliver Evans

    IMC's very own JARED SALES

  • Who really came out on top during the Super Bowl? The Packers or Bud Light?

    Overall, this years Super Bowl commercials were not as satisfying and did not meet the expectations that previous years commercials met. Usually there is a wide array of different brands being represented, but this year the same ones were repeated. Nonetheless, there were a few that caught our eye.

    Bud Light, which always creates entertaining commercials, did not disappoint. The first commercial that appeared mimicked Extreme Makeover Home Edition and other similar shows.

    The target audience for this commercial is women, different from their usual predominantly male target audience. It begins seeming like the couple, with the typical crazed anticipation of the woman, was going to receive a new kitchen.  Surprise! Only Bud Light was added to the room. The wife was shocked at first and a little unsure, but as people started to party in the kitchen, the host says “now this is a room that everyone wants to be in!”. This adds emphasis to their slogan of “a sure sign of a good time.”

    The second one (our favorite) that spoofed how outrageous product placement has become.

    Product placement is meant to be subtle, something to quietly promote a brand name without interfering the television show or movie (for example, a soda can on a kitchen counter). Bud Light took this fad to the extreme by mentioning how every time you place a product, you get free stuff. Bud Light appears almost twenty times in the thirty-second ad. Since it is such a recognizable brand, they do not have to explain what their product is or why you should buy it. Instead, they are able to use they creativity to make funny and memorable ads that people will talk about. This strengthens their brand by creating a buzz (figuratively and physically).

    They also created a commercial in which the dog sitter throws a party and has the dogs do all the work.

    The dogs open the door, serve beer, DJ, bartend, cook, basically running the party. This is memorable because most people can relate to owning a pet but by having the dogs personify human actions, it creates a humorous and different twist. This ties directly into their current slogan. Even though the commercial does not demonstrate the benefits of drinking Bud Light, it creates an image of how much fun you can have while drinking Bud Light.

    As one of the only three beers represented during the Super Bowl, they stood out as the frontrunner in beer ads for the year.  This indicates their financial prosperity as a company.

    -Allison Day, Jessica Berinson, Megan Canny, Melissa Gagliardi, Scott Burgess