Advice From The Trail: Alex Sage on Video Content Marketing

Photos of and courtesy Alex Sage

Each volume of Craft Marketing showcases a Featured RadCrafter – a craft marketing professional who is crafting content, telling stories, and curating resources about the beer industry. RadCrafters are helping to shape and share the culture that is craft beer. 

This go-around, meet Alex Sage who manages marketing and graphic design for City Star Brewing. We’re unabashed about declaring that City Star runs some of our favorite social media feeds, in particular because of their trendy and hilarious videos.

Tell us about your background before City Star, and your evolution into your current role. 

My job title at City Star is Marketing/Graphic Design. I have been in the craft beer industry for 13 years and have done everything from beer tending to brand ambassador to taproom manager. I started out at City Star beer-tending and moved into social media and marketing. 

Seems like several years back at this point y'all got into the groove of creating engaging, trending, and on-brand video content on TikTok/IG and haven't stopped since.

We started experimenting with videos in 2021. City Star owner Whitney Way and I try to stay on top of researching what is pushed out most through social media algorithms, and at that time everything was telling us videos, videos, videos. Instagram was beginning to ramp up using reels, and I had done a deep dive into TikTok watching people learn fun dances, laughing at funny skits and saw how audios would trend. I wanted to bring that same spirit to City Star so we threw our hat in the game! 

It seems like your audience loves it, and is growing!

Videos have been huge in growing our audience. With the algorithm prioritizing pushing videos, we were able to gain access and engage with new people who our pages did not previously reach. Berthoud is a small town which surprisingly some people have never even heard of and some don't know there is a brewery. Doing videos has put our brewery AND Berthoud on the map for a [destination] place to come stop in for a beer. We constantly have people coming into the taproom telling us they love our videos and asking when the next one will be. It's helped us be able to further engage with our audience both though the internet and in person. 

Do you notice any engagement trends for your audience?

Figuring out the algorithm is half the battle and the other half is knowing your audience and what your goals are for using videos. When we first started out on TikTok we were getting tons of new followers but when we looked at the data, these followers were from other states and even other countries. We had to hone in our goals for what we wanted to be using videos for. Yeah it's cool that someone in England watched our little brewery video...but did anyone in Loveland see it and come visit us? This is where our "let's just show em' a good time" spirit for videos began. Our fun, comedic, silly videos create brand awareness near and far while also encouraging our local neighbors to pop in. We try to make content that if you're a craft beer drinker you can relate and if you're close by you'll want to come see us. 

How do you choose which trends to participate in while still staying true to the City Star brand?

When it comes to videos I try to take the Red Bull marketing approach which is to show the experience rather than the product. Sell the experience not the beer. Yes, we could list what beers are on tap, we could talk about the hops and geek out over craft beer, we could feature our new beers that come out every Friday...but I want someone to watch our videos and think "They're having so much fun at City Star, let's go to THAT brewery!"

City Star strives to produce delicious craft beer that brings our community together so the goal is for people to see our videos and then call up a friend to come visit us for a beer. Our brewery's audience is aged 21-60 with the majority resting in the 25-45 age range. We want to use audios that are going to be most relatable to this age range as well as pop culture references. (It's no fun if someone misses the joke!) If it makes us laugh at ourselves, then we post it! 

Is using both TikTok and Instagram more time consuming?

Doing videos in general is a bit time consuming. We try to be mindful of which platform we use for which audience. Our TikTok audience is mostly people from out of state so we make TikTok videos about relatable craft beer things for all. For Instagram, our audience is more local and more probable to come in and visit us— so we do those videos that are more geared towards that. Unfortunately synching them up can be a pain for matching audio and platform guidelines, I have yet to find a great app for that. 

If anyone reading has a suggested app, please jump into the comments or slide into our DMs!

What video equipment and apps do you use and recommend, especially for tight budgets?

Keep it cheap and easy! I just use my iPhone to record through TikTok, Instagram or Capcut. Luckily these free apps are pretty user friendly for filming and editing your videos. We step our game up with a ring light every once in a while but mostly we just try to show off our space in its authentic state - no cinematics here! 

Any last pieces of advice on using video as a brewery marketing tactic?

It can be intimidating making videos but there are lots of ways to have fun and show off your business without using your face if you're camera shy. Don't get discouraged. We have spent an hour creating a video that got 200 views and 15 seconds on a video that got 660,000 views - you just never know! It's a great tool to bring together your staff and guests. JUST HAVE FUN!

Advice From The Trail: Cara Nosek on Packaging Design and (Re)Branding

Photo of and courtesy Cara Nosek

Each volume of Craft Marketing showcases a Featured RadCrafter – a craft marketing professional who is crafting content, telling stories, and curating resources about the beer industry. RadCrafters are helping to shape and share the culture that is craft beer. 

Ska Brewing – an iconic brand based on a comic book and inspired by all waves of Ska music – recently underwent a brand refresh. We called Cara Nosek, Queen of Graphics at Ska since 2013, to weigh in on how brands can evolve so gracefully too. 

Advice From The Trail: Ben Moore On Beer Photography

Photo of and courtesy Ben Moore

We met Ben Moore at the 2023 Craft Malt Conference in Portland, Maine, which he calls home. His energy and enthusiasm were palpable, and he was both professional and fun to collaborate with on conference storytelling.

So we asked him to be the next RadCrafter in this series. Moved by his passion for his work, we asked him about the life of a beer photographer and what advice he has for others interested in the same craft. Prompted by his social media presence as @activebeergeek, we asked him about his work-life balance. Read the interview and get inspired here.

Advice From The Trail: Trillium Brewing on Content Marketing

Phil Cassella, photo courtesy Trillium Brewing

It goes without saying that Trillium Brewing are masters of content, among so many other things, who make us salivate on the reg with their scrumptious photography and streamlined messaging. Trillium’s Content Designer Phil Cassella and Marketing Director Mike Dyer are inspired, savvy, and generous with their insight— to say the least— and they gave us the lowdown on creating and executing a successful brewery content strategy. It all comes down to hospitality and patience. 

Advice From The Trail: Odell Brewing on Media Relations

We got a chance to talk media relations shop with Kristin Wood, the Community Manager at Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado. Here she emphasizes the significance of relationships, specifically bringing online connections to life by hosting at the brewery. We know that’s not always possible, and we encourage breweries to get creative with swag packs, beer shipments, and other digital ways to create connections in other virtual ways that lead to longterm brand recognition.

Odell seems to get an array of media mentions every day. How much of the earned media that you get is organic? How much comes from your PR efforts? 

If you include social media, I would say 70 percent organic mentions and 30 percent are from press releases and beer samples around new product launches.

How do you choose who to ship beer samples to?

We start with a list of people who are in the industry. Then we add to it over time with people who we find organically when they write stories or mentioned us or people or publications who we'd want to pitch to.

Any tips for engaging influencers on social?

Get to know them on a personal level. Communicating via social media as a brewery is great because you can be fun and casual and really build rapport with your influencers. Comment on their posts when they mention you and always re-share their content.

How often do you invite media out to visit your tasting rooms? How often do you host? 

Whenever I see a social media influencer is going to be in Colorado, I always send a personal note inviting them to one of our taprooms. I often make a point to be the hone who hosts them, even if it's after hours because it's so cool to be able to meet this person in real life. 

Who form your team handles PR? Is that their full-time or part time role? How does that work integrate with the rest of your sales and marketing team?

As the Community Manager, I handle PR. It's one of my many hats but it blends well with managing the social channels since the line between traditional media and new media (blogs, vlogs, social media influencers, etc) has become so blurred.

What have you had to learn the hard way about PR? 

I studied PR in college and I feel like nothing I learned is relevant anymore. Social media has completely changed the landscape and rules of the game. Often I feel like I'm just figuring it out as I go.

Advice From The Trail: Brooklyn Brewery on Social Media

Brooklyn Brewery have always been pioneers, in the craft beer industry and beyond. What started as a risky endeavor to introduce New Yorkers to the potential of beer and worldly flavors has spawned into the most widely distributed craft brewery in the world.

We reached out to Brooklyn Brewery Social Media Coordinator, Paige Snyder to get her insight into managing a global brand's social media and what other breweries can incorporate into their strategy regardless of their distribution footprint...

A multi-platform approach is the only way to reach as many potential beer drinkers as possible. Each platform comes with its own benefits and challenges, and figuring out how to wield those effectively is a key part of any overall marketing strategy.

Combining the local-level targeting of Facebook with the overarching reach of Twitter and Instagram allows us to keep targeted messaging relevant to specific audiences while using the broader platforms to achieve general branding goals.

Each social media platform demonstrates a very different pattern of consumption. Our main challenge is to figure out the best way to deliver content to be sure we are reaching our audience and not getting lost in the noise. For example, a short, pithy snippet of copy that might cut through the crowd on Twitter might not provide enough information for our audience on Facebook.

It is up to us to consider our message and who we are trying to reach, then translate it into the best form of communication for each platform.

Changing your name on Twitter is the online equivalent of carving jack o’lanterns and hanging skulls in your window for your neighbors to see.

Above all else, be approachable and be kind. At worst, you will divert the sort of customer service disasters that end up as clickbait on media websites. At best, you will be able to provide your audience with a detailed, interesting, and useful interaction on a platform that can often feel completely overwhelming. The people you’re talking to (in most cases) are also beer people. The more we can respect our fellow drinkers and their communities, the more good can be achieved and the more utility will come through for all.

Also, every picture of a beer in a glass needs to have a good head on it.

— Paige Snyder, Social Media Coordinator at Brooklyn Brewery

Advice from the Trail: Creature Comforts on Building a Brewery Brand

We’re excited to continue our RadCrafter series! Each volume of Craft Marketing showcases a Featured Crafter— a craft marketing professional who is crafting content, telling stories, and curating resources about the beer industry. RadCrafters are helping to shape and share the culture that is craft beer. 

For this edition we reached out to Chris Herron, co-founder and CEO at Creature Comforts and picked his brain about beer, brewing, and what it takes to build a strong brand that resonates with consumers in today’s craft beer market

Before Creature Comforts Brewing Company became Georgia’s craft beer darling, the brand was a source of the Decatur neighborhood’s lure. Launched underground by offering samples of homebrew to bars. Each beer had its own psychedelic creatures drawn by friend Julian Bozeman which he called “Creature Comforts”. Beer drinkers were curious, and they sought out the latest creations— the artwork too. The Creature Comforts brand was born.

Advice from the Trail: David Wright on Brewery Event Planning

RadCraft is excited to announce our RadCrafter series! Each volume of Craft Marketing showcases a Featured Crafter— a craft marketing professional who is crafting content, telling stories, and curating resources about the beer industry. RadCrafters are helping to shape and share the culture that is craft beer. 

First up is our dear friend and first-ever RadCraft employee David Wright. He’s passionate about beer, specifically beer that’s inspired by the outdoors. He’s also an event planner extraordinaire and a master herder of brewer cats. David has worked at RadCraft, Epic Brewing, Great Divide Brewing Co., and now Scratch Brewing Company.

David has also worked as the Colorado Director and Development Manager of the Beers Made By Walking program that invites brewers to go on nature hikes and urban walks, and make new beers inspired by edible plants.

It should be noted that when we caught up with David at Scratch Brewing Co., he was sipping Denver's incredible Corvus Coffee and rocking a t-shirt from our friends Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, North Carolina. Thanks for supporting other great crafters, David!