RadCrafter Emily Hutto RadCrafter Emily Hutto

Advice From The Trail: Odell Brewing on Media Relations

Talking media relations shop with Kristin Wood, the Community Manager at Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado

kristen+%281%29.jpg

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.

Read More
RadCrafted Emily Hutto RadCrafted Emily Hutto

Ska Brewing Celebrates 23 Years in Business; Announces Brewery List for Anniversary Invitational

Ska will pour two anniversary beers at this celebration: MoSka Mule and the 2018 Barrel-Aged 23rd Anniversary Ale.

AnniSour-2.jpg

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing will celebrate its 23rd year in business this Saturday, September 8 with headliner Big D and the Kids Table as well as the Doped Up Dollies at its 23rd Anniversary Celebration and Brewer’s Invitational. 

The Bands

Big D and The Kids Table out of Boston will headline this annual celebration, with their sister band Doped Up Dollies opening. Both bands are playing in Durango for the first time. Learn more about them here.

The Beer

Ska will pour two anniversary beers at this celebration: MoSka Mule and the 2018 Barrel-Aged 23rd Anniversary Ale. MoSka Mule, which debuted in June in cans across Ska’s distribution footprint, is brewed with ginger and lime to create the flavors of a traditional Moscow Mule cocktail. Ska’s 23rd Anniversary Ale— Ska’s most sour beer yet— was aged on a single Sutcliffe Vineyards’ American Oak Red Wine Barrel and made exclusively for release at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango. It will be available at the anniversary party and in 500mL bottles at Ska’s tasting room while supplies last. Proceeds for the 23rd Anniversary Ale will benefit La Plata Open Space Conservancy.

The Brewery Guests

More than 20 of Ska’s brewery friends will pour their beers at this event. Participating breweries include Animas Brewing Company, Avery Brewing Company, Brew Pub & Kitchen, Carver Brewing Company, Dark Sky Brewing, Dolores River Company, Elevation Beer Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, Huss Brewing Company, La Cumbre Brewing Company, Left Hand Brewing Company, Marble Brewery, Odell Brewing Company, O.H.S.O Brewery, Oskar Blues Brewery, Ouray Brewing, Pagosa Brewing, Ratio Beerworks, Riff Raff Brewing Company, Santa Fe Brewing Company, Steamworks Brewing Company, Stone Brewing, Telluride Brewing Company, Three Barrel Brewing Company, and Three Rivers Brewery.

For more information about Ska Brewing’s anniversary celebration or with any other media inquiries about the brewery, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

 

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. Ska has long been a herald for sustainable brewing practices— its World Headquarters are wind-powered and earlier in 2018 Ska decked out its roof with 223 solar panels. For information, more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

Read More
RadCrafted Emily Hutto RadCrafted Emily Hutto

Ska Brewing Initiates Save The San Juans Saturday on June 23 to Support 416 Fire Relief

This Saturday June 23, breweries across the state are encouraged to donate funds from pint sales to Durango’s Community Emergency Relief Fund. The fundraising goal for the fund is $500,000.

SaveTheSanJuans-FacebookHeader.jpg

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing has organized Save the San Juans Saturday to support relief efforts for the 416 fire in Durango. This Saturday June 23, breweries across the state are encouraged to donate funds from pint sales to Durango’s Community Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). The fundraising goal for the fund is $500,000.

This Saturday, June 23 one dollar from every pint sold at Ska Brewing will be donated to CERF. The brewery has initiated Save The San Juans Saturday to catalyze statewide brewery support. More than 25 brewing companies, bars, and restaurants have joined the effort. 

Odell Brewing will donate $1 from every pint of Colorado Lager sold in its Fort Collins and RiNo Denver homes to fire relief on Saturday, too.

From now through Saturday, one dollar from every Oskar Blues pint sold at the Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont and Oskar Blues Boulder taprooms will support the fund. All sales of CANundrum mixed 12-packs sold to-go from Oskar Blues’ Boulder and Longmont taprooms will be donated as well. “Oskar Blues and SKA are cut from the same unconventional ColoRADo cloth and have built our breweries in places we love to play in the outdoors.  Hell, you can’t spell oSKAr without SKA.  We’re proud to help lead the charge in helping their community respond to the 416 fire with a week of fundraising at our taprooms,” says Chad Melis, Marketing Director for Oskar Blues Brewery.

From now through the end of June, New Belgium Brewing is matching tips and donations in its Fort Collins tasting room.

The current list of companies participating in Save The San Juans Saturday is on the following page. All fundraiser details are listed here. Breweries interested in hosting events or fundraisers can email kristen@skabrewing.com for more information.

For more information about Ska Brewing or its fire relief efforts, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

Read More