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| Beer... There's a lot of it about (c/o Beers of Europe's Video) |
It's this that made me think that with social media being so prevalent there are other factors that have little to do with the intrinsic qualities of a beer that might draw you to choose it over another. I'd be more inclined to buy a beer if I've had a positive experience with the brewery through these media, as far as I can see it's all an extension of good customer service, and good customer service is always a big selling point for me. The flip side is that some breweries just use social media as an extension of their advertising programme - and if it feels like that, then for me it can really reduce appeal.
I'm not going to name names, and how pleasant a brewery comes across on the web is far from being the only way I choose a beer, but I do have a sort of mental 'yeah or nah' list in terms of how supportive some breweries appear to me as a novice blogger.* Is it just me or do others have similar lists, and what is it that gets breweries on one side or another?
*Have a look at this brilliantly encouraging post at The Tale of the Ale if you are a 'noob' (Reuben's word!) like me and are unsure if any breweries are supportive of bloggers!
everyone will have a "go-to" list in their head alongside a "want to try" list and "avoid" list in most cases. Not going to publish mine in public!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I wouldn't dream of asking you to! What I meant was were there any non-beer reasons (without naming names) for wanting to try or avoiding? Has anyone done something particularly good or bad to sway you one way or the other?
ReplyDeleteI have some beers which I always come back to because I love them but as a fellow novice blogger I do strive to purchase unusual or interesting beers that I haven't had before. I'll be honest in saying that what I choose is heavily based on what other people are drinking and blogging about, posting on twitter etc but I'm also a complete sucker for a great bit of graphic design and a great label goes a long way towards influencing how I spend my cash!
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of brewers whose comments on Twitter have stopped me from buying their beer. We're all allowed an opinion but I think small and aspiring businesses should strive to keep potentially polarising comments away from any official social network streams.
ReplyDeleteCheers
landells
Spot on Mark, there's no point in using social networks if you are going to alienate people, or even just ignore them - it's all about the two way process. In the end I suppose that's what separates it from traditional advertising.
DeleteHey! Your blog stole my comment! What I (said) was....
ReplyDeleteI love bottle conditioned ales, but only ones that aren't crap. This may seem simple, but its a guide that has served me well with so many scandalously poor BCA's out there. Its these considerations that flavour most of my avoid list.
I concede this isn't a non beer reason, but in terms of positive influence, I find that brewers who comment on my posts about their beers find a place in my heart and I buy their beer more. Am not sure if this is a novice blogger fallability or not...
Apologies for Blogger bugbears...
DeleteAs to the flavour thing, most definitely. I'd like to think it's always the prime consideration. I guess the caveat is, and why I'm asking about being pulled one way or another, that I'd like to try EVERY beer (wine, whisky, gin...) but we all need to prioritise, if only for the sake of our bank balances!
I've not had any brewers comment on my posts (yes, I'm that novice!) but a little interaction can go a long way - even if it's just a thank you through whatever medium they use.
Thanks for the comments folks, very much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteFor me social media does play a massive part in my decision making process, especially for bul buys. If you interact with a brewer/brewery, chat, even meet at events, buying beer bocomes a bit like getting something from a friend. In return you get excited at their previews and become an enthusiatic product tester/reviewer and share that news with your friends and contacts. I'm not saying brewers do it solely for that purpose, far from it, but it's a mutually winning bi-product.
ReplyDeleteEven if I don't like the beer a brewery brews that much which is rare, I still appreciate the interaction and will share news and such anyway.
On the flip side, I find it frustrating when I send a comment to brewers/breweries about a beer I'm tasting or even blogging about and they don't even have the courtesy to reply in any form. Not looking to be showered in thanks, but a simple "thanks, glad you liked it" would at least acknowledge your contact.
If that's too much to ask, don't bother having a social media presence...
The problem is, we sometimes have to check ourselves: are we being nicer about this beer than we would normally be because we've (virtually) looked the brewer in the eye and had a chat with them?
ReplyDeleteAnnoying things business (including breweries) do on social media: get furiously angry (exhausting); update on the number of followers they've got; demand retweets; talk about politics a lot, other than where it relates directly to their business; ignore people; get PR firms to run their Twitter feed; engage in contrived PR tweeting; retweet every nice thing anyone says about their product; cross-post from Facebook.
Absolutely. The objectivity remains important, as does the disclosure thing - it goes back to the 'free beer' double-edged sword. Although as Phil says I don't think there's any harm in selecting beers on the basis of your experiences of the people involved in making it available in the first place. It's worth remembering that even a 'negative' review can be taken as a positive, and if you retain that objectivity then criticism can, and should, be constructive.
ReplyDeleteHey Gareth! For me, how likely I am to advocate for a brand depends on both the product and how they engage with their customers. For example, I've never had a Boundary Bay brew, but I always think of that brand when talking about craft beer because Amy Jones does such an awesome job with their social media engagement. Because of this, if I ever had a chance to try a Boundary Bay brew, I would jump all over it. Product quality still plays a large part, but I'm definitely influenced by a brand's social media presence when it comes to my purchasing decisions.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Zoe Geddes-Soltess
Community Engagement, Radian6
Cheers to you too! I'll have to check out Boundary Bay...
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