Brewers Association Launches Independent Craft Brewer Seal Retail Program

independent craft beerAs beer lovers vote with their dollars to support independent brewers, the Brewers Association is equipping on- and off-premise retailers with free assets to activate the independent craft brewer seal and differentiate authentic independent craft beer from Big Beer acquired brands.

From better beer bars and restaurants to liquor and grocery stores, retailers interested in elevating how they promote independent craft beer can visit a new microsite. Here retailers can download point-of-sale materials that will allow them to directly support and call out independent craft beer to customers interested in supporting small, innovative businesses.

“Independence not only matters, it pays and rewards both retailers and beer lovers,” said Julia Herz, craft beer program director, Brewers Association. “Beer drinkers express that transparency and underlying ownership can drive their purchase intent. Data shows that independent craft outperforms Big Beer acquired brands on a number of metrics. There are many reasons for retailers to seal the deal to support and differentiate independent craft brewers at the point of purchase.”

According to a recent Nielsen study, independent craft reaches more people with a 24 percent higher household penetration than Big Beer acquired brands. More is spent on independent beer, with the purchase size for independent craft consumers 12 percent larger than the purchase size of Big Beer acquired brand consumers. Independent craft consumers purchase 43 percent more frequently per year compared to the consumers of Big Beer acquired brands.

Since its launch in June 2017, more than 3,200 small and independent craft breweries—representing more than 75 percent of independent craft volume—have adopted the seal, displaying it on packaging, in breweries, across websites, social channels and more. According to VinePair, “the Brewers Association’s seal could easily surpass the reach and impact of organic food labels.”

For more information about how the independent craft market affects on-premise bars, download a fact sheet.