Six Things Breweries Look for in Promotional Products

The beer business is one of the most noticeably growing industries in the U.S. right now. Just about every town has or is getting at least one micro-brewery, and some restaurants are even rebranding themselves as restaurants/breweries. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that younger buyers like spending their money on smaller businesses rather than giant beer conglomerates, or maybe they just don't like Bud Light all that much.

Regardless of why (it's the latter), breweries present business opportunities for promotional products distributors. Especially because people love to show of their allegiances to certain breweries with T-shirts, hats, glassware, etc. You'd be hard pressed to find a craft brewery without a gift shop of some size.

Craft Brewing Business has an article this week about how breweries can sell more promotional items, and it provided a useful look into exactly what these kinds of businesses may be looking for. We're just one industry publication using another's to help our own interests. (We're the Houston Astros of trade magazines, baby!)

Here are a couple interesting tidbits we picked out:

1. The Menu

CBB advised that breweries put merchandise (with pricing) directly on their menus. For promo distributors, this could mean more opportunity to sell apparel, while also acting as a nice jumping off point to pitch brewery clients on printing menus for them, too.

2. Uniforms

Breweries want their employees to look professional while also drawing attention to the brand name. If you can provide apparel that's not just the same T-shirts available in the gift shop, it creates two avenues for profit.

3. Multiple Designs

"In most situations, don’t just throw 'Andrew’s Brewing Company' on the front and 'ABC' on the back," CBB wrote. "Geez, that would be awful. Put time into crafting your merchandise designs as you do your recipes. They are a reflection of your brewery and be sure to put out a product you’re proud of."

They want multiple designs so people might even buy more than one shirt, sweatshirt, what have you. Mix in different colors, imprint places and apparel styles for a full line of options for the eventual end-buyers.

4. Capitalize on Limited Releases

People love exclusivity with apparel, and that carries over to beer, too. Why do you think people line up outside of their local stores to grab whatever seasonal release is coming out that day? Match that hype with apparel with cleverly branded merchandise and that gives people even more reason to shop there year-round.

5. Event Presence

"Position a small merchandise stand near your entrance and staff it during busy shifts with an employee solely responsible for encouraging merch sales," CBB wrote. "'Don’t leave without one!'" For distributors, this is an opportunity to provide additional products like branded tablecloths, signage, displays, etc.

6. Merchandise for Everyone

Though they're not marketing beer for dogs or babies (hopefully), people love to use their pets as advertisements, and love decorating children in cute apparel from places they like. Just because you have to be 21 or older to drink craft beer doesn't mean you have to be 21 or older to wear the branded apparel.