Monolithic marketing

[cdh]

Most people's perceptions of beer are based on the most advertised and most common beers... light colored pilsner type beers, and their light bodied "Lite" derivatives, and Guinness, which is almost universally misperceived as super strong and thick and heavy.

There's so much more to beer than just that, but if people were asked to name five beers, I'd bet most if not all of the responses would be in those styles...

I remember back in the days when Michelob tried to broaden people's horizons with their "Don't be afraid of the dark" campaign... but there hasn't been anything since that hints that there's more to beer than yellow stuff on the one hand and Guinness on the other.

Any ideas how to correct the misperceptions and get more people interested in the vast variety of beers that are out there?

Edited May 19, 2004 by cdh (log)

[beergirl]

A possible start would be to write your local newspaper's food editor and request more articles on beer. I'd be willing to bet there is at least one column a week on wine. Of course, you may have to educate the food editor first! (BTW, I admit I've thought about doing this but never gotten around to it. Maybe this will give me the push I need to write something.)

Of course, you're in the Philly area so you do have Joe Sixpack's column. And, Philly is a pretty beer rich area.

Edited May 20, 2004 by beergirl (log)

[Rich Pawlak]

A possible start would be to write your local newspaper's food editor and request more articles on beer.  I'd be willing to bet there is at least one column a week on wine.  Of course, you may have to educate the food editor first!  (BTW, I admit I've thought about doing this but never gotten around to it.  Maybe this will give me the push I need to write something.)

Of course, you're in the Philly area so you do have Joe Sixpack's column.  And, Philly is a pretty beer rich area.

Joe Sixpack, although occasionally good, is a poor excuse for a beer writer; much of his bi-weekly column comes straight from press releases. I have campaigned loudly with the Phila Inquirer to seriously consider a regular column on beer, with our local, favorite beer writer, but to no avail. Inquirer food critic Craig Laban has attemped some articles on beer, but he has shown his lack of depth in most of them (he once complained about how flat Yards ESA was, served from a handpump!). Given the richness of the Philly beer culture, you'd THINK we'd have more food media attention in town.

[beergirl]

And, as we discuss this look what is happening in West Palm Beach - The Beer Guy