Speaking - Market Your Craft

Iowa Winegrowers Conference Invite Market Your Craft to speak at your event and receive proven tools to drive traffic, build engagement and capture new sales. Unlock the storytelling potential of your brewery, winery or distillery with presentations catered to meet your unique needs. Provide value-added resources to Guild and Association members at your annual meeting with in-person or virtual panels. Develop confidence in your ability to thrive in any selling environment with case studies from all areas of craft beverage. From the C-Suite to the Production Team and everyone involved in marketing your craft.

Recent speaking engagements

Market Your Craft: designing a single-page sales and marketing dashboard

Stop guessing, start thinking more strategically about how marketing is impacting sales for your brewery, winery, or distillery! See all of the performance metrics that matter in a single dashboard …report, sent weekly directly to your inbox. We’ve designed a template within Google Looker Studio that allows us to report on customer traffic, engagement, and sales by connecting securely to your website, email, mobile app, social channels, and POS systems. Reports will reflect the metrics that matter to you, not some generic bowl of data salad.

Learn more at: https://marketyourcraft.com/product/reporting/Show More

Market Your Craft: designing a single-page sales and marketing dashboard

Stop guessing, start thinking more strategically about how marketing …

Will 'Growth Marketing' Save The Brewing Industry?

In the past, breweries doubled down on innovation, tasting room …

In the past, breweries doubled down on innovation, tasting room expansion, and winning new points of distribution to drive sales. Then there was the era of ‘eventing,’ where brewers scrambled …to build brand awareness at festivals, store demos, and guerilla sampling. A myopic focus on social media followed, ushering in influencers and engagement metrics. Which leads us to today and the next big thing for breweries: growth marketing.

But what is it and will it help get us out of the mess we’re in right now?

What we’ve found may surprise you: the idea is not new, and it’s completely within your reach to execute. Your team just needs to take a bottom-up approach to capturing new sales:
• Steady Your Foundation
• Activate Your Markets
• Engage Your Audience
• Unlock Sales Channels
• Regionalize And Localize
• Integrate And Scale

The need for strategic, targeted sales is more important now than ever. Our goal is for brewery owners and managers to understand the components of growth marketing and where to prioritize time and resources. Presentation attendees have access to our selection of downloadable Guides, with techniques to keep fans engaged and proven tools to fuel excitement around your unique story.

We started Market Your Craft to help small-to-mid-sized producers quickly adapt to the changing Marketing landscape with storytelling. Because we believe every craft brand has an exciting story to share. Led by Scott Kolbe, we’re a team of dreamers and doers, passionate about all things beverage with the creds to match. We’ve created a series of Workshops and Guides to help define your brand story and inform your Marketing efforts. To learn more or to schedule a session with one of our storytelling experts, visit marketyourcraft.com.

Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Join us in-person for CBP Connects
Half workshop, half networking
Charlotte, NC | June 9-11, 2025
Register now: https://cbpconnects.comShow More

60-Second Solutions: Shortcuts to Sales w/Scott Kolbe (Market Your Craft)

Brewery owners and managers are struggling to find new drinkers. …

Brewery owners and managers are struggling to find new drinkers. Younger consumers aren’t interested. RTDs, whiskey and tequila are having a moment. CBD, THC and functional beverages are carving out …their share. Waters are exploding. And craft beer is stuck in a sea of sameness, desperate to stand out.

What if there was a checklist of 40 marketing and sales tactics that could change the course of your business? And each one took just minutes to execute?

The team at Market Your Craft wants you to have the tools and best practices to find new sales quickly for your craft brewery or cidery. Not next quarter. Not even a month from now. Starting tomorrow! We’ve distilled years of working with brands like yours into a blueprint for successful marketing and sales in today’s challenging market.
We’ll provide step-by-step instructions for unleashing the power of your:

– Brand Website
– Public Relations
– Events and Activations
– Social Media Engagement
– Sampling and Demos
– Integrated Sales Channels
– High-Performance Marketing Strategy

Conquer your fear of marketing! Start by storytelling what makes your brand different. You have what you need to jumpstart next-level sales growth right in front of you. We’ll help you prioritize the strategies and tactics. Presentation attendees have access to 15 Complimentary Guides, with proven tools to attract new drinkers, build momentum and capture new sales in this environment.

Market Your Craft is a virtual team of experts in storytelling your craft beer brand. We’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands in the beverage industry, including Sierra Nevada, BJ’s Brewhouse, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and others. Led by Scott Kolbe, industry veteran of 20+ years, our goal is to help you become more discoverable in today’s crowded market. We measure success by how quickly we provide your internal team with the tools needed to drive traffic, build engagement and capture sales.

Huge thanks to CDR BeerLab + ABS Commercial for all your support on our Fall Virtual Conference.

Join us in-person for CBP Connects San Diego
Half workshop, half networking
San Diego, CA | December 10-12, 2024
Grab your spot now at http://cbpconnects.com/Show More

20 Takeaways from Celebrity Beverage Endorsements w/ Scott Kolbe (Market Your Craft)

Why do actors like George Clooney and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have …

Why do actors like George Clooney and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have their own tequilas? Perhaps they love a brand and want to help it get to the next level. …Or they respect the producer and believe in their story. Or maybe they just want something tasty to share with their friends at parties.

Whatever their motivation, it’s currently en vogue for celebrities to endorse or invest in beverage brands. And why not? Just add a little star power, share with followers and BAM! they’re sold for a cool Billion to a publicly-traded drinks giant.

But what if you’re not [yet] lucky enough to have Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila riding into the sunset without clothing in an ad for your brand? Or Ryan Reynolds promoting your liquid in one of his famously funny satires of modern drinking culture? How can you compete?

Here’s a hint: starting thinking like an A-Lister!

We look at 20 celebrity-craft beverage pairings to identify promotional tactics of the rich and famous, including:

-Designing a content strategy

-Planning highly-visible sampling events

-Negotiating product placements

-Engaging your social channels

-Managing public relations and community give-back

Building awareness and sales for your craft beer business doesn’t require celebrity endorsement or paid influencer socials. Our goal is for brewery owners and managers to get the marketing fundamentals right, then steal the red-carpet tactics to propel your brand forward. Presentation attendees have access to “The Red-Carpet Effect” Guide, with techniques to keep fans engaged and proven tools to fuel excitement around your unique story.’

We started Market Your Craft to help small-to-mid-sized producers quickly adapt to the changing Marketing landscape with storytelling. Because we believe every craft brand has an exciting story to share. Led by Scott Kolbe, we’re a team of dreamers and doers, passionate about all things beverage with the creds to match. We’ve created a series of Workshops and Guides to help define your brand story and inform your Marketing efforts. To learn more or to schedule a session with one of our storytelling experts, visit marketyourcraft.com.

Huge thanks to ABS Commercial, Beer Law Center, and Wipfli for all your support on our Spring Virtual Conference.

Join us in-person for CBP Connects in 2024
Half workshop, half networking
Portland, ME | June 10-12, 2024
Learn more at http://www.CBPConnects.comShow More

CBP Connects Charleston – Preview Panel

Join us as we count down the days until CBP Connects Charleston …

Ontario Craft Brewers Conference 2023: Would ChatGPT Recommend Your Brewery To New Drinkers?

It’s virtually impossible to scroll through your newsfeed without …

What’s Next After Beer Festivals [Go Extinct]? w/ Scott Kolbe (Market Your Craft)

What once was a celebrated platform for introducing new products is …

What once was a celebrated platform for introducing new products is now struggling to attract participation. Tickets that previously sold out in minutes are still available the week of the …event. Sponsor dollars are harder to come by. And being awarded in a competition no longer carries much weight at retail. It’s enough to make a brewer wonder if beer festivals are dying a slow death.

What’s needed is a shift in mindset before signing up for your next beer festival. We look at the troubling trends in attendance; reduced brewery support; and growing consumer concerns around overconsumption as prompts for a new festival model. One that meets the [new] drinker where they are, with greater balance and overall engagement, focusing less on “getting your money’s worth” and more on the overall experience. We believe festivals of the near future will focus in three (3) key areas:

-Creating a theme that helps shape a unique experience
-Inviting relevant non-beer partners and local businesses to contribute
-Highlighting the personality and story of participating brands

Next-level beer festivals still need to showcase innovations; present different use-cases like food pairings and cocktails; and support a charity or community organization. But drinkers are demanding more for their entry fee. Our goal is for brewery owners and managers to have a complete set of tools to evaluate participation in future beer festivals or to create an engaging event from scratch. Presentation attendees have access to our “Beyond Beer [Festivals]” Guide, with techniques to keep fans engaged and the proven techniques to build momentum and capture new sales for your brand.

Market Your Craft is a virtual team of experts in storytelling your craft beer brand. We’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands in the beverage industry, including Sierra Nevada, BJ’s Brewhouse, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and others. Led by Scott Kolbe, industry veteran of 20 years, our goal is to help you become more discoverable in today’s crowded market. We measure success by how quickly we provide your internal team with the tools needed to drive traffic, build engagement and capture sales. To learn more or to schedule an hour free of charge with one of our storytelling experts, visit marketyourcraft.com.

Huge thanks to Encompass Technologies, Boelter, & Gorman Smith Beverage Equipment for all your support on our Fall Virtual Conference.

Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking
Charleston, SC | December 4-6, 2023
Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-charleston.eventbrite.comShow More

Would ChatGPT recommend your brewery to new drinkers? w/ Scott Kolbe (Market Your Craft)

It’s virtually impossible to scroll through your newsfeed without …

It’s virtually impossible to scroll through your newsfeed without seeing a new headline about ChatGPT. Schools have banned the tool. Lawmakers are using it for speech writing. It’s passing law …exams and writing code. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a moment due to its ability to answer questions as if you were talking to a human. But should brewery owners and managers be scared?

Your business may be one of dozens or even hundreds of search results. So, what value would ChatGPT or other AI tools offer consumers in a similar search scenario? The answer seems to be a faster pathway to “Yes.”” Imagine a complex question returning 10 results versus 1,063. Who wouldn’t welcome more personalized results delivered conversationally?

We believe work done now to craft your unique brand story will position you for the eventuality that Artificial Intelligence will help new drinkers find your brewery:

• Build authority using owned media
• Build engagement via social channels
• Build buzz through press and competitions

It’s too early to predict where ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence tools will provide the most value. We can be sure, however, that Microsoft, Google and other A-list tech companies will continue exploring ways to integrate AI into their offerings: first for free and then in a monetized way for advertisers and subscribers. Presentation attendees have access to 10+ Complimentary Guides, with storytelling techniques to keep fans engaged and the proven tools to build momentum and capture new sales in this new environment.

Market Your Craft is a virtual team of experts in storytelling your craft beer brand. We’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands in the beverage industry, including Sierra Nevada, BJ’s Brewhouse, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and others. Led by Scott Kolbe, industry veteran of 20 years, our goal is to help you become more discoverable in today’s crowded market. We measure success by how quickly we provide your internal team with the tools needed to drive traffic, build engagement and capture sales. To learn more or to schedule an hour free of charge with one of our storytelling experts, visit marketyourcraft.com.

Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking
Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023
Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/Show More

ChatGPT, Business vs Brewery, & Closures

As we gear up for our Spring Virtual Conference (April 3-5), we are …

Ontario Craft Brewers Conference: Social Media

A social setting is where people gather to experience a shared …

Ontario Craft Brewers Conference: Storytelling

Prehistoric caveman used signs, sounds and drawings on rocks to share …

Branding your [Beer] Extension: It's a Family Thing

Presentation to attendees of the Craft Beverage Exposition virtual …

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