Sharing a brew can build community. South Austin Brewery (2014–18) was a brewery in Austin, Texas, that aimed to bring music and craft beer together. The brewery offered six staple beers and boasted a wide range of styles and branding that highlighted the live music capital of the US. With the tagline of “liquid Austin soul” and beers with names reflective of the brewery’s home state—such as Texas Pale Ale and LuckenBock—we wanted South Austin Brewery’s social media presence to create the familiar feeling of having a beer at your neighborhood bar while chatting with the bartender (who knows your order by heart) and listening to local music on stage. To do that, we needed to develop their online brand identity, root it in community and music, increase their brand awareness and visibility in a crowded craft-beer scene, and encourage partnerships with local restaurants.
Sharing liquid Austin soul on social.
The brewery’s online presence was quirky and had a lot of personality; however without context of the brand’s identity, it lacked the friendliness and neighborhood bar vibes of visiting the tap room in person. To extend the feeling of sitting in the taproom for a beer to the digital sphere, we needed to help people get to know South Austin Brewery. We created campaigns focused on sharing original and user-generated content, stories of the staff and beer, and behind-the-scenes photos of creating their beer.
Cheers to new friends.
To continue the community building offline, we put together events benefiting nonprofits where we partnered with local musicians and food trucks. We also needed to reach new audiences, so we encouraged off-site pint nights, sponsoring or donating the brewery’s products to local events, and sent press releases to influencers and online event listings.
