Generally, the American craft brewer is still small. It is also independent and traditional. The craft brewers produce not more than six million drums annually. It is also true that less than 25 percent of these breweries are owned by some alcoholic beverage industry affiliates. These affiliates are not themselves craft brewers. There are four distinct distribution channels that exist in the craft beer industry (Acitelli, Tom 31). These distribution channels are the microbreweries, the contract brewing companies, brewpubs, the regional craft breweries as well as the large breweries.
In the recent past, the craft brewing industry has registered significant growth perhaps because most consumers have shifted their preferences towards craft brews (Hindy, Steve 43). The significant shift saw the US craft beer sales account for 9.1 percent of $96 billion of the overall beer industry revenues, which was approximate of two million drums/barrels of beer. Surprisingly, the craft beer sales equaled those of champagne in the year 2011 (Reid 51). The following year, 2012, two thousand four hundred craft breweries were in the task.
The trends and shifts towards the craft beer industry present a very interesting research study into the consumer behavior. As opposed to other beer industry the craft brewing industry is well placed in terms building a unique consumer culture. It is worthwhile noting that culture and subculture are important terms, particularly in the beer industry. The craft beer consumers vary by their indifference for craft beer, style preference as well as the lifestyles that the craft beer consumers embrace.
Craft brews have revitalized the beer industry, the reason being; the craft beer presents a newer phenomenon. The words of Mattson Davis, who is the president of Kona Brewing company, are actualizing because the craft beer industry has grown as much as twice. Craft breweries have differentiated themselves from the rest of beer companies by tastes and flavor. This is one positioning strategy that has seen most consumers shift from beer and wines to experimenting the new tastes and flavors. This is the basic strategy that craft brewers have realized the fact that most consumers like sampling a variety of craft beers. Craft brewers have thus focused on increasing the varieties of the craft beer; they have also ensured that they frequently change on the style. Craft beer consumers have also presented a good chance to the craft industry, particularly because; they give back their views, supporting the local craft brewers because the consumers are after quality.
The feedback from the craft beer consumers has significantly attracted more consumers because of the fact that consumer feedback has enhanced the quality of craft beer. This aspect has resulted in consumer satisfaction and as a result, more and more consumers want to experiment the new brands (Essam 39).
The craft beer industry has also registered the significant growth particularly in attracting more consumers perhaps because of their market segmentation tactics, something that other beer industries have not yet fully put into serious consideration. Craft brewers have segmented their consumers into various scales (Douglas 19). Their varieties have put into serious considerations the issues of regions, social status, household incomes, the purchase occasions, the demographics, consumer psychographics as well as the consumption rates of the consumers. Craft beer industry has been able to categorize their consumers based on their psychographics. They have realized and taken care of the fact that there are those consumers who believe that beer is for real men, there are consumers who drink beer with little or no care over their choice of beer, and they have also realized that there are those who drink beer for the joy of drinking (West 21). There are casual crafts who basically are not picky. Craft beer industry has been able to attract core crafts that drink beer exclusively on the basis of its quality. These have attracted more consumers towards craft beer.
Works Cited
Acitelli, Tom. The Audacity of Hops: The History of America's Craft Beer Revolution. , 2013. Internet resource.
Hindy, Steve. The Craft Beer Revolution: How a Band of Microbrewers Is Transforming the World's Favorite Drink. , 2014. Print.
Reid, N. "Book Review: the Audacity of Hops: the History of America's Craft Beer Revolution." Economic Development Quarterly. 29.1 (2015): 93-94. Print.
West, Douglas, John B. Ford, and Essam Ibrahim. Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive Advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. Print.
