Beer Marketing for Women Consumers (And Men Too!): 7 Questions With Ginger Johnson

This spring a few of us headed to the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington DC. It’s as amazing as it sounds; lots of people passionate about beer, learning about the latest and greatest in the industry, and enjoying some pretty awesome brews.

And, it got us thinking about the increasing role that women are playing in the beer industry. From marketing to purchasing power to company makeup, what women want ought to mean more to the industry now more than ever.

Ginger Johnson from Women Enjoying Beer agreed to answer a few questions that I had about the role of women in the beer industry and what’s on the horizon for beer marketing. Women Enjoying Beer certainly has their finger on the pulse of the female beer consumer. Here’s a description of WEB, in their own words:

Here’s what Ginger had to say about beer marketing and education.

Why do you think millennials are beginning to prefer what is unofficially categorized as ‘craft’ beer?

That’s a great question. WEB has found over and over in our research, at events and in contact with people all over the community, that all people like flavor.

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Starting with education on the almost infinite variety of flavors beer offers is an excellent place to start. If you want to delineate based on age and era, it would seem smart to look at any flavor trends and movements and address it that way.

Overall though I firmly believe that you need to remove age and all other demographic measurements, which can preemptively alter your experience and simply get tasting.

What changes do you see on the horizon for women who want to work in the beer industry?

WEB focuses on the female beer consumer. If you’re also working in the industry, so be it. We all start as consumers first, and remain consumers throughout our entire life. As it’s always been, those with gumption and initiative will see their efforts bear fruit.

Now’s a great time to get into the beer profession, for anyone of any gender. The horizon is bright – get out there and investigate companies that interest you, interview them, and see if you want to pursue them. Beer isn’t about gender to WEB. It’s about equal opportunity for everyone to learn, enjoy and share.

What should the beer industry do to appeal to potential female beer drinkers?

Look through a genderless lens. Again, it’s about flavor flavor flavor! That’s where it should start. Not with age or income or color. Use only appropriate images, titles, and names. Sexualized, sexist (either way), sophomoric humor, and any kind of image and words that would make your grandmother blush or that you’d not want an 8 year see, then leave it out.

If a brand can’t successfully survive on the quality of its product, then you shouldn’t be in business.

As more women begin to drink beer, is there anything you think that the industry will need to do differently?

Women have always drank beer. And they’ve always made beer – brewing is cooking. With the recent explosion of food and beverage awareness, it’s certainly becoming more popular. It’s good to see more women and men try, taste and sample. It’s good to see the beer-focused entities of all sorts realize there’s ‘something to beer’ right now and work on pursuing it as such.

Progress only happens with doing things differently. WEB advises businesses that want to attract more of the worlds most powerful market share (females) on how to properly address them to engage them in the conversation. One thing to bear in mind is that buyers and end consumers aren’t always the same thing. Women in America determine between 75 – 85% of all purchases, across categories. All businesses – beer included – need to examine whom they think they want to sell to and develop a plan from there.

In your experience, what are women who drink beer looking for in that experience?

HA! This is exactly the kind of research we do. In forthcoming reports based on our 2012 Women + Beer survey, hundreds of women from across the USA responded to this and 49 other questions about their relationship with beer. I’d start with flavor, always. If someone would like more information on what women want from their beer and beer experience, that’s exactly what we’re available for. Professional guidance, advisement, marketing and successfully courting women as a fully equal partner at the beer table.

What does the label ‘craft beer’ mean to the average beer drinker?

It’s a label. And while some labels can help focus in, I believe the use of “craft” intentionally leaves out “other” beer. If it’s not ‘craft’ then what is it?! All beer is beer. Period. It’s all brewed and it all uses the same starter 4 ingredients. To eliminate any beers is a snub to the progenitors of where beer came from, all the expertise and hundreds and thousands of years of heritage that has brought beer to where it is today.

It all goes back to titles and labels. If a product is well crafted – any product – then that’s what you should focus on. “Small” is relative and definitions change all the time. No one should have the ultimate authority to define what beer should and should not be. I think that stifles the very creativity that has driven beer for the last 30 years in America. I also think that’s terribly limiting and only encourages beer snobbery, which is unhelpful, unsavory and counter to the very idea of beer. Who wants to hang out with a snob? Not me. Let beer be beer. Simple, delicious, sharable, egalitarian.

If brewers spent more time educating potential buyers about how their beer is made, do you think that would make an impact on sales?

Education is what makes the world go ‘round. Process, ingredients, serving, and so on. It’s all valid for education. As with any education, redundancy and recycling topic ideas is important as well. Have fun with it, check any facts as needed, keep an open mind, and push the learning forward.

So, here’s what I learned:

1. Focus on flavor, quality, and education.
2. Don’t offend potential customers with sophomoric humor or inappropriate images.
3. Beer snobbery doesn’t help the ‘craft’ beer cause.
4. I’ll say it again – flavor and education shouldn’t be ignored.

Want to get in touch with Ginger yourself? She can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 515.450.7757 PST.

What aspects do you think are most important to beer marketing? Where should the focus be? Let’s discuss in the comments.