New Product and IMC

Big Rock Brewery is based in Canada and produces high-quality craft beer. This beer is made from natural ingredients using traditional or indigenous brewing techniques. This essay presents a new product idea that Big Rock Brewery can consider to expand its product line and have a competitive edge in the beer market.

Section 1

Big Rock Brewery is a public company or organization based in Canada. The brewery was established in Calgary, Alberta, in 1985 by Ed McNally because of the disappointments he got from the beer he had to buy in Calgary (Big Rock Brewery, 2022). The company produces high-quality craft beer made from natural ingredients using indigenous brewing methods. The essential elements of the organization’s brand include innovation, authenticity, and high quality (Johnston & Marshall, 2022). The organization displays these elements through its product lineup, brewing methods, marketing, and packaging materials. Big Rock Brewery has created a recognizable and strong brand that resonates with beer-takers who value uniqueness and quality through these elements. Big Rock Brewery’s tagline is “Crafted with Care .”This tagline shows how the organization is committed to brewing beer that is great-tasting and crafted with attention and care to detail (Big Rock Brewery, 2022). Big Rock Brewer is a brand that focuses on authenticity. The organizations make authentic beers using high-quality ingredients and indigenous brewing techniques. This makes its beer to be true to its roots. The organization also shows authenticity through how it packages and markets its products. Labeling and packaging are crucial elements that ensure that products stand out on store shelves. They help in communicating essential information to consumers or clients. For instance, all the organization’s marketing and packaging materials contain images of the company’s founders, the brewing process, and the original company or brewery in Calgary (Big Rock Brewery, 2022). These features help reinforce the brand’s commitment to quality and tradition.

Big Rock Brewery is also committed to innovation. The organization constantly experiments with new recipes and brewing methods to establish exciting and unique beers that appeal to different beer drinkers. This is even though the organization is steeped in tradition. The product lineup of Bog Rock Brewery shows the brand’s commitment to innovation. This is because it includes different beer styles like stouts, ales, lagers, and IPAs (Big Rock Brewery, 2022). Big Rock Brewery has always been positioned as a premium craft beer company focusing on innovation and quality. Beers made by this organization are premium priced. This is not like other mass or cheap market beer brands. The justification for this high price is based on the beer’s quality and the attention to detail that goes into each beer bottle from Big Rock Brewery. The organization’s big targets are beer drinkers who seek to have something different and better and who can pay more pennies for a higher-quality beer. Brand equity ensures an organization differentiates itself from competitors or rivals through its product strategy. It also ensures that organizations have a competitive edge in the market. Big Rock Brewery has its brand equity established around innovation, authenticity, and quality. Quality, authenticity, and innovation set the organization apart from many other beer brands. The brand’s market share and customer loyalty will continue to increase if the organization leverages its brand equity. Big Rock Brewery does not have service agreements or warranties for its beers or products. Service agreements and warranties help organizations to build or establish client confidence by assuring them that their products will perform as expected and that the organizations stand behind their beers (Johnston & Marshall, 2022). however, the organization’s commitment to authenticity and quality has helped establish consumer confidence. It has also helped to create a reputation for consistency and reliability in the organization. This has helped Big Rock to reinforce its market position. It has also encouraged repeat business from loyal clients or customers.

Section 2

New Product Idea

Big Rock Brewery can consider introducing a new product or beer called “Free Folks .”This product is a wine barrel-aged beer. Free Folks would be a beer with enhanced or rich taste with moderately increased bitters and black cherry, plum, and blackberry notes, and mild sweetness. The new beer or product would have a 9% alcohol percentage. This is high because most beers have a lower percentage.

Rationale

The uniqueness of Free Folks, the wine barrel-aged beer, can make Big Rock Brewery stand out in the market. The product line of Big Rock Brewery includes beers like wheat beers, stouts, lagers, IPAs, and pale ales. The organization, however, lacks a wine barrel-aged beer. Therefore, the introduction of this new product can make Big Rock Brewery expand its product line. This would ensure that the brewery caters to or attracts a new audience of beer drinkers who fancy complex and unique flavors. Also, this new product is unique, attracting beer drinkers who are always looking for different tastes and feelings. In 2020, the market size value of global wine barrel-aged beer was 1.27 billion dollars. This value is expected to grow at a compound rate of 9.2% between 2021 to 2028 (Wine Barrel Market, n,d.). This is according to a report published by Grand View Research. According to this report, it is evident that wine barrel-aged beers have a growing or increasing demand. Big Rock Brewery can consider introducing this new product to remain competitive in the beer market. This is because some organizations competing with the brand have already introduced wine barrel-aged beers. Some organizations include the New Belgium Brewing Corporation, The Lost Abbey, and Firestone Walker Brewing Corporation.

The brand identity of Big Rock Brewery is based on innovation, authenticity, and quality. This new beer, “ Free Folks,” will align well with these values because it is a wine barrel-aged beer. For instance, the organization’s commitment will be reflected in the new beer’s aging process and unique flavor. On the other hand, the brand’s focus on quality and authenticity will be reflected in putting the beer in wine barrels. Kapferer Brand Prizim positions the new product, “ Free Folks,” a brand representing ‘The Explorer.’ The brand archetype, ‘The Explorer,’ seeks new experiences, discovery, and adventure (Kapferer, 2009). This kind of position aligns with Big Rock Brewery’s target market. The organization’s target market includes beer takers who enjoy trying unique and new flavors. The tagline of the new beer would be “Unlock Your Adventure Sense with Free Folk .”This tagline encourages beer takers to try something new and embrace the west’s spirit.

The Story Behind Free Folks, the wine barrel-aged beer, is inspired by the West spirit. For instance, the beer’s name and label design represent various western values like independence and freedom. The beer is also aged in wine barrels. This aspect brings out unique aromas and flavors, reminiscing the western landscape—ree Folks tributes to the west’s adventurous spirit. Individuals in the west are very adventurous; therefore, this beer would be the best or perfect choice for beer takers who share the values.

Section 3

Key Characteristics

Big Rock Brewery currently targets individuals who have attained the legal drinking age in Calgary. This is regardless of the income levels and the genders of these people. This target market comprises social drinkers, individuals interested in local craft beer, and natural beer enthusiasts. Most of these individuals regularly take beer and are usually fascinated by local craft beer scenes. The individuals are also very willing to try new beer flavors. On the other hand, Free Folks targets individuals in Calgary who are legally allowed to take alcohol despite their income levels and gender. It also targets individuals who fancy bold and unique beer flavors, those who fancy beer and wine hybrids, and those willing to try different beer styles. The target market for Free Folks is different from the current target market. This is because it concentrates on people who specifically fancy experimental and unique beer flavors, including wine barrel-aged beer, and individuals who fancy the intersection between beer and wine. The target market of this new brand outlines a growing segment. This is because beer and wine hybrids have a rising popularity, and individuals are currently interested in unique beer styles and flavors.

Section 4: Pricing

The new product, “Free Folks,” requires a pricing strategy that reflects the beer’s premium nature. It would cost approximately 16 200 dollars (60hL* 270/hL) to produce “Free Folks.” The beer is high-quality and unique; therefore, the proposed retail price per 650mL bottle will be approximately 20 dollars. This price aligns with other premium craft beers in the current market. This price point includes all the extra costs incurred in aging the new beer using wine barrels and employing high-quality ingredients. Free Folks will e packaged in 650mL glass bottles. These bottles will have unique label designs to reflect Big Rock Brewery’s brand identity and the beer’s premium nature. The cost of a Free Folks beer may increase because of this packaging choice. However, it is essential to convey the unique and high-quality nature of the new beer. There will be extra ingredients for the wine barrel aging process. These ingredients will be sourced from local suppliers when possible. This will help in reducing transportation costs and supporting the local economy. The organization can mainly work with Barley’s Homebrewing Supplies. This organization focuses on offering high-quality brewing ingredients” to Calgary’s craft breweries. The organization locally sources its products and offers competitive pricing. This makes it an excellent material source for Big Rock Brewery.

Section 5: Place

Big Rock Brewery uses the AGLC (Alberta Gaming and Cannabis) agency to distribute its products in Alberta. AGLC is an organization that manages the sale and distribution of liquor products in Alberta (Wesley & Murray, 2021). The organization ensures that all liquor products are sold through licensed retail outlets. It ensures that the sale of alcoholic averages complies with the set regulations and laws and promotes social responsibility (Wesley & Murray, 2021). This agency distributes alcoholic beverages through different distribution methods. Some of these methods include retail services, transportation, and warehousing. Warehousing, transportation, and retail services enable breweries to reach consumers and retailers across the province. They also ensure that all products are legally and responsibly sold and distributed. Also, the AGLC agency offers regulations and information on alcoholic beverages regarding the breweries to be considered when determining pricing strategies.

Free Folks wine barrel-aged beer will also be distributed through the AGLC agency because it ensures that products are properly sold and distributed throughout Calgary. This means this new beer will be available in all licensed retail outlets like bars, liquor stores, and restaurants across Calgary and other towns in Alberta. This implies that Big Rock Brewery has to understand the AGLC’s pricing regulations and work with the agent to determine the best distribution channels for Free Folks. Since the use of technology and the internet is also on the rise, Big Rock Brewery can consider selling this new beer through its organization website or online platforms, or marketplaces like Shopify or Amazon. This marketing will enable clients or customers to order the beer directly from the company and have it shipped to their houses. The cost of the new beer will be higher compared to other products made by the organization. This is because of the extra costs incurred using high-quality ingredients and wine barrel aging. This price will still be competitive with the prices of similar beers. Big Rock Brewery should consider giving promotional discounts for the new beer. Having promotions will encourage clients to try the new beer. Generally, the distribution strategy for this new beer will align with the organization’s current distribution strategy for all its other items. Big Rock Brewery will therefore concentrate on ensuring that the new beer is availed in all licensed retail outlets in Calgary.

In conclusion, Big Rock Brewery is committed to quality, authenticity, and innovation. These values have enabled the organization to establish a solid and recognizable brand widely endowed by beer-takers who value quality and uniqueness. The brand equity of Big Rock Brewery is also centered on these values. This distinguishes the organization’s products from other beer brands in the region. Introducing the new wine barrel-aged beer brand, “ Free Folks,” will align well with the organization’s values. It will also give the company’s brand a competitive edge in the beer market. Wine barrel-aged beers are currently in high demand, and this presents a chance for Big Rock Brewery to expand its product line and cater to new audiences who fancy unique and complex flavors. Free Folks’ success, however, depends on the company’s capacity to leverage its brand equity and reinforce its market position through quality, reliability, and consistency.

References

Big Rock Brewery. (2022, December 14). Craft Beer | Big Rock Brewery. https://bigrockbeer.com/

Johnston, M. W., Marshall, G. W. (2022). Marketing Management. United Kingdom: McGraw-Hill Education.

Kapferer, J. N. (2009). Kapferer’s Brand-Identity Prism Model. European Institute for Brand Management, 24, 2014.

Wesley, J. J., & Murray, K. (2021). To market or demarket? Public-sector branding of cannabis in Canada. Administration & Society, 53(7), 1078–1105.

Wine Barrel Market. (n.d.). https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/wine-barrel-market