New Belgium
Brewing

Case Study

New Belgium Logo

Beer, Bikes and Ballyhoo: Public Relations as a Tool for Evangelism

Placing authenticity above business as usual in the beer market, New Belgium Brewing attracted an enthusiastic group of followers. For more than a decade, the brewer engaged Communications Strategy Group (CSG®) to inspire their community of sustainability-minded craft beer enthusiasts. CSG helped New Belgium tap into shared passions and perspectives to transform its followers into a vast community of brand champions.

number of states CSG helped NBB expand into

average number of new beers launched each year

average annual media impressions scored

largest craft brewer in the U.S.

A Fiercely Loyal Following

From the beginning, New Belgium’s product attracted beer fans, but it was the brewer’s culture and consciousness that won it a fiercely loyal following. CSG tapped into that shared sensibility to extend New Belgium’s solid base of aficionados, growing the company’s market share, brand awareness and bottom-line revenues across the country.

From collaborating on events to cultivating influencer relationships to curating a highly engaging social media presence to helping field marketing representatives advance grassroots marketing, our work celebrated and elevated New Belgium’s unapologetically authentic worldview.

We recognized social validation, word of mouth and third-party endorsement to be critical drivers of beer consumption and brand affinity. Based on that insight, we designed a consumer communications and content program that married great beer, sustainability and individuality to New Belgium’s brand identity.

From this platform, we assisted with a fully integrated marketing communications approach that spanned experiential events, product launches and thought leadership campaigns to engage New Belgium’s core audience and extend the brewery’s story to new customers.

CSG + New Belgium Brewing Highlights

Tour De Fat

CSG supported communications and managed influencer and community outreach for the brewery’s traveling celebration of beer, bikes and philanthropy, ultimately growing the Tour from a handful of events near the brewery’s backyard to 30+ markets.

Product Launches

CSG served as an instrumental partner in developing and streamlining New Belgium’s strategy and messaging. CSG also was instrumental in securing visibility for beer launches, including some of the brewery’s hallmark beers such as Fat Tire Belgian White (the first-ever extension of the Fat Tire brand).

Sustainability Initiatives

CSG helped New Belgium advance sustainability in the craft beer industry through content creation and thought leadership, including speaking opportunities, influencer outreach and crisis communications.

The ‘New’ New Belgium

Today, brand loyalists don’t just buy New Belgium beers; they subscribe to the New Belgium lifestyle. It’s not just that they love the product; it’s that the product they love taps into shared narratives and values.

CSG has been thrilled to be a part of New Belgium’s brand journey for more than a decade, creating a message that resonates with an ever-larger group of craft beer enthusiasts who are proud to say, “New Belgium is my beer.”

CSG has brought world-class clarity and focus to our communications efforts here at New Belgium Brewing.

Bryan Simpson, PR Director/Employee Owner, New Belgium Brewing

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