Introduction

These days, craft breweries are thirsty for new ways to generate revenue and build community. New England Brewing Co. (NEBCO), knocked it out of the park for their 22nd anniversary, raising $12,500 in non-beer revenue, all while strengthening their relationship with their most loyal supporters and contributing to charity. Let’s take a look at how they did it.

The Back Story

NEBCO is an OG craft brewery embedded in the west side of New Haven, CT. You probably know them for their Sea Hag and Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPAs. Their brewing facility doubles as their taproom and shares a parking lot with a Lincoln dealership nearby. NEBCO has carved out a name for themselves statewide with an extremely devout local fan base.

The 22nd Anniversary Party

To memorialize 22 years of brewing awesomeness, NEBCO threw an anniversary party that was part car show, part music fest, and

part vinyl fair. The celebration took place on a Saturday afternoon in June. The festivities spilled out of the taproom into the parking lot. NEBCO’s most loyal fans showed up in force including local car enthusiasts, artists, DJs, and vinyl music shops. Check out this lineup:

• Vintage Car Show: For car enthusiasts to show off their rides.
• Live Art: Performed by NEBCO artist Craig Gilbert.
• Vinyl Record Vendors: Popups from Bad Kitty Music, Uncle Joe’s Records, Vinyl Street Cafe, and Yankee Vinyl.
• Live DJs: Sets from DJ Dooley-O and DJ Ben Lovejoy.
• Live Music: Performed by Modern Refuge.
• Lawn Games, Food Trucks, and Special Surprises!

The event was free to attend, with a focus on community engagement rather than profit. However, NEBCO had a surprise in store for their most dedicated fans.

The LOON Mug Club (Loyal Order Of Nebconians)

For the first time in their 22 year history, NEBCO launched a mug club as part of their anniversary celebrations. The Loyal Order of Nebconians Mug Club provides exclusive perks for the brewery’s most loyal fans including:

• An exclusive t-shirt
• An annual party for members
• A free birthday pint
• Free first pours at NEBCO events (one per month)
• Larger pours at the normal price
• 10% off merchandise
• 20% off private parties

Membership was priced at $125/yr and limited to just 100 spots with half of the annual membership fee donated to NEBCO charities: Closer to Free Ride, Ales for ALS, and the NEBCO African American Brewers Scholarship.

Marketing and Execution

NEBCO Launched their LOON Mug Club through their new app. Partygoers could download the app to join and get their rewards. NEBCO promoted their app and mug club in three ways:

1. EMAIL + SOCIAL: The app was announced on NEBCO’s Facbook and Instagram channels and sent to their email list on the day of the event with a link to download.
2. SIGNAGE: Posters were displayed in the taproom with QR Codes to download the app.
3. STAFF: The NEBCO team sought out their regulars at the party to help them download the app and snag a limited membership.

Launch Party Results

The 100 memberships were sold out through the NEBCO app in just two hours, earning $12,500 in non-beer revenue.

The success of the Mug Club launch didn’t stop there. NEBCO offered a free rewards tier for those who missed out on the membership. 430 people downloaded the app to join the free tier on launch day. This was not just a revenue win but also a triumph in terms of community support and engagement.

Ongoing Success

Since their launch NEBCO has added over 1000 app downloads and initiated their Beer Library Project to memorialize some of their favorite brews from their 22-year history, adding another layer of nostalgia and community connection. NEBCO fans who have downloaded their app are periodically rewarded and kept up to date on events and new beer releases through weekly push messages, boosting guest engagement and taproom visits.

Takeaways

New England Brewing Co.’s 22nd anniversary celebration was a triumph in generating non-beer revenue and giving back. Through planning and a genuine commitment to their community, NEBCO not only earned $12,500 but also strengthened hundreds of customer connections and was able to support important local causes. This case study is one example of how marketing creativity and community engagement can drive success on multiple levels in today’s tough craft beer world.