Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) has released its results of the “Top 10 New BA Craft Vendors Based on Dollar Sales” for 2015 and it places Florida-based Funky Buddha Brewery as the front runner. Following close behind in 5th place is North Carolina’s White Street Brewing Company. Of the top five breweries, these two have something in common—The Brandit.
The Brandit is a brand development agency with 13 years experience in the craft beverage industry. Their role is to build authentic brands that connect with people in a meaningful way by means of storytelling and incredible design.
Seth Godin defines a brand as “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. 1
In this case, The Brandit’s brand development work with Funky Buddha Brewery and White Street Brewing Company contributed to these two companies rising to the top of a long list of new craft brewery vendors. “The number of IRI- Defined Craft Vendors selling in supermarkets jumped to 964 last year.”2
Funky Buddha’s in-your-face brews, and equally wild designs keep their customers on their toes. The Brandit’s partnership with Funky Buddha began with designing their flagship beers, Hop Gun and Floridian, in 2014. The IRI ranks Hop Gun and Floridian as the 4th and 5th best selling new craft beers in Florida. 3 Greg Kitsock recently wrote in The New Brewer, “[Funky Buddha Brewery] nearly tripled production over 2014, turning out 19,130 barrels in 2015”4 The article suggests Funky Buddha’s momentum continues, “We’re brewing at a clip of 30,000 to 35,000 barrels for this year,” says John Linn, Funky Buddha’s brand manager.” 4
“With Funky Buddha, you can expect the unexpected. People are curious about our brand because we do what we want to- by brewing outrageous style beers and having a blast while doing it.” Linn states.
When asked why so many people are picking up Funky Buddha’s brews, he responded, “In stores our beers stand out not only because they’re fun and wild, but because the characters on the packaging tell the story of the beer itself—the ingredients, the flavors, how it came to be. People want to be a part that.
For example, when you find Hop Stimulator on the shelf, you know there is going to be big hop flavor not only because of the name, but you also see the brewer transforming into a giant hop monster after taking a sip of his latest brew on the package. A lot of craft drinkers seek-out super hoppy beers. For these folks, discovering a beer like this—with a story like this—gets them pretty, ah, excited.”
White Street Brewing Company, in Wake Forest, N.C. comes in at number 5 in the ranking. The Brandit based their brand refresh around the honest, approachable, small town vibe that White Street embodies. Custom hand-lettering and nuanced illustration details bring character to these clean packaging designs. White Street’s white packaging is the calm in a sea of noise you find on the shelves.
Dino Radosta, owner of White Street Brewing Company, recognizes the role branding plays in sales. “The White Street brand is classic and authentic; it isn’t about trends or fads. The Brandit crafted a unique way for us to stand out on the shelf, to really cut through the clutter and homogeny and move lots of beer – while remaining true to our Brand Vision.”
The Brandit is a boutique brand development and marketing agency. Our creative talent and unwavering devotion to results allows us to create brands that are… Compelling. Strategic. Powerful. Timeless. Awesome. We create brands that work.
- GODIN, S. (2009, December 13). DEFINE: BRAND. Retrieved JUNE 1, 2016 from (1) http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/12/define-brand.html
- IRI InfoScan Total US FOOD 52 Weeks Ending December 27, 2015
- IRI- Florida Food Craft YTD Thru 12-27-15 (Brand)
- Kitsock, G. (2016) Feeling the squeeze. The New Brewer, 33(3), 78-86.
Share Post