Schlafly Beer brews beacon marketing program using beer taps
Craft brewery Schlafly Beer is leveraging beacons located on beer taps to send customized messaging to consumers as it joins a growing network of bars and restaurants in St. Louis, MO, adding sparkle to their marketing via mobile technology.
The largest locally owned and independent craft brewery in Missouri has embraced beacon marketing to engage with beer drinkers at a key moment ? when they are about to order a beer. Customers with the app will receive notifications about drink specials, tasting notes and new beer releases.
?We believe that this technology allows us to provide relevant communication within moments of a consumer deciding what they are going to drink,? said James Pendegraft, CEO of Schlafly Beer.
?The smartphone has become the second, and in many cases the first, screen of consumers,? he said. ?Being able to connect in such a way is very powerful.?
Patent-pending technology
?The St. Louis-based craft brewery has partnered with Juxtad, a beacon-enabled marketing platform that uses patent-pending TapTalker beacons, which are physically located on beer taps.
?The St. Louis-based craft brewery has partnered with Juxtad, a beacon-enabled marketing platform that uses patent-pending TapTalker beacons, which are physically located on beer taps.
The new marketing strategy kicks off today in the Schlafly mobile app, which was launched on March 18.
The brewery?s first campaign will promote a partnership with St. Louis Earth Day. Consumers are encouraged to download the app, opt in to receive notifications and ensuring that Bluetooth capabilities are enabled.
When consumers with the Schlafly Beer app on their phone walk into a bar or restaurant with beacon-enabled beer taps, they will receive a notification to ?Do Your Part and Have a Pint.?
This notification will lead users to a page within the app that shares campaign messaging, including how the brewery will donate $1 for every pint of Schlafly Beer purchased through St. Louis Earth Day on Sunday, April 24.
Users can click through to learn more, directing them to the St. Louis Earth Day Web site.
A growing network
?The Schlafly Beer app also enables users to search for Schlafly locations by beer style, area of town or a specific location.
?The Schlafly Beer app also enables users to search for Schlafly locations by beer style, area of town or a specific location.
There is a GPS-enabled search feature that enables users to automatically find the closes Schlafly beer. Users can type in a ZIP code or drag the map to a destination of their choice to see what Schlafly beers are available.
Juxtad has installed over 50 TapTalker beacons in locations across St. Louis, with plans to scale up to over 250 bar and restaurant locations by May 2016. According to the company, it is the largest beacon deployment in a single network within the U.S. alcoholic beverage market.
?Schlafly Beer consumers can download the Beer Finder app from the Apple App Store,? said Martin Howell, co-founder of Juxtad. ?With the app on their smartphone, they can begin to experience the Schlafly proximity marketing campaigns in the greater St. Louis area.
?As the consumer approaches a location with the TapTalker installed, their phone will display a Schlafly Beer Finder notification,? he said. ?The consumer accepts the notification and the smartphone will display the message, which might be about brand awareness, local beer specials, or special events.?
