Brewers Association is very excited that more than 3,000 craft brewing companies, representing more than 6,000 U.S. locations, have adopted the independent craft brewer seal.
“Over time, as more beer lovers ‘seek the seal,’ it will have a powerful impact on purchasing decisions. One of the main goals of the certified mark is to ensure that beer from small and independent U.S. craft brewers continues to be top of mind despite the flood of acquired beer brands now making their way into the market,” BA gushed.
Well, maybe. But it seems to us simply slapping a seal on a bottle or can won’t quite do the job. BA needs to explain to the public what the seal represents. Not just the brewer isn’t owned by Big Beer, but that it’s local, uses fresh ingredients, you can see how it’s brewed or whatever.
What BA is trying to do, it seems to us, is to create an overarching brand for the thousands of small brewers, sort of like Napa or Chardonnay has become for a host of wineries. That’s a perfectly legitimate objective, but we think it’s going to require BA to begin to engage in significant advertising.