Using primary research to brew up a new beer
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SHINER
Shiner is Texas' oldest independent craft brewery. The client team wanted a wheat beer to round out their expansive beer portfolio.
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CATEGORY
Alcohol
OBJECTIVE
Develop a beer to take on Blue Moon and differentiate from the sleepy wheat beer category.
ROLE
Without a dedicated R&D department or consumer insights team at Shiner, my planning partner and I were able to help our client develop a new product offering from the ground up.
PROBLEM
Blue Moon dominates the market. Can a new beer compete?
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Wheat beer is a category that doesn't see much innovation. How do we safely differentiate?
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Wheat beer is a somewhat sleepy, stagnant category. Do our drinkers even want it?
KEY INSIGHTS
Wheat beer is the gateway drug to craft beer
It's a stepping stone from the domestic lights of college days into the craft beer world because it has a sweet, approachable flavor profile and carries enough craft cachet so novice drinkers can sip confidently in the company of their beer snob friends.
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No wheat beer can escape the "orange effect"
The Blue Moon orange slice is so prominent that it has groomed consumers to believe that if it's a wheat beer, it better have a fruit in it.
Wheat beers don't work for Texas
The thick, heavy, heady beer is filling – like a meal. Most drinkers said they might finish one, but would not have a second – most definitely not ideal for sipping in hot Texas weather.
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Wheat beer is not hardcore
Thus, it needs a name to match. Names like Reaper's Reward and Weisse House fell by the wayside as names like Weisse 'N' Easy and Front Porch Wit rose to the top.
RESEARCH [SYNDICATED]
Secondary/category research:
Understand the wheat beer category dynamics, recent innovations, and identify white space.
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Competitive audit:
Get an idea of who we are up against. ​
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Simmons/MRI:
Get a high-level snapshot of who the wheat beer drinker is and aid in the development of focus group screening criteria.
RESEARCH [PRIMARY]
Wheat beer drinkers survey:
Get a quantitative view of how beer drinkers view and engage with wheat beer.
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Wheat beer drinker focus groups:
Building off the foundational learnings in quant, we dove deeper into wheat beer consumption behavior and category imagery.
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Name testing:
It's a new product, we gotta name the thing – we utilized quant to have respondents select their preferred name based on the beer description.
SOLUTION
A wheat beer with made-for-Texas magic.
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Texas gets HOT – not ideal for drinking thick, heavy wheat beers. So, we brewed a lighter, more refreshing wheat beer, perfect for a Texas summer. And, to meet the consumer expectation for fruit, we add a hint of native Dewberry (similar to a blackberry) for a uniquely Texan touch.
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Bonus: The product launched in typical 12 oz. cans and bottles, but also in 8 oz. sample cans to encourage easy trial purchase in a highly trial-driven, novice beer drinker category.
PRODUCT
Copy: You’ll find a hint of Texas Dewberries in every sip of Weisse ‘N’ Easy. A full-flavored wheat with only 95 calories.
CREATIVE
Copy: Get your hands on the lightest, tastiest wheat beer out there. Weisse ‘N’ Easy. Only 95 calories. Made with Texas dewberries.
Copy: Full Flavor. Few Calories. Our brewers are magicians. Try Weisse ‘N’ Easy. An unfiltered wheat with hints of Texas Dewberries.
RESULTS
Throughout a scrappy, but robust, research process we were able to agilely deliver valuable insights to the brewers, creatives, and design teams for an informed, cohesive product development. Shiner Weisse 'N' Easy proudly hit the shelves across Texas mid-Q1 2020.
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At the end of Q2, it was #5 top craft brand gainer in Texas MULO according to IRI – only behind #1 Shiner Bock, #2 Shiner Prickly Pear, #3 Blue Moon Citrus Sky, #4 Shiner Light Blonde.
Meanwhile, Blue Moon Belgian White Ale sat at #10 – WIN!
"Poured from a bottle. Golden in color with a small head. Smells of berries. Taste has blueberry and blackberry. Low cal, lighter beer with good fruit flavor. Nice summer beer for sure."
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"Weird at first but surprisingly enjoyable, easy to drink, clean, light, and refreshing. I guess Nice 'N' Easy, as it were. Quite enjoyable actually and I'd totally go out of my way to have this again which is something I'd only say for maybe 10% of beers I try. Very unique."
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"Pleasant and refreshing. Shiner lovers can compare this to Ruby Redbird. This is something non-beer drinkers may enjoy. I got a 12 oz can and these would be perfect for bringing with you to the river."