In 2011, we realized we had something incredible to leverage: a lunar blue moon on August 31, 2012 that coincided with the launch of a new beer, only available in our Fall Brewmaster’s Sampler Pack. From this idea was born 'Craft the Next Blue Moon', an effort to engage our drinkers online and offline to help craft our new fall beer. We built a year-long program aimed at keeping our fans engaged throughout the process of creating a new beer. The digital channel allowed us to communicate flexibly, solicit feedback on the beers, and gather input from a wide variety of fans. Events allowed us to create a customized local presence and gather local feedback throughout the country. Phase 1: Ingredient Voting Phase 2: Label Voting Phase 3: Beer Voting and Events Phase 4: August 31 Blue Moon Event We saw tremendous success with all of our campaign goals. We drove awareness and trial of portfolio offerings outside BMBW and during the final four weeks, which constituted the largest push of our campaign: • Seasonal sales were up 20% vs a year ago • Variety Pack sales were up 134% vs a year ago • Blue Moon Belgian White was up 13% vs a year ago In some markets with 8/31/12 events and support, we saw significant increases in sales volume and display execution, two key metrics for the field. We created a stronger connection by collaborating with consumers. Nationally, we had: • over 2,600 votes for beers on Facebook • 392% increase in People Talking About This on Facebook following the lunar blue moon on 8/31/12 • an estimated 24,000 consumers sampled during spring sampling events • an estimated 100,000 consumers attended 8/31 events • over 13,000 votes on ingredients, labels, and beer • 13 PR media hits for the 8/31 event A local event tap takeover for 8/31 had 18 Blue Moon Brewing Company tap handles and sold through beer at over twice the rate of a normal tap takeover. We also elevated BMBC’s craft credentials by showing our brewery, brewmasters, and Denver heritage. Multiple national breweries have taken on similar programs, and we will implement a second stage of this program for 2013.
