Can you build a beer brand on 1000 true fans?

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Two years ago I packaged the first 5000 litre batch of State Of Play IPA - 15000 cans.? An amazing feeling holding a can straight off the packaging line.? Job done right!?

I had 6 pallets of beer, a stack of invoices, no customers, no consumers and very little competition, because the market didn't really exist.? No true fans.

So what does a former Heineken exec do? - he goes to a PR agency!!? Boxes of beer in the boot we hit the media connections and influencers hard.? Sharing beer and the story of State of Play head on!??

Only one problem, I had no distribution, no-one knew the brand or how to buy it.? State Of Play launched the same week as Garage Project's Tiny.? At the end of April Tiny had 500+ distribution points and I had 5.? Chicken and egg - need distribution to push awareness, need to be famous to get new listings.

During that brand launch phase I remember talking to a guy about start-ups.? He told me about the 1000 true fans theory.? If you can get 1000 people to totally believe in what you are doing who share your story and tell their friends and family - then you may just have the right energy to power the brand to success to a broader audience.??

This was a totally foreign concept to me compared to the Heineken method.? There it was about brand salience.? Get your brand top-of-mind so that when it comes to a beer purchase people think Heineken first - the power of distribution.? It wasn't about true fans.? It wasn't about story telling.? State of Play needed to connect?? One on one.? Personally.? Only dead fish go with the flow.??

To start with I hit the farmers markets.? Then with local ranging approved in New World stores I got a few more listings.? The website was working.? I still had 6 pallets of IPA.

Then on our two year soberversarry after dinner at One Tree Grill I posted a story about State of Play on Linkedin (with a picture of me in a before and after holding a can of State of Play).? It blew up getting over 800,000 views and thousands of likes and comments.? Holy Moley, we might be on to something here...

Social media was tracking OK, and the web sales were trickling in.? Then three big bursts of traditional ol fashioned media happened that got us in the headlines and in the conversation.? The National Radio drive slot with Jesse Mulligan, Air New Zealand Kia Ora Magazine, and TVNZ Seven Sharp.??

After putting the phone down after a 10 min chat with Jesse Mullligan my webstore literally broke.? It went nuts.? I still have regular orders from people that took a punt on State Of Play after hearing that show.??

Then I was blown away by the engagement on getting in Kia Ora magazine.??

And guess what, a lot of people watch Seven Sharp - this was epic as it showed the credentials of beautifully brewed beer as well as the brand belief and purpose that with good choice will come great change.

The true fans were there, and growing.? Some fans were hard won, and needing a lot of convincing.? I always remember a restaurant in Long Beach California I visited that had a wall of all their complaint letters.? Next to each framed letter was their response letter.? And next to that letter was the complainant's response to the response (still following?). In every case the bar had won a true fan and a lasting connection.??

So I have always done the same.? I have responded directly to every critic, replied and sent free beer to all the social trolls, and acted swiftly and generously to every wrong order or missed delivery.? ?

The most hard fought fans have been at the beer festivals.? It's a bit like turning up with a knife to a gun fight.

It took a LOT of convincing to get someone to try a non-alc beer at a beer festival back in 2022.? Like I was some sort of enemy to craft beer.??

We won good fans here and importantly a lot of retailers connected at these events - they saw the effort and impact the brand was having as NZ's only dedicated non-alc brewery.

Finally we were getting that balance of awareness and availability.??

1000 true fans?

Now, we have 1000 fans getting the Sunday State Of Play newsletter (thank you).? 1000 Instagram followers.? Almost 1000 Facebook followers (so please give us a follow).??

We have 1000 distribution points across New Zealand now of all our different beers.? There are well over 1000 shoppers using the webstore.? These are great input measures.

The outputs I love seeing are the reviews, the photos and comments now on the social channels and my inbox.

A completely different conversation is happening around State of Play and non alc drinks.? I haven't had an online troll say they would rather drink out of their horse trough or it smells worse than a fart in an elevator, for ages!

I believe there are a 1000 true State of Play Fans.??

We are on the right side of the rebellion for sure.? Fans that took a punt on a new brand, in a tricky category in a segment most thought was totally shit.? Thanks for believing, and buying those first 6 pallets of beer.? Because then I was able to brew another batch, and another...

And now we are NZ's fastest growing Brewery.??

And we sell beer,? not alcohol.

So fan, please tell a friend about your favourite non alc brew.? Flick us a like.? Subscribe and get some beer delivered with a good deal.? We would love to hear from you and what would make State of Play even better.

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Why reviews matter.? If you have a minute it would be great to hear from you

Here is the link to the review tab for? Nectaron Pale Ale

Here is the link to review Sunbreaker Ale

Here is the link to the review tab for IPA

And if you have a cool photo you can post on one of your favourite social channels and tag @stateofplaybeer? #stateofplaybeer If you want to contact State of Play flick me a note [email protected]

TOGETHER WE ARE BREWING A REBELLION!