Assessing Neolocalism in Microbreweries

Holtkamp, Chris; Shelton, Thomas C.; Daly, Graham; Hiner, Colleen C.; Hagelman, Ronald R.

doi:10.1080/23754931.2015.1114514

Cited by 81 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In the same way, Schnell and Reese (2003) concluded that the rapid growth of microbreweries in the United States is a manifestation of an increasing number of brewers and consumers trying to reconnect with their local environment. In a recent study, Holtkamp et al (2016) found that the "sense of place" is also used by the brewers in marketing strategies as a way of emphasizing local distinctiveness.…”

Section: Neolocalism In Microbreweriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Craft Beer Market in Argentina: An Exploratory Study of Local Brewers’ and Consumers’ Perceptions in Mar del Plata

Belmartino

Liseras

2020

Papers in Applied Geography

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During the last twenty years, Argentina's craft beer industry has experienced steady growth, which led to an increase in the number of both breweries and consumers. One of the first and most important craft beer clusters in the country is in Mar del Plata, a popular tourist destination on the coast in east-central Argentina. The sustained popularity of craft beer in this city provides an interesting case study to analyze thoroughly the evolution of a craft beer cluster in a developing country. This article aims to analyze producers' perceptions as well as consumers' preferences toward craft beer, in order to understand the craft beer drinkers' decisions and choices. We interviewed five craft brewers and conducted two focus groups with local craft beer consumers. The results show that neolocalism is highly valued in the industry by both producers and consumers. We identify two groups of craft beer consumers: beginners or social consumers and sophisticated or craft beer lovers. The attributes most appreciated by consumers are quality, flavor, and bitterness.

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Section: Neolocalism In Microbreweriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Craft Beer Market in Argentina: An Exploratory Study of Local Brewers’ and Consumers’ Perceptions in Mar del Plata

Belmartino

Liseras

2020

Papers in Applied Geography

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“…Breweries in Montana, for example, draw on the region's reputation as an outdoor paradise with "[f]ishing-, mountain-, and wildlife-themed beers" (Fletchall 2016, p.551). The places breweries associate themselves with are presented as local and specific, not homogenous landscapes (Holtkamp et al 2016). For example, whereas a Bud Light can be found anywhere, "you cannot get a Black Radish Lager anywhere else in the world but Manteo, North Carolina" (Flack 1997, p.50), where one can visit the Weeping Radish Brewery and Restaurant: a distinctive local establishment.…”

Section: Big Growth Among Small Brewersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While researchers have examined microbreweries, less empirical attention has been directed towards larger brewers-those that produce more than 6,000,000 barrels per year (Brewers Association 2016c)-and so we know less about the use of place-based appeals in their marketing. Rather, omitting larger breweries is often a purposeful methodological decision (e.g., Flack 1997, Schnell and Reese 2003, Hede and Watne 2013, Holtkamp et al 2016, Mathews and Patton 2016. Some research does include large brewers (e.g., Baginski andBell 2011, O'Neill et al 2014), but no study has yet differentiated their marketing techniques from other types of brewers analytically.…”

Section: Big Growth Among Small Brewersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each packaging element was coded dichotomously for whether each theme was present (cf. Holtkamp et al 2016). By summing the number of elements within the packaging of each product that communicated each theme (e.g., brand name, product name, etc.)…”

Section: Firm Types and Use Of Themesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three themes map closely onto neolocal concerns: emphasis on real locations, real people, and non-mass-produced beer (place-based, humanization, and craft themes, respectively). Distinctiveness also likely reflects neolocalism since it communicates something unique (Holtkamp et al 2016), 'authentic' (Schnell 2011), and different from a mass-produced, homogenized product (Schnell and Reese 2003). Conversely, reflexive branding does not reflect the ideals of neolocalism.…”

Section: Firm Types and Use Of Themesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond the local: places, people, and brands in New England beer marketing

Debies-Carl

2018

Journal of Cultural Geography

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Despite decades of domination by a few large companies, the American beer market has seen a dramatic resurgence of microbreweries. Contrary to conventional oligopolistic market theories, small firms have consistently gained market share from their entrenched competitors. Researchers have attributed this success to 'neolocalism.' Through their marketing, microbreweries appeal to consumers' desire for connections to real people and distinctive products from local places. However, no study has verified whether this pattern is most characteristic of microbreweries. With newer firms threatening their market share, larger firms might adopt neolocal claims, but little empirical attention has been directed at large brewers, and mid-sized, regional firms have been largely ignored by researchers. This paper uses content analysis of beer packaging to investigate the nature of the appeals made to consumers. I find that while microbreweries do make neolocal claims, regional breweries are more likely to associate their products with places on a local scale. Large breweries make few such claims, but instead rely on 'reflexive branding': marketing that refers back to the brand itself rather than borrowing existing symbolism from people or places. These findings partly support the neolocal perspective, but also challenge our expectations of which firms use neolocal appeals the most. From microbreweries to megabreweries and back again Recent years have witnessed remarkable growth in the popularity of microbreweries in the US. Considerable research has explored the appeal these small breweries hold for consumers and provided several possible explanations. However, most of this research has been directed at microbreweries themselves. It remains to be seen whether these patterns are really distinct to them, or if similar patterns occur among larger brewers as well. The current study contributes to our understanding of microbrewery appeal, and therefore also to issues of identity and culture linked to that appeal, by systematically comparing marketing techniques across brewery types to determine what differences exist across them. Before turning to this comparison, it is important to first understand the history of the beer market and the remarkable shifts it has experienced over the years. Beer has been an important part of American life since its early years as a colony. Colonists saw beer as essential for survival. It was safer than water, which was frequently contaminated by deadly pathogens like cholera, and more filling to boot (Smith 1998). For these reasons, breweries were widespread. Often, local governments encouraged the establishment of taverns (which also served as inns) and breweries, considering them essential to the economic and social health of a colony and beer itself essential to the health of individuals. A brewery was among the first structures built when a new colony was founded, and these multiplied as colonies grew. The precise number of breweries in existence during these early years is unknown since, in addit...

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Brewpubs and Microbreweries: A Midwestern Geography of Local Craft Beer Markets by Firm Type

Yeager

Gatrell

2020

The Geography of Beer

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Assessing Neolocalism in Microbreweries

Cited by 81 publications

References 26 publications

The Craft Beer Market in Argentina: An Exploratory Study of Local Brewers’ and Consumers’ Perceptions in Mar del Plata

The Craft Beer Market in Argentina: An Exploratory Study of Local Brewers’ and Consumers’ Perceptions in Mar del Plata

Beyond the local: places, people, and brands in New England beer marketing

Brewpubs and Microbreweries: A Midwestern Geography of Local Craft Beer Markets by Firm Type

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