Twenty Years of Building Craft Beer
The year was 1997, and there was only 374 breweries across the entire country. Long Island, NY natives, beer buddies, Mark Burford and Peter Cotter quit their jobs and opened a microbrewery. Mark and Pete’s only reason to build a brewery was to make fresh, delicious, full flavor beer using the finest ingredients for themselves, and if there was any left over, they might sell it to you. That became their first tag line. This was the beginning of the craft beer revolution.
SITUATION
The marketplace was dominated by big beer. It was nearly a decade before most consumers had ever heard the words “craft beer”, before smart-phones, and before social media. It was also prior to America’s palette shift towards strong, full flavor beer. So, it was a fierce challenge to open a new, local microbrewery from scratch, consistently brew top quality beer, build strong brands with loyal fan bases, and shoulder the responsibility of educating the industry, and the consumer, on the benefits of drinking local, independently–owned craft beer. Think Global, Drink Local became Blue Point Brewing’s philosophy and mission.
ACTION
Blue Point Brewing Company called upon EGC Group Craft Beverage Executive Director, good friend, Jim McCune to create their brand logo a year before they opened their brewery doors. The iconic brand-mark was inspired by a buoy and their unique boat yard brewery. Twenty years later, McCune is still capturing the spirit, quality, and heart of craft beer brands by creating smart, wildly–dynamic custom packaging, marketing collateral, digital, PR, and social media.
THE FINISH LINE
In 2010, proof of our incredible, collective success came in the form of a powerful national statistic from the Brewers Association. Blue Point Brewing Company was ranked #34 out of all 2,700 independent craft brewers in the U.S. Further proof came in 2014, when AB Inbev acquired Blue Point Brewing for $24 million.
