How Dogfish Head Is Using Social Woot Marketing As The Craft Beer Tide Shifts

Dogfish Head celebrates the New Year. The only way the Delaware-based brewery knows how: A new addition to its trademark line of sustainably hopped beers. At 95 calories and 3.6 carbs per 12-ounce serving, the hop-forward beer appears to balance consumer desires for both flavor and function.

To raise awareness of the New Brew, Dogfish Head ran a campaign on Quitter’s Day, the second Friday in January and the day when 80% of people ditch their New Year’s resolutions. Like Dove and RXBAR’s campaigns addressing toxic resolutions, Dogfish’s marketing is humorous but gives consumers permission to go easy.

“Our brand has always taken brewing beautiful, technically perfect beers very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head’s Founder and Brewer. “Let’s make the unofficial, unofficial beer of Quitter’s Day.”

Until January 16, consumers could share their stories about their New Year’s resolutions for a chance to score $30 in beer money and participation medals. A nod to symbols of fairness, like many innocuous parts of American society. It has become politicized in recent years.

Quitter’s daily efforts align with Dogfish’s social-first marketing approach, setting it apart from beer brands that rely on traditional TV and at-home advertising. Despite merging with the Boston Beer Company in 2019, Dogfish continued to market itself as if it were now backed by a national sales group.

“Dogfish was a grassroots company that really relied on keeping their marketing below the demand (and) on social media to generate demand,” Calagione said. “We still have it, but now we have hundreds of salespeople selling dogfish as part of the (Boston Beer Company) portfolio.”

Beer drinkers and markets evolve

The craft beer boom of the 2010s ultimately gave way to changing consumer behavior among drinkers, especially younger people. There was a continued shift from mass market beer to wine, spirits and lower alcohol beverages. For Dogfish Head, the 30 Minute Light IPA is a way to become a part of consumers’ lives as they increasingly reach for more functional beverages.

“We have a long history of beers that have health properties but are not non-alcoholic,” Calagione said. “We love our (session sour) Seaquench Ale and we sell the heck out of it too, especially in the warm months… Despite these health attributes, it was really attractive to have a year-round IPA at the core of our portfolio. We’ve seen where our customers are going.”

The launch of low-calorie, low-alcohol IPAs comes amid the rise of non-alcoholic beers from movement brewing, beer giants like AB Inbev, or disruptors like Dogfish Head’s sister brands. Being part of the Boston Beer Company gave Dogfish access to insight into the larger beer market about how consumers drink non-alcoholic beer, often alongside regular craft beer.

Dogfish Head, where Athletic and Heineken 0.0 offer their own take on Dry January, saw an opportunity to build on previous “Januquenchy” efforts, where breweries could only have one coast to coast one day a month. The release of 30 Minute IPA gave the brewery a way to keep the conversation going.

“Some people are on a lifelong non-alcoholic journey, and some people are (drinkers) in beer, ABV, more calorie conscious. But whatever your journey is, be proud of it and own it,” the executive said.

Dogfish Head is the official brewery partner of Record Store Day, with social-first activations celebrating independent record stores whose brands are increasing their visibility as the day is celebrated on Saturday, April 3 and Black Friday. Likewise, the Quitter’s Day Campaign provides a way for brands to find a void among beer brands.