Shinerunner Craft Marketing

Mark Colburn’s “BEER Talks” session will cover three main topics – Marketing, Merchandising & Motivation. In this session, Mark draws on decades of alcohol industry experience sharing his ideas and passion on Target Market Definition, Key Differentiating Advantage, the Marketing Story & Its Vital Role, “the Castle Keep” distribution strategy, Experiential Events, “McQueen Cool Brand Standing,” brand ambassador “do’s & don’ts,” “Clutter Busting” sales rep incentives, “Fun-kifyzation,” and a look into his crystal keg. The presentation will be tailored to brewery, cider, & spirits marketing professionals, taproom management, Chamber of Commerce Directors, brewing-related Academics and Tourism Improvement District executives. Be sure to join Mark for a breath of fresh hops. In the meantime, check out his podcast series, “The Shinerunner Show” or his book: Craft Beer Marketing & Distribution – Brace for SKUmeggedon

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In this final Shinerunner Show episode, Mark thanks listeners for their support and all who helped him in creating and producing the Shinerunner Show. He ends the show by highlighting three key success corollaries. Each corollary topic has been presented in a prior show; however, Mark goes into great depth as to why he feels each are so critical to the beverage professional.

This short show is stacked with important tips for anyone wishing to succeed in the beverage industry and business in general. Enjoy Mark’s final episode and order his book if you have not already done so.

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This Bonus Horsepower show challenges the listener to ponder the current and future macro trends taking place within the national beverage wholesale network. Mark goes into detail on how to work with these Goliath wholesalers from the Underdog’s perspective. You’ll hear trends taking place across the country corroborated by Shinerunner army observations and input.

Episode #24 1/2 is especially relevant to the craft brewer, craft spirts distiller, cider/mead maker, vintner or “kombuch-ologist” who is concerned about wholesaler acquisition/monopolization and how this trend will affect their brands.

Mark also touches on what seems like a minor trend but is a major one. That is the cultivation of wholesaler Merchandising Armies that will serve to defend and preserve precious and finite Off Premise real estate for their mega brand suppliers and wholesaler employers. Mark offers a micro-strategy on how to get your fair, “Back Share” from this critical and often overlooked component within the master distribution model.

This show was deemed so important that it was added after the final Shinerunner show (#25) was taped. A must 20 minute listen.

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In this episode Shinerunner, Mark introduces a new marketing concept he calls, “3 - D-ing” your brand. The premise behind it is to bring the brand to life by creatively exploiting and elevating the Key Differentiating Advantage and marketing story to a higher level. He also introduces another, “Mark-ism” which urges the listener to “tangebilize” the brand which in essence helps you to put meat on the brand skeleton.

Mark uses the fictitious “GT-500 Brewing” in a lengthy example (including a template) to better describe how to flesh out and ramp up your brand’s KDA and marketing story. This show makes for a unique listening adventure as Mark introduces his creative and timely concept. Listeners will benefit from this time investment as Mark provides them with another weapon to battle in this highly competitive beverage market where existing brands and new product entrants fiercely compete for precious On and Off Premise real estate.

Episode #24 is especially relevant to the craft brewer, craft spirts distiller, cider/mead maker, vintner or “kombuch-ologist.”

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In this episode, Mark takes a deep look into his crystal fermenter at trends impacting the craft beer sector and alcohol industry in general. He shares with you his “vision” on wholesaler consolidation, chain merchandising, wet demos, wine SKU encroachment, incentive planning, demonstrator and merchandiser training and consumer insights learned while working as a part time craft beer/cider/wine/spirits steward in the #1 selling alcohol supermarket in the Bay Area. You’ll be amazed at what he has found out at the consumer level. He also recommends specific strategies for small to medium brands to combat the goliath monsters of the industry. This is a must listen as the competitive landscape continues to tighten in 2020 and beyond.

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In this episode, Mark fields a listener question and decides to dedicate the show’s topic to the inquiry. The question comes from a recently hired sales rep who is beginning their career at a craft brewery.

Listen in on how Mark suggests a weekly planning regimen for the newly minted rep. He also goes into detail on how to build rapport with accounts while cultivating relationships at both the account and wholesaler level. In this episode, Mark reveals his “Funnel Technique” on how to probe account buyers while listing three “Must Do” corollaries. He also talks about how to manage a sales geography and prioritize “A and B” level accounts. On this topic he stresses the critical importance of routinely visiting these accounts – in person. This recommendation goes against the grain as more and more reps opt to text their accounts. This physical contact becomes the sales rep’s Key Differentiating Advantage while serving to further build relationships which Mark characterizes as “stock investments” that grow in value with each visit.

Even the savvy sales executive will learn something new in this episode as Mark introduces yet another, “Mark-ism” which he describes as, “favor banking.” He also reveals his strategy for leveraging Experiential Event investment and how to tap into networking groups that will lead to repeat placement and volume increases. A must listen for anyone looking to sharpen their selling skillset.

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Episode 21 of Shinerunner Craft Marketing introduces the show’s first executive speaker interviewed by host, Mark Colburn. Mark “taps” into his focus group moderator days asking Tom McCormick, Executive Director with the California Craft Brewers Association since 2005, a broad range of questions. Mr. McCormick’s background includes home brewing, owning a craft beer distribution company and his current role as the Executive Director for one of the Nation’s largest craft beer associations based in Sacramento, California. Tom’s team lobbies heavily on behalf of California craft brewers and was kind enough to take an hour to chat on the Shinerunner Show.

This interesting episode covers a wide range of industry topics from beer style trends and how to deal with market share growth by the spirits and wine industry to cannabis infusion trends and industry consolidation. Mr. McCormick’s suggestions, insight and predications will certainly benefit the craft brewer, craft spirits distiller, cider maker, hard kombucha brewer, home brewer and beverage professionals. Further, Tom takes it to another gear by revealing what he sees in his “crystal keg” three years from now.

Crack open a cold one and listen to this craft luminary and his insightful industry observations. You won’t be disappointed.

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Episode 20 of the Shinerunner Podcast confronts the On-Premise draft handle “Merry-Go-Round” or “One and Done” trend taking place in bars, clubs, restaurants, delis, brew pubs and hotels across the nation. The trend, fueled by a combination of supplier innovation and consumer demand for choice makes it very difficult to build brands while increasing costs throughout the distribution channel. Listen to Mark as he provides examples and ideas on how to face this trend head on – at the account buyer level. You’ll hear how Mark has succeeded in accounts with his strategy. This experience will provide you with ideas based on Mark’s suggestions that you can try in your marketplace. This is a must listen for any supplier that sells draft liquid into the On-Premise or On-Trade. If you work for a brewery, cidery, distillery, winery or “kombuchary” that sells liquid via draft kegs – then you’ll want to hear this interesting episode.

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Episode 19 (finally!) is here! In this “ABP” pod cast, Mark shares his insights and experiences on how to prepare for this crucial wholesaler presentation. He details what should and should not be in the plan based on his personal participation in over 150 ABP meetings. He also talks about when to reserve this meeting, how to prepare for it and reveals how to create your own scorecard that he created for suppliers like Boston Beer and many other craft brewers. Shinerunners will learn a great deal about this advantageous tool and how to use such in their ABP meetings. He also shares how to get this oftentimes “stuffy” meeting out of Neutral and into 3 rd gear. You’ll be surprised and enlightened by his creative recommendations for building “meeting momentum” and how to keep this critical audience awake, off their phones or lap tops and listening to YOU. Mark won’t let you take this “Daytona 500- level” presentation lightly and will challenge you and your team to make the greatest presentation of your careers. This is Mark’s mandate given today’s competitive environment and the extensive backlog of supplier ABPs that wholesalers must “suffer” through each October, November and December.

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Episode 18 of the Shinerunner Show picks up where  episode 17 left off, digging deeper into the rest of the Marketing Mix for fictional brewery – GT-500 Brewing. Mark reveals GT-500’s marketing plan to solve owner “Holley Cam’s” current sales and distribution problem. Listen to how he exploits every ounce of DNA from GT-500 Brewing to its marketing and sales competitive advantage. In this episode you’ll hear how the brewery used marketing research techniques to cut slow moving SKUs and ways to coach up tap room Beer Tenders into Super Sales Ambassadors. He also tackles the “Draft Rotation Nation” trend with examples from the gourmet ice cream industry. This classic case analysis method is created to spur intellectual thought and ideas that will benefit your business model. You’ve been asking for a comprehensive case analysis that peers into today’s toughest industry issues, well here it is. Enjoy!

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