Central New York (part of state-level I Love New York) includes many great attractions with national and even international appeal, but the key draws share nothing or little in common. A brand demands more than a place on a map. It’s the experience that defines the destination, not a collection of varied attractions.
Brew Central brands Central New York as “America’s Craft Brew Destination,” toasting the area’s rich hop history and current brew renaissance with a complete marketing and communications campaign. ABC wanted to tell the “Stories on Tap” in Central New York, so concept development for the print campaign started there, with the copy. Each ad would tease a story about the brewer, distiller or pub owner and direct the reader to the website for an extended version as well as video and photos.
The ABC-developed website at brewcentralny.com houses producer listings, news and events. ABC launched Facebook and Twitter accounts that accumulated hundreds of followers within months and became key referral sources for the site. A YouTube channel hosting the 30-episode “Stories on Tap” webseries was added to the social media mix as was an image-rich Instagram account, giving fans and followers many different methods for learning the “Stories on Tap.”
Press relations were critical for the initiative operating on a relatively small budget. ABC developed infographic-style pitch sheets for several I Love New York travel writer events that ABC staff also attended on behalf of the client. We attracted journalists from several national print and digital outlets, including an Instagram takeover by prominent beer bloggers.
The Brew Central campaign grew exponentially when the Central New York Travel Region won a $500,000 state grant. ABC helped craft the grant application, successfully making the argument that Brew Central deserves a major boost to make it the worthy national destination it is.
