The Daily Pull

Today I found out that one of my favorite beer blogs is pulling the plug and I wanted to make a post out of respect. But don't worry! It's not due to some tragedy, it's not due to inactivity, it's not due to a dying craft beer scene...the man behind the blog, Brady Walen, has been offered a job as the Marketing Communications Manager for the Craft Brewers Alliance (Kona, Redhook, Widmer). I've been reading The Daily Pull since it's beginnings in 2009, and recently the Crafted blog he started earlier this year about beer and social media. Brady has always been interested in how the growing industry uses marketing to pull together beer lovers and bring newbies into the fold. Here's a quote about his view on the importance of marketing:

There’s a strong and unfortunate aversion to marketing within the craft brewing industry. Many craft breweries will tell you that “good beer sells itself.” I have two issues with this statement. First, the “good beer” argument centers on product, a primary component of any marketing mix. And second, good beer doesn’t sell itself in a crowded market where several other companies and brands are aggressively competing for consumer attention and dollars. Sure, successful breweries need to make good beer – but that’s only one part of the equation. There are a lot of great craft brewers and breweries out there. But how does one stand out among the growing selection of great beers? We need not look further than the most successful American craft breweries to notice that marketing and brand has played --and continues to play-- an important role in each of those company’s successes.

I would like to direct you Ezra's inspiring and fantastic interview with Brady on the New School Beer Blog, another one of my favorite beer blogs. Also, check out Brady's final post on The Daily Pull.


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