Okanagan Spring Brewery will soon hit shelves with a radical rebranding of its six craft beers.
The plan is for the new bright red labels with large white lettering to contrast with the labels that have identified the brand since it launched in 1984, said Glen Jessup, brand manager for Okanagan Springs. Subplot of Vancouver developed the new brand identity.
Multiple rounds of research and internal surveys revealed the brewery was in need of a brand overhaul. “A lot of our loyal customers were saying ‘You know what, we still love you, but your look is getting a little tired,’ ” said Jessup. “And new consumers were not seeing a lot that was new and exciting to attract them to the franchise.”
Males 35 to 40 are the core target market, and Jessup would like to attract new younger customers, without offending current customers.
As part of the research, a group of existing customers were asked to draw the logo as a way to test how strongly they were tied to the old identity.
“Even [within] a group of loyalists, we were getting all sorts of things,” said Jessup. “They weren’t recalling anything specific about the logo except maybe the colour and the actual brand name.”
While radio ads have run all summer with the new tag line “Know your beer,” an outdoor campaign, public relations and point-of-sale push by Vancouver-based Me and Lewis will coincide with the rebranding.
The Okanagan brand story now appears right on its packaging.
“We talk about things such as why the brand exists, ideal serving temperatures and the history behind the flavours,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to keep our current base happy and engaged, and also become appealing to people looking at the craft segment.”
Okanagan Springs has an annual marketing budget in the range of $250,000, and Jessup said they’ll be looking for an agency of record in the fall.
“We’re looking for someone who can capture the spirit of Okanagan Springs. It’s the biggest craft beer in B.C., and we need it to be fresh and speak to our consumers,” said Jessup. “I’m leaning obviously to [a local agency because] they understand what the Okanagan represents to us and the history of beer in B.C..”
