Raising the profile of Craft Beer in New Zealand

[JoKing]

So incase you are all wondering why subscribers to NZ Craft Beer TV on Twitter and FaceBook are getting inundated with the Luke and Kelly’s TV show, and even seeing the items pop up right here on realbeer, I thought I’d take the time to lay down a discussion for y’all.

 

It’s all in the name of promoting craft beer in NZ, and raising it’s profile here in the good old NZ.

 

I’m gonna put it on the table right now before it’s too late and say that in my eyes, It’s certainly not about promoting “Epic Beer” or trying to raise the profile of that company. Initially for me, because it was organized by Luke – my initial suspicion was that it was all an exercise to promote the Epic Brewing Co. etc. A lot of people have dismissed this to me as stealth marketing – for Epic. As I have nothing to do with Epic, you an take it from me that it has about as much to do with Epic, as it does with the other 44 breweries involved in NZ Craft Beer TV.

 

Please take the time to read below an email sent to me by Kelly Ryan of Epic Brewing Co.

 

Hi all,

 

As some of you know, we've completed the first episode of NZ Craft

Beer TV that you can all see here in its 2 parts:

http://nzcraftbeer.tv/

 

Or:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_JmRyB1ZEQ&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE6yWKWWXho&feature=related

 

What we would really love now is the support of all the breweries

involved in any way, shape or form that you can. This means hitting

the social media circuit as much as possible. Put links to the videos

on your Facebook pages, tweet out the episode to your followers on

Twitters, embed the videos and really drum up interest.

 

There are also a few questions regarding the series and collaboration

beer that we've endeavoured to answer here:

 

http://nzcraftbeer.tv/tripjournal/2011/5/2/a-little-q-a-on-mash-up....

 

Any other queries, please let us know.

 

This has taken a lot of time and money, but we honestly believe that

the more promotion this gets, the better off it has to be for New

Zealand craft beer, breweries and the people that enjoy beer. Please

help us out and get it out there. We're beginning to get interest from

abroad, people wanting to try the beer and folk who are genuinely

interested in the series, the concept and to satisfy their curiosity

about Kiwi beer.

 

With regard to the timeframe for the forthcoming episodes, we are

dependent on the production company (and the fact that it took 7 hours

to just do a voiceover for one episode!!), but will get it all out

there eventually!

 

Any support you can think of and provide would be amazing.

 

Put the links into your blog or send the video through to your local

media contacts so they can check it out.

 

Thanks heaps!

 

--

Kelly Ryan

 

 

Now, why leave it to the breweries to have all the fun promoting this? Realbeer.co.nz is the largest craft beer enthusiast / home brewing community in New Zealand. It’s time for all of you to step up and show some support.

 

I read on here all the time about how you all have tried to “convert” conventional beer drinkers to craft beer drinkers. It’s a commendable move… keep it up.

 

What else can you do to promote craft beer in NZ, so that we can increase the national consumption from 2 – 4% to 100%? Get your selves motivated to do something for this community that has literally CHANGED YOUR LIVES.

 

Don’t just sit behind your computer and read this, then do nothing about it. DO SOMETHING. I can’t tell you what it is… but lake they said over at Nike… JUST DO IT!

 

If you know someone who knows someone and can make a difference – tell them about NZ Craft Beer TV.

 

I for one will be changing my Avatar on Realbeer, Twitter and Facebook to the NZCraftBeerTV "Mash Up" label. I suggest that you do the same! Like a BlackOut... but rather a "MashOut".

 

That’s all I have to contribute for the short term.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Joe.

[Chris]

Have you thought about releasing an AVI (or similar) version of the films as a torrent?

 

I for one am a bit old fashioned in that I like to sit on the couch and watch vids through the TV instead of at my desk. Hosting the vids for download like this might be a bit costy in bandwidth for your site but torrents would get around this.

[JoKing]

Are you talking about libertybrewing to host a link to a torrent?

[Ian]

I'm glad you have written what you have Joe. I can only add that I watched the two videos that popped up on the realbeer site and enjoyed them immensely. At no stage did I even have an inkling that Luke was punting Epic in any way at all and I would assert that it would be a most unwarranted assumption for anyone to state that it was. The guys come across as passionale and humerous and, more importantly, informative on all things craft brewing/brewer related. I have always wanted to know more about the small breweries in NZ that I have never seen or sampled, and those videos were just the ticket. Where can I see more of them?

PS I agree that a DVD with the lot would be great.

[JoKing]

Thanks for your response Ian.

 

I agree that it's awesome to be able to tour all of these breweries, and meet the people without having to even walk out the door!

[Chris]

Yeah if you created a torrent link and stuck it on the site it would get around the problem of you having to host huge video files for download (the files would be stored and shared on/from user's own machines). Torrents get a bad name for pirate media, but they're awesome for legit stuff.

[nzbrewer]

Joe, thanks for the support, really appreciate it. Especially the "MashOut" idea.

 

Chris, yes as time prevails we will get the episodes out in as many formats, and through as many channels as we can, so as many people as possible can see it at there convenience. 

 

Ian, thanks for the comment. Yes a DVD might be worth a crack, probably the most convenient way to get the full series of HD versions out.

 

Right now we are working on sales to get Mash Up bottles out to as many places as we can so everyone can get a taste. Hopefully it will also be a reason that some new people start to drink craft beer in this country, which was one of the intended out comes from this beer and project. 

[Chris]

Sounds good - let me know if you want a hand with the torrent it's not hard.

[JoKing]

Come on People.

 

MashOut.

 

Everone's profile pic on RealBeer should be:

 

Do It!

[Reviled]

Ive changed my pic on FB to help support, i've also shared the link :o)

[Dan Filihiahekava]

^ Ive also done the same on my FB account . Also when i go to parties , BBQ  ,family get togethers and even a mates wedding (got total shit for it hahhaha)  i always take a good number of NZ craft beers to share with mates and family and give them a taste of whats out there and how good it is , because not all beer tastes the same !

[JoKing]

A couple of quick responses here...

 

Caps: Kelly and Luke were absolutely gutted when this happened. It was a genuine stuff up by Steam, and totally out of there control.

 

Fridges: Probably more a coincidence more than anything. You can't blame anyone but the person stocking the shelves for getting confused about thinking that Mash Up in an Epic beer... maybe the caps have something to do with that?

 

"and feels like a marketing exercise for the mashup beer which is only coming from epic at the moment.": It's not from Epic. The brewery stuffed the caps up.

 

Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinions - and it's a shame that someone who enjoys NZ Craft beer such as yourself would hold such negative regards towards a project that on promotes NZ craft beerand NZ Craft breweries. You may feel that the show is light weight - but then you are a hardcore Craft Beer enthusiast. It's only normal that you expect more. All of the home brewers in the States felt the same way about "Brew Masters" on discovery. It would be prudent to keep in mind that this show isn't aimed at us. It is being produced to raise he profile of NZ craft beer, so that consumers of mega swill who know absolutely nothing about beerbeing made by craft breweries in NZ can gain a sense of "Hey - I saw that beer on TV"ism.

 

So anyhow - good on you for having an opinion.

 

P.S. Please remember that I don't have anything to do with Epic. I simply applaud the efforts that Kelly and Luke have been through for a simple and good cause. And to paraphrase a friend of mine, It sucks that there is negativity out there regarding the show. Some breweries didn't want to get involved as they thought it was all about generating media interest for the Epic machine and it's shitty to see so much disparity in the Kiwi craft beer scene, even though lot's of brewers get on well and do wicked shit together!



[Stu McKinlay]

to be honest I think it should have Epic caps... it should be with the Epic bottles... it should be on ratebeer as an Epic beer... because it is an Epic beer (inspired by visiting, and in collaboration with, the brewers listed on the label).

 

It's the money and time of Epic that has gone into it.  they'll make any profits, or suffer any losses... And all the other breweries are able to use that as a base idea, and the name, as a kickstart on publicity for a beer (this was mentioned in the email to brewers, not sure if it has been mentioned elsewhere).  Perhaps a better way to do things, rather than to change profile pics, is to all do our own take on the beer.  We might use the same ingredients but a Belgian yeast... Mussel Inn might do a lightly hopped Manuka and Southern Cross version. Townshend might do a real ale version.  Fill the shelf space with MASH UP!!  Now that'd be a MASH OUT.  Imagine a tourist walking into a bottle store, pub or supermarket in October (during that thing that cannot be mentioned) and seeing bottles of all shapes and sizes covered in MASH UP labels.