The New York Islanders partnered with Barn Rocker. The Buffalo Sabres with Labatt Blue and Gold. The New York Yankees with Pinstripe Pils. The list goes on.
Team-branded beer may not be the newest beer trend, but it is certainly garnering a lot of extra attention as of late. Barn Rocker, developed by Oyster Bay Brewing in 2014, has seemingly boomed overnight as social media has helped extend the reach of the Islander-branded brew. Other sports teams have followed suit, offering game attendees something unique, something to feel good about, and most importantly, something to post on their social media accounts.
“Sports teams are a business — they are always looking for additional revenue streams,” said Mary Jo Hardy, associate vice president of insights at FIFCO USA, which brews, packages, imports, markets and sells its brands through an independent network of wholesalers throughout the U.S.
Experience, explains Hardy, is not just a buzzword anymore. It is the way that brands need to go to market now, as consumers are valuing experiences versus hard goods. However, she says, there is an exception to this rule.