An Iconic Beer Brand Enters the Craft Space
COMPANY
In 1848, during the German Revolution, Bernhard Stroh, having apprenticed at his father’s side, immigrated to the United States. He established his own brewery in Detroit in 1850. Stroh originally named his new company Lion’s Head Brewery, adopting the Lion’s Crest logo from the Kyrburg Castle in Germany – the same crest that adorns Stroh beers today. Over the years, Stroh’s has become synonymous with the city of Detroit and strives to honor the creativity, determination, and hard work of its communities. In 2016, Stroh’s released its first new brew in decades, bringing back a treasured archival recipe for Stroh’s Bohemian Style Pilsner.
PROJECT
After returning operations to hometown Detroit, the iconic Stroh’s Brewery charged Lambert with rallying the community and retail customers around its newest beers, Perseverance IPA and Spirit Wit. The consumer team launched a grassroots campaign that balanced heritage with innovation to attract a new Millennial generation of Stroh’s fans.
TACTICS
- Offered media interviews with Stroh’s label artists to reinforce the brand’s authentic connection to Detroit and its landmarks.
- Hosted “first pour” launch parties for both releases at Brew Detroit, enlisting area lifestyle influencers to help position the events as the hottest tickets in town
- Partnered with the “Slow Roll” indie bicycling organization to put Stroh’s into the hands of thousands of members during their summertime rides
- Activated highly targeted social ads showcasing new Stroh’s multimedia content
RESULTS
- Generated 40 earned media placements in Michigan, totaling 30 million regional media impressions
- Reached 352,000 consumer impressions on Facebook through sponsored social posts
- Increased Facebook engagement by over 8,000% during the active campaign period
- Achieved new retail customers for the second beer release as a result of consumer demand following first activation
