Prior to my real estate career, I worked in the craft beer industry. The experience gave me a great perspective on brand building and marketing. Early in my career on the sales side, I always saw the value of marketing. I quickly realized that you can't successfully sell a beer (or anything for that matter) without marketing resources behind the brand. Later in my career, as a sales and marketing director, I was once told that a secret to marketing is to, "claim and rename.” The philosophy meant that you take a marketing strategy or campaign that works and make it your own. You learn from successful brands and repeat their success.
There is no better example of this philosophy than the beer industry. Guinness and Corona are my favorite proof points. The liquid is the same around the world, but a Guinness tastes better in a pub in Ireland and Corona tastes better with friends on a beach. The beer is the same, but the experience makes it better. My first job in sales was with a distributor that sold Red Bull. I remember one of their marketing campaigns was to have Red Bull at memorable events. They had "wings teams" that would go to events and hand out Red Bull at events around Boston. The idea behind it was that you would associate the brand with a memorable time.
<img id="" src="https://inception-app-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/ODZkZjE2YjAtNWYxOC00ZGZmLWFjOTQtYmU3ZWMzOGQ5NmVh/content/2022/01/7a7c8c26dd4b3ae0548d5cd9610ad89f5fc8f132.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. Foam Brewing, Craft Beer " border="0" class="alignright" srcset="" style="width: 50%; float: right;">
Foam Brewing in Burlington Vermont was one of the breweries I grew to have a crush on while getting to work with them. It all came full circle when I was recently found a 4 pack on the Cape at GRAY GABLES MARKET in Bourne. The four-pack stood out to me in the crowded craft beer shelves because of the experience I had with the brand.
The ownership at Foam Brewers had a lot of experience in the VT brewing scene before they opened. Craft beer has become a crowded space, but they created a brand and atmosphere that separated themselves for me.
The IPAs are great and they are passionate about the hops and malt they use and how they use them. And they genuinely care about the product, the people, and the experience they have with the brand. (This, in my opinion, is the most important for any company). I have found that after you have the people, product (or service) you have to have the experience. A Foam IPA at my house on Cape Cod tasted great tonight, but I bought it because of the experience I had at the brewery in Vermont. Go past Church Street and UVM and you come to Lake Champlain. The lakeshore looks into the Green and Adirondack Mountain ranges. Foam is right there! A brewery in one of my favorite places. The brewery has a laidback vibe, indoor and outdoor seating, great service, consistent branding, and great product. This all got me to be a fan.
The Cape is a special place that has a vibe and feeling – kind of like the lakeside in Burlington, but different.
When I think of brands I relate to as a business, I hope my service can be just as memorable for my customers. The Sotheby's brand gives me incredible support and an unparalleled reputation. My goal is to make buying a Cape house with me - on par with a Foam IPA at the brewery - or a Guinness at a pub in Ireland. Buying or selling a house is one of the most important milestones in your life and should be one you will remember for a lifetime.
Cheers to many craft IPAs or Coronas on the beaches of the Cape!
The Beaches of the Cape
