BACKGROUND

Sydney (the place) is a city revered for its beer-loving lifestyle. During its long, hot summers it becomes the perfect backdrop for people to catch up with friends and imbibe with a cold lager at any one of its glittering outdoor venues. Problem is many of the best-selling beers are from either interstate or overseas – not Sydney.

So, in the lead up to the most lucrative time of year for any beer brand we needed to draw critical attention to Sydney Beer Co., an 18month old brand with almost zero awareness. To drive sales and awareness we had to generate coverage, content and conversation, celebrating a beer brewed by Sydneysiders, for Sydneysiders.

SOLUTION

In the weeks prior to summer, Sydney Beer Co. advertised for a new Head Office staff member, the world’s first Chief Clock-Off Officer (CCOO). This prestigious new role’s responsibility was to live and breathe ‘Sydney Time’, get out and encourage Sydneysiders to clock-off work early and enjoy a crisp, cold Sydney Beer Co. lager at the pub. The announcement kicked off with a consumer launch event at Sydney’s iconic Opera House, providing the perfect summer backdrop.

Then, with Sydney bracing itself with the hottest summer on record forecast, Sydney Beer Co. introduced the SBC Summer Price Index, a mobile website offering real time heat-related beer discounts. “As the temperature goes up, the beer price comes down.” Supported by staff On-Premise and Point-Of-Sale, patrons monitored the ‘Index’ via their smartphone, locking in discounts when the temperature was at its peak. Our new CCOO even pitched in with Beer Garden Weekend Forecasts posted across social media updating beer drinkers about daily temperatures, drinking conditions and where to redeem their Sydney Beer Co. lager discounts.

Not only did ‘It’s Sydney Time’ celebrate a city and it’s summer lifestyle, it also became Sydney Beer Co.’s branded bar-call in their ‘moment of truth’, helping a brand with zero awareness become beer of the summer.

RESULTS

‘It’s Sydney Time’ also became the most talked about beer promotion of summer, gaining 130+ pieces of media coverage and a staggering 74,039,872 mentions in local and international media (Australia, USA, NZ & UK). Highlights included News.com.au, Triple M (Radio), Business Insider, GQ, Daily Mail, The Independent and many more.

• The campaign secured 19 new venues and retailers, a major win for an independent brewer.

• Product sales increased by over 18% at participating venues, directly attributed to the campaign.

• The CCOO recruitment drive generated 17,000 searches, resulting in 90 job applications.

• The SBC website received unprecedented traffic, with an increase of 300% during the campaign, compared to previous traffic.

• “Weekend Beer Garden Forecast” video content reached more than 195,000 consumers, contributing to a 15% increase in Facebook fans and 16% increase in Instagram followers.

• Return on investment was over 4,360% on every dollar spent for the campaign.