Do BrewDog's customers really know where it is best to situate its new bars?

23rd March 2012

As
BrewDog looks to expand across the UK in 2012 it is calling upon potential customers to have an input into where they should open the new sites. But does this approach guarantee that the trendy
craft beer establishments will be packed full of beer aficionados enjoying their quirky offerings? Well perhaps. Engaging customers in this manner is a good way to get them involved in the process and drum up a bit of a buzz ahead of an opening.

It also helps to gauge where a new BrewDog pub may go down well, but it is important that more market research is carried out alongside such canvassing of opinion. After all a specific area may have a number of outspoken fans who enjoy visiting the BrewDog bar while on a short break in Edinburgh, but this may not necessarily translate into sales. Where such canvassing of opinion is being carried out is also an important consideration and BrewDog has an interesting and well read blog.


This immediately presents an interactive platform between the brand and its customers meaning that ideas can be mooted quite easily. What this does however, is target an audience which is already familiar with the company and doesn't gauge what others in the area may think of the bar being situated in their town.


James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, told Big Hospitality: "Every bar launch is looked at independently to work out the best way of
reaching out to the locals and positioning ourselves in the region as the place to go for the best beers in town."


Looking at the other businesses in the area can help to show whether the type of establishment to be opened might do well. A company should ask itself if there is a niche in the market or is there a reason why nobody else is filling this gap? If there are a number of similar pubs, restaurants or bars in the area will this bring in the right type of customer from a little further afield or present too much competition?


BrewDog has done the sensible thing of whittling the options down to a few possibilities which it sees as viable and then asking interested parties their views - this shows a collaboration between industry professionals and potential customers.