A cross-industry campaign to literally refresh the image of cask ale launches in selected pubs this week.
“Drink Cask Fresh” seeks to make cask ale more relevant and attractive to younger drinkers by positioning it as the freshest drink on the bar. Younger drinkers, who are currently less likely to drink cask, claim freshness is very important to them when choosing what to drink. But they’re less likely to associate freshness with cask than with almost any other drink. In fact, well-kept cask ale is only on the bar for a maximum of four days.
Campaign kits developed by agency Ape Creative include bright wraps to fit around pump clips, branded glassware and bar runners, and beer mats with different messages about cask ale that link through to a website, https://www.drinkcaskfresh.co.
Writer and consultant Pete Brown, who took over the coordination of the campaign from co-founder Katie Wiles last month, said, “For years, all the research on cask ale shows that few people totally reject it – they just don’t have a reason to choose it more often than they currently do when there are so many choices at the bar. We know what discerning young drinkers want when they go the pub. This pilot study will show that when we make cask more visible and relevant to younger drinkers, they’ll start drinking more of it.”
Neil Walker, Head of Comms and Marketing at SIBA and co-founder of the Drink Cask Fresh campaign, said, “Well-kept, fresh cask beer really is a world-class drink and yet many younger people have never tried it. This campaign is about raising the visibility of cask, empowering pubs and bars to champion it, and ultimately getting more people to not only try it for the first time, but realise just how delicious it is. Cask beer is delivered fresh, often from a local independent brewery, and is only on sale for a limited period of time – so Drink Cask Fresh today.”
The pilot campaign runs for ten weeks, with the intention of winning more backing from the beer and pub industry for a national roll-out later in the year.
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Notes to editors:
The pilot phase of the Drink Cask Fresh campaign runs from w/c 6th March to w/c 8th May.
The campaign will be evaluated by comparing 27 pilot pubs with a paired control pub, similar in profile and cask sales, and measuring the difference between them over the pilot period As well as examining sales data, qualitative market research will be undertaken with pub staff and with drinkers, to understand exactly how the campaign is working.
Drink Cask Fresh was co-founded by SIBA’s Head of Comms and Marketing Neil Walker, and former CAMRA Senior Communications Manager Katie Wiles. Writer and consultant Pete Brown has now succeeded Katie Wiles as Project Manager, Katie having moved to a new job. Creative work is by Ape Creative and campaign research is being undertaken by Jane Lyons of Research Management & Consultancy.
The pilot campaign is being funded by Arkells, Asahi, BBPA, CAMRA, Greene King, Harveys, Hogs Back, IFBB, Lincoln Green, Robinsons Brewery, Sharps, Shepherd Neame, SIBA, Timothy Taylors, Wadworth.
The project is supported by breweries, pub groups and organisations across the beer and hospitality industries, including Admiral Taverns, the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, the BII, Black Sheep, Camerons, CAMRA, Cask Marque, Festival Glass, Greene King, Harvey’s, Lincoln Green, McMullens, Robinsons, Sharps, Shepherd Neame, SIBA, Star Pubs & Bars, Three Acres, Titanic, and Wells & Co.
The organisers would love to hear from anyone wishing to help support the campaign as it rolls out beyond its pilot phase to become a national campaign.
To get involved, find out further information, or get more comment or imagery, please contact petebrownsemail@gmail.com or head to www.drinkcaskfresh.co.uk.
This press release has been distributed by the Campaign for Real Ale on behalf of the Drink Cask Fresh campaign.
To get involved, find out further information, or get more comment or imagery, please contact petebrownsemail@gmail.com