Toggle sidebar

Where are we going as an industry?

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
Some response

So, first I want to thank everyone for responding so passionately. It is critical that we keep people involved in this conversation. Only the passionate people can define what an industry is trying to do (without just buying the market with big $$$).

Here is some additional response:

1. One bottle at a time is fine, as long as it is one bottle at a time with a larger meaning. Right now, I am selling our mead as 'local wine' and that is the only resonance that works. That can't be a nationwide approach. So, if I am selling it one bottle at a time, one foot in front of the other, what is going to keep people interested and buying? Are we the alternative to California or national wine like craft beer is? Are we an alternative to craft beer? Are we a craft beer hybrid or the next IPA in the craft beer market itself?

2. I REALLY like the kegging idea and the cask/brewpub opportunities out there. I also like the session idea of the kegs (because it is unlikely that the micro beer places would keep us on-tap full-time initially, a lower alcohol session product might fit into the craft beer cycle)

3. This discussion really can't be about capacity. TRUST ME if there is a national movement for mead (like craft beer) it will be extremely slow and we can certainly scale up over time (especially with turns at a commercial meadery being 4-6 months) For those not in the industry and just commenting on our direction 4-6 months is NO TIME at all.

4. Bringing in the beekeeper organizations. This might be difficult, and they also have a very small footprint. Bringing them in would help, but it wouldn't make the impact that a TV show or other form of national media attention could bring or even the session Kegs I mentioned above.

5. I also love the idea of a bigger/better mazer cup in a more 'media friendly market'. Did the mazer cup even make the paper in Colorado? Hosting an event in LA or other major media outlet like NY or Washington or even keeping it in Colorado but focusing some money and attention on the amazing event would be a GREAT idea. Opening it up to the public would also be 100% required. (I know the issues with this trust me, but they are worth it)

So far, I don't see a clear way forward, the strongest idea's I see here so far are:

1. One Bottle at a time, don't worry about growth or our industry problems (the do nothing approach and be patient and persistent for the tide to turn)

2. Collaboration to get a mead section highlighted at a few stores and see if we can get something going in what used to be the sherry section or other low-volume 'old' section.

3.Align with craft beer and be a Mead option within craft beer.

4.Try the brew-pub keg and session approach and see if anyone wants to try mead from the tap.
 
Bells Brewing's pub has mead on tap, haven't heard anything good about it though. Most complaints I've heard from friends is it's too fizzy, which makes me think they're pushing it with Co2 and inadvertently carbing the mead.

I haven't had it myself though, it's on the list for next time I'm there. So is buying a bottle of B.Nektar from their general store.
 
IanB said:
3.Align with craft beer and be a Mead option within craft beer.

4.Try the brew-pub keg and session approach and see if anyone wants to try mead from the tap.
Click to expand...

Not knowing much (ie anything) about business or the beverage industry, these two options are what strike my intuition as the most promising. The craft brew scene is inherently a more adventurous crowd and are likely to buy into mead initially for the novelty, if for no other reason. It's a lot easier to sell a glass of something at a pub, where alcohol, lowered inhibitions, and money is already flowing, than to expect somebody to take a sober, 15-20$ plunge at a liquor store. As well, the bartender, even if they are uninformed, are gonna act as salesmen, passing on the happy tidings of other costumers who bought the delicious craft mead in the past. As well, as well, you lower your costs since you don't have to bottle (not sure how much capital takes up, but I know it's not free).
 
IanB said:
5. I also love the idea of a bigger/better mazer cup in a more 'media friendly market'. Did the mazer cup even make the paper in Colorado? Hosting an event in LA or other major media outlet like NY or Washington or even keeping it in Colorado but focusing some money and attention on the amazing event would be a GREAT idea. Opening it up to the public would also be 100% required. (I know the issues with this trust me, but they are worth it)
Click to expand...
http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17719190?source=rss_emailed
http://www.slicesofboulder.com/boul...tional-Winners-Circle-Mead-Food-Tasting-Event

Did we make the paper in Colorado? Yes, albeit the hometown rag. Did we get mentioned on NPR? Yes. Did we get a blast of network media coverage or coverage by the NY Times? No, not yet. Have we been successful with all that we've set out to do so far - well, you don't get to be the largest international mead event on the planet without being able to lay claim to some success.

For the past three years, we've been building the Mazer Cup back up from the ashes of what was the IMF (International Mead Festival). Since this re-incarnated event is run entirely by volunteers, with no monetary contributions provided from anyone else (other than entry fees) and just a few in-kind contributions from our various mead related sponsors, we couldn't erupt on the world stage with all the pompous circumstance that money could buy. Instead, we brought it back initially as a mead-makers' only competition, and we've been systematically growing the competition, expanding the side events, and growing the war chest, to allow for more and more "stuff" within the context of the major event with each passing year. In the future, that growth will continue and that will include more public participatory happenings. I think I'll let Vicky or Pete chime in here when they are ready, to about their plans for expanding the MCI further.
 
Last edited:
No, not yet
Click to expand...

Yet. :)

It's easy for us armchair quarterbacks to call the shouldacouldawoulda MCI plays, but since I'm not the real quarterback I definitely expect you to take my suggestions with a large grain of halite. Or NaCl, your choice. :)

Many eons ago in another life I did a fair amount of this sort of thing--for example the Society for CA Archeology (the other SCA) was meeting in Sacramento one year and I was on the planning committee. That was fun because we had the pleasure of telling prospective venues that we needed them to stock half again as much beer as usual, as archeologists drink their domestic beer. :) I know how much work that sort of undertaking is, and far be it from me to tell you how to run your show when I haven't even been to one. 8)
 
Hey, here's where a "creative alliance" might be of benefit to a fledgling meadmaker!

Chaucer's is a product of Bargetto winery, historically a producer of mostly bulk wines near Santa Cruz. They use their massive distributor network to push their mead product into all the venues that sell their other wines. The mead subsidiary, Chaucer's, was begun as an experiment back in the mid 60's to cater to what they thought would be a new market among the younger people of the day (think "hippies"), and for a long time they treated it like their other wines - to be made in bulk, where bottom line profit carried greater weight than producing superior tasting product.

They are much better about the quality of all their products these days!

Now if a meadmaker could convince an established winery with national (or larger) distribution to purchase the mead operation, and if that meadmaker could convince the winery to allow the subsidiary operation to be run with mostly hands off management, then that meadmaker could get his/her product out to a large potential market with distribution and marketing channels already pre-established.
 
IanB said:
...snip...

5. I also love the idea of a bigger/better mazer cup in a more 'media friendly market'. Did the mazer cup even make the paper in Colorado? Hosting an event in LA or other major media outlet like NY or Washington or even keeping it in Colorado but focusing some money and attention on the amazing event would be a GREAT idea. Opening it up to the public would also be 100% required. (I know the issues with this trust me, but they are worth it)

...snip...
Click to expand...

We like the idea of a bigger better Mazer Cup International as well. You can help with that by actually entering next year! :D

cheers,

Oskaar
 
Let's keep the thread on-track here

I don't want to bring this thread down the hole of 'how do we make the MCI better' that is a great and valid question, but this thread is a question to our industry.

Who are we as an industry? Who do we want to be? How do we go about doing that?

MCI is a big part of it, and I will be doing my part to support MCI next year. What's more important to me is to create an interest in mead with some form of industry strategy. If MCI is a critical component of that strategy then that is awesome and I regret (looking back) that I did not enter this year. Next year I hope to be sponsor ($ permitting!)

So....

Who are we as an industry? Who do we want to be? How do we go about doing that?
 
wayneb said:
http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17719190?source=rss_emailed
http://www.slicesofboulder.com/boul...tional-Winners-Circle-Mead-Food-Tasting-Event
Click to expand...

I actually love this idea/qoute from Redstone as this often comes up in my tastings.

"People will often say 'I've had a mead so I know what mead is,' which is like saying 'I had a beer' and knowing what all beer is," says Myers. "But mead is not just a heavy, sweet, honey-only drink. It has a really wide-ranging flavor profile."

Just another tid-bit for the brains to ponder over, as this is also a 'perception' we may need to consider as an industry?
 
One sure-fire (and relatively inexpensive) way the meaderies can grow their presence and their sales is to have a webpage that represents their business in a sustainable matter. I grouse about this regularly to Oskaar and anyone who will listen that the meadery industry has the *worst* websites in the alcohol business. And that reflects on the industry as a whole, to the searching consumer. If they see a lot of really bad sites, they will begin to think that this is a regular thing, and discount mead as a beverage and as an industry. You don't see that in the craft beer industry, for the most part.

I've visited every meadery website in the world that I've been able to find, and what I find is this:

  1. A significant number don't *have* websites, or those websites cannot be found with a determined Google search (and I'm a professional researcher)
  2. At least 50% of those sites don't list the meadery location and directions to them
  3. At least 40% don't have a phone number or way to contact the meadery
  4. Some show 'opening soon' even though they are already in production
  5. Quite a few don't list where their mead can be obtained. How can people *get* if they can't *find* it?
  6. Many don't list their meads or prices, don't give information for potential new retail locations to get to their distributors, don't have online sales, or just plain have *seriously* crappy websites that are hard to navigate, missing pages, non-working contact pages, have spelling errors, etc.

In today's world, a good digital presence is critical to business success. And not doing it, or doing it on the cheap (like letting some high-schooler write your site), or not updating it *regularly* is no different than letting your teenager layout and build your tasting room. It's bad business, and will go a long way towards destroying you before you even get out of the gate. I was in marketing for nearly 20 years, and have been working with meaderies/Gotmead for 16. I can say *for sure* that the poorly executed websites/no website meaderies don't do as well as those with good websites that are informative and inviting.

Take a look at the industry leaders: Rabbits Foot, B.Nektar, Redstone, Pirtle and at the *fast* growing 'little guys' like White Winter & Starrlight, Green River Ambrosia, etc. They have one thing in common: An easy to find and navigate website that makes it easy to obtain their product. They keep their clientele informed. And they make themselves and their sites available.

If I'm a customer, and I search for 'mead in <insert state here>' and don't see your website come up, how could I find you? The average consumer doesn't have a meadery's name, he just wants mead. If I'm a potential customer, and your site doesn't come up, you just lost me to some place else, forever, or at least until I'm searching again and you have a website that comes up and is approachable/well laid out.

Getting your mead out there and selling isn't hard. Local NC meadery Starrlight opened their doors with a big party, and sold out their first batches. They don't distribute because right now, they sell nearly every single bottle they can produce right from their shop. They keep their site updated, and it tells who they are, what they have, where they are, how to contact them and they have maps to their place. And that is in NC, which is notorious for being hard on meaderies. Several have come and gone here. They're into their second year now and growing as fast as they can make mead.

Brad at B.Nektar gets his mead in front of people in bars, shows and tastings all over the country. He's busy, but his mead also sells just about as fast as he can make it, and in *Detroit*, which is possibly the least likely place in America right now for a business to thrive. His website is active and updated regularly, he works *hard* on growing his newsletter list and keeps his list informed on new releases and new locations, and also tells who/what/where/when and most importantly *WHY* on getting mead.

Off the top of my head without thinking, I could name at *least* 10 meaderies that I have spent more than 20 minutes attempting to determine if they were even open, where they were, and if they had contact information. I was looking to update the GM meadery list, so I was willing to put out the effort to find these companies. A potential customer WON'T DO THAT. You have about 20 *seconds* to capture attention, *if* they can find you. If they don't get what they want in that time, they're gone, and gone forever.

If they can't find you, if they can't reach you, if your website (your 'office') doesn't reflect growth, stability, reliability, stay up to date and get in front of people, if you don't build it, they won't come. Simple as that. I built Gotmead (which exists *only* as a digital entity) into a 100,000 unique visitor a month site, without spending a dime on advertising. By making it visible, and desirable to go to. I don't sell mead, but I *regularly* get calls from people who want to buy it from me.

In the last 6 months, I've gotten calls from the AP News, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, at least 8 newspapers and TV stations around the country, and several national magazines. There have been dozens, possibly hundreds of articles posted around the country about mead, and most of the meaderies I've spoken to since all this broke loose have seen a sales upswing. The market is growing.

We don't need millions in advertising. We need meaderies to use the basic marketing techniques that are out there, like building an informative website that serves the potential customer base, inviting participation with newsletters and public events, tasting events at local venues, food pairings, educating your potential client base, and visiting local distributors to do tastings of their products with the distributor, and *asking* for the sale! Basic marketing and good sales skills will *always* give you increased sales.

If a meadery has no public presence or has one but it can't be found easily, why would a distributor want to carry their product? If they can't find you, then they'll assume that their customers can't either, and that it won't sell because it can't be found.

The first thing most people do when considering a business relationship these days is to Google that business. If a search on that business's name does not turn up a website in the first 10 entries, then they will assume that the business is a good risk, if they don't even have a web page, or that webpage is poorly laid out or non-informative, or just hard to find. This can also happen if your meadery has a name that is hard to spell or 'odd' in its spelling, where people wouldn't think to search it that way.

Using Google webmaster tools and analytics can take a lot of the guesswork out of getting out there, and knowing their rules for ranking, like not using meta re-directs (Search engine spiders do not follow META Redirect tags, so they should not be used) should be observed.

We don't need millions in marketing. What we need millions for is *lobbying* for a level playing field with the TTB, so that meaderies can reach their full potential and bring new products to market with a consistent set of regulations.

Like Brad says, it's just plugging away. It takes time, and it takes effort. But he, and the other big meaderies started out just like you, a small meadery getting started with no distributor, and they are where they are not because they spent millions in marketing, but because they used the tools I mentioned above to get in front of people and showcase their products.

A good website, newsletter, regular market contact with distributors and potential retail locations and customers, media exposure, all these play into this, and none of them require a lot of money, though they can add up over time. However, if they are working, then your sales are growing and you can swing a bigger marketing outlay.

I operate on this: If you want a successful business, do what successful business owners in your industry do. Study the big boys in your market, and do what they do. If it worked for them, it will work for others.
 
webmaster said:
I've visited every meadery website in the world that I've been able to find, and what I find is this:

  1. A significant number don't *have* websites, or those websites cannot be found with a determined Google search (and I'm a professional researcher)
  2. At least 50% of those sites don't list the meadery location and directions to them
  3. At least 40% don't have a phone number or way to contact the meadery
  4. Some show 'opening soon' even though they are already in production
  5. Quite a few don't list where their mead can be obtained. How can people *get* if they can't *find* it?
  6. Many don't list their meads or prices, don't give information for potential new retail locations to get to their distributors, don't have online sales, or just plain have *seriously* crappy websites that are hard to navigate, missing pages, non-working contact pages, have spelling errors, etc.
Click to expand...

...or display ads that have not worked in the almost one year that I been a member. :rolleyes:

One should not be so quick to throw stones, when one lives in a glass house.
 
Um, I'm not trying to sell anything but affiliated stuff, and memberships. And I'm looking at the ads right now, they show up fine here. Check your browser. The ads on the top right and lower left work just fine......
 
And just as an FYI, I have a job, and that website stays up to date with everything. This is a *hobby* site, doesn't even pay its own bills, much less mine. So no, I don't give it all my time, with 2500 pages and all the maintenance, I could work it 24/7 and never get caught up.

I prefer to eat, thanks. And that means a job. A meadery isn't a hobby, it is a *business* and a *job*. Apples and oranges.

Oh, and the ads are being blocked from completion by the host. I'm working on moving the site, but that takes several days and all my time during those days, and I haven't had any free time between the Mazer Cup and working.
 
webmaster said:
Um, I'm not trying to sell anything but affiliated stuff, and memberships. And I'm looking at the ads right now, they show up fine here. Check your browser. The ads on the top right and lower left work just fine......
Click to expand...

Sorry webmistress, I wasn't trying to start trouble. I love it here. :) It's just that your post seemed kind of condescending.

And the some ads don't work, there is a whole tread about it.
 
Not meant to be condescending, simple statement of fact. Many, many meadery websites don't let them do business. If they can't do business, they don't make money, and can't grow. The big meaderies (who all started small, except for Chaucers) and the up and comers growing fast have a good site with great marketing tools in common.

As mentioned above, the ad issue is with the hosting company, and we've had an ongoing battle with that, for quite some time. But moving the site is a major undertaking, one that requires me to have a lot of free time, and that I don't have much of.
 
If the mead industry takes the same grass roots growth approach that the craft beer industry did, they will grow. The little guy craft brewers took on the Big Boys and now the industry is huge. They did it one brewery, one bottle, on day at a time. And the pattern we're seeing of growth of mead and meaderies in the industry is going the same pattern as craft brewing.

We've gone from 50 meaderies to over 150 meaderies in just over 10 years. Not meteoric growth, but growth all the same. 10 years ago you couldn't find mead in *any* stores, not even Chaucers in many places. Now, there are thousands of stores, some of them nationwide chains that carry it. Not all, but some, and that is *way* better than it was in 2000.

The difficult part is that mead isn't as well known as beer, but it *is* alcohol. Getting it in front of people is all that is needed to make it happen, and that takes time, sweat and hard work, but it can be done.
 
I think Vicky's post pretty much nailed it. Every time I google a business and they don't have a website (or a useless one) I wonder how they keep their doors open.

Website is huge. I want to be told romantic stories about where the honey and fruit are from and what arcane processes of love go into crafting the mead, I want to see all the kinds available, I want to see most importantly where I can get the stuff. Don't make me search - tell me where it IS!

The internet is ADDICTIVE. Regular updates (especially ones that are scheduled, weekly, daily, whatever) get people visiting the site over and over until it becomes part of their internet routine.

There's a high-end guitar builder in England who's site I visit almost every DAY. He posts constant pictures to twitter pics of every stage of building every single custom guitar he makes (and he works out of his garage), explaining the love that goes into every wood chip that flies. And you know what, when I get $3K to blow on another guitar, he is my first and only choice. Another example is a table-top miniature game company from the US who has updates on their work on new models, new rules, etc, almost every day. Guess what? I'm on their site almost every day.

This kind of thing builds a customer's ability to identify with the product, and makes them think about it more and more. Which leads to sales.

Now - obviously a meadery can't maintain that kind of update presence. There just isn't something interesting happening every day at a meadery... but updates when new batches are started, news of new retailers, ANYTHING, anything at all will keep people visiting, because the internet is like a drug that gets people addicted to whatever you want.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom