While initially asked to improve their website, Translator (where I worked at the time) discovered a greater need for differentiation and consistency in brand, product, and packaging for Milwaukee Brewing Company—a small but mighty local brewery. In the rapidly growing craft beer scene, MBC wasn’t standing out—even though their high-quality offerings had a cult following.

We conducted a variety of forms of research with craft beer drinkers, distributors, and retailers, as well as with the founder and employees of the brewery. This included online listening (primarily through beer review platforms and weekly twitter #beerclub), surveys, focus groups (in bars!), and observational studies at brewery tours and beer retailers. This helped us to understand the competitive landscape of the craft beer world and MBC’s place in the market.

Through our development a of new brand platform, “Brewing Local Pride,” we explored the meanings of “local” and “pride” and these concepts in relation to the city of Milwaukee and its history. With no restrictions on what could be re-imagined, we entirely redeveloped the brand identity (including logo, color palette, iconography, tagline, and voice), product naming strategy and specific product names, packaging design, and general brand strategy regarding the brewery and its assets.

Every aspect of the new brand reflects the history and heritage of Milwaukee. Each of the brewery’s beers has a storyline attached to it that is based on local lore and historical characters. Thus, along with research into craft beer culture and the brewery itself, we also delved into the history of Southeastern Wisconsin via existing literature and conversations with local journalists and historians.

Milwaukee Brewing Company’s new brand platform—especially its distinctive packaging which utilizes a fun, cut-and-paste style of illustration—has helped to differentiate the brewery among national and local craft beer offerings on the shelves.

My work on this project included:
Ethnographic Research, Competitive Research, Stakeholder Interviews, Brand Strategy, Product Naming