The On-Premise Opportunity: Crafting Success in 2025
As we head into 2025, the opportunity for craft brands to anchor their strategy around building in the on-premise has never been clearer.
On-premise venues are where brands are built. It’s where new consumers can most easily engage with your brand, connect with your story, and experience your product in the perfect setting. Empowering on-premise staff to act as ambassadors allows them to effectively introduce your products to these consumers. For craft brands, these are pivotal opportunities to create scalable engagement and lasting momentum.
Chain retail placements might seem like the ultimate goal for volume and sales velocity, but they’re not where brands are born. Increasingly, brands with strong consumer pull and proven momentum earn chain placements. Pursuing retail too early can feel like chasing a shortcut to success—but there are no shortcuts when building a great brand.
The groundwork for growth and scalability starts with the on-premise.
The on-premise is where craft brands can:
Provide a space where new consumers can easily engage with and experience your product.
Stand out among fewer options on a menu, rather than getting lost on a crowded retail shelf.
Build targeted programming that further highlights your product and drives deeper engagement.
This isn’t just about immediate sales. By focusing on the on-premise, you’re laying the foundation for long-term growth, where stories are told, connections are made, and loyal fans are created.
THE MISTAKE TO AVOID
Too many craft brands lean too heavily on their distribution partners, expecting them to work miracles in securing chain placements. But distributors can’t create consumer pull out of thin air. Instead of pressuring distributors, craft brands need to collaborate with them to build momentum where it matters most: the on-premise.
THE PATH TO SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Craft brands that prioritize the on-premise are doing more than chasing sales—they’re cultivating a foundation for sustained success. This strategy creates scalable momentum, loyal advocates, and a brand presence that endures far beyond the first pint or pour.
As the industry continues to evolve, the brands that succeed will be those that invest in building intentional, lasting connections with their consumers. The on-premise presents an unmatched opportunity to lay that foundation—one that positions your brand not just for growth in 2025 but for enduring success well beyond it.
