June Newsletter
We hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend, and send a heartfelt Semper Fi, Cheers and HUNGWAH to all the veterans in our network. Thank you for your service. We are now officially diving straight into summer, ready to support sell-through across all channels.
This newsletter includes vital information about several important initiatives that require immediate attention. Please share with your colleagues to ensure there is seamless execution that will maximize our success.
New Tap Handles
This month we are ready to begin the roll out of our new and improved Green Flash tap handles. The updated design is eye-catching, colorful and includes key elements from our recently refreshed retail packaging. These handles allow us to take full advantage of the on-premise opportunity to educate both consumer and bartender, right at the tap.
A dual sided label application features essential messaging about the product. Note the inclusion of the beer name and style as well as a list of featured ingredients (calling out specific hops or malts). The official Green Flash corporate logo has taken the place of the more generic looking green starburst to ensure consistent presentation both on and off-premise which will help foster increased brand recognition and support sales nationally.
CALL TO ACTION - TRADE UP
Now it is time to trade up! We are implementing a national swap-out of the discontinued handles for the great-looking new ones. It is essential to have consistent Green Flash branding across all networks. The goal is to have only new handles in all markets by September! Please follow this process to ensure a smooth and cost-effective transition:
- BY June 16th Place order for the NEW handles via the Distributor Portal
- July 1st - These will begin shipping with beer orders
- BY June 16th - Place orders for NEW tap handle stickers on the Distributor Portal
- All NEW tap handle sticker graphics will be available for download from the distributor portal by June 16th
- Collect all DISCONTINUED tap handles in your market (July – September)
- Using the attached Tap Handle Return Form (also available on the distributor portal), fill out the quantity of handles being returned and ship them back to Green Flash. You will receive a $10 credit for each handle returned.
- Please execute the handle swap by September 1st in order to receive credit
- Any handles received after September 15th will not be eligible for credit
Website Update – Distributor Portal
We have recently made some updates to the Green Flash website. Please note the location of the Distributor and Retailer portal has changed to the top right of the web page (see example below, circled at top right of home page “partner login”).
Your user name and password to access the portal remains the same, however we have improved the navigation within the art room. It is now even easier to find all assets, and we have added a section where you can find archived newsletters. If can’t locate your locate your log in, contact Gaby Hills gaby@greenflashbrew.com We encourage you and your team to log on to the portal regularly as we continue to expand this valuable resource.
Seasonal Release - Road Warrior
Released in May with availability through August, Road Warrior is our summer beer release. A bold Imperial Rye IPA with an ABV of 9%, we are billing this (un) seasonable release as the ultimate occasion beer – the craft beer lover’s alternative to the trendy session beer. The unexpected bold release is receiving praise from both press and consumers. A great example of what the media is saying about Road Warrior ran last week in The San Diego Reader.
Brew Master Chuck Silva offers insight into the beer’s inspiration, tasting notes and more in the following video from the Green Flash Brew Master Series on YouTube:
We are also collecting “On the Road” pictures from our sales team to further promote Road Warrior on social media, and we would love to include yours as well. Please send us pictures of Road Warrior in your market (next to local landmarks, etc.) as we showcase this beer as it travels from coast to coast.
If you post a pic of a bottle of Road Warrior in the wild, please #GreenFlashBeer. Some examples from across the country – courtesy of our sales team.
We anticipate that the sales of Road Warrior will boost your bottom line throughout the summer months and look forward to seeing more press coverage and will be promoting on social media throughout the next several months.
Hop Odyssey
Our 2014 Hop Odyssey series with 22 oz. bottles and draft availability continues to be a success, and this month’s release of White IPA should be another colossal home run. Last October, we reached out to secure your forecast and planned our Hop Odyssey production accordingly. At this time, your incoming orders are exceeding your initial forecasts, and we are running short on supply. The process we outlined last year was as follows:
- Submit your forecast for both 15.5 kegs and 22 oz. bottles
- We brew each Hop Odyssey release to meet your forecasted needs
- Once packaged, we ship the order to in forecasted quantity
- You then ship to your pre-sold accounts as per your plans
Please refer to your initial forecasts when placing Hop Odyssey orders. If you would like to increase the quantity of your order, please contact your Green Flash rep, otherwise, we will ship based on your initial forecasts.
Costco
Costco has emerged as an exciting opportunity for craft. There is a notable spike in 22 oz. business through this channel. In San Diego, we are selling-through Seasonal Releases and Imperial IPA only, and the retailer is pleased with both sales volume and profit margin. I strongly encourage you to add Green Flash to your Costco presentation. This high-volume chain is recently considering large format craft beer in the same way they have approached wine for years. When presenting to Costco, focus solely on selling 22 oz. bottles of our Seasonal, Imperial IPA, and Le Freak SKUs. There is no need to adjust existing price structure, as they are maintaining a margin of 12 – 14%, which easily gives them the competitive market advantage.
National Accounts Update
Cost Plus World Market: We have a national mandate on Le Freak 22 oz. bottles starting 7/2/14. You should have received an email from the CPWM pricing manager. If you have not yet received this communication, please contact Rick Laxague rick.laxague@greenflashbrew.com or your Green Flash RSM and they will communicate all details with you directly.
The Yardhouse: In July, our Hop Odyssey release of White IPA will be featured nationally as part of the chain’s Chalk Board Series. You should have received the information regarding allocations of kegs per store. They are requesting all product to be delivered by 6/28/14.
A reminder – we must secure the pricing of our portfolio in your house. This is crucial to working with chain account buyers when completing paperwork. We have an email address dedicated to receiving information based on this request pricing@greenflashbrew.com Please send over all current pricing as soon as possible.
With Rick taking the lead, we are in the process of cultivating the Green Flash chain business. We are eager to secure your insight on how we can increase our footprint with the key chains in your market. Please contact Rick with this vital information and we will collaborate to develop a plan that will help us all sell more beer.
Green Flash Keg Collection Logistics
As mentioned in last month’s communication, we are now fully equipped with Green Flash embossed kegs (pictured below) which will take the place of Microstar. We recently partnered with the Satellite Logistics Group, KEGSPEDITER to support our collection efforts throughout the county. The Green Flash Operations Team and KEGSPEDITER will be in contact with your team for the June rollout and collection details.
2014 is proving to be another great year for Green Flash. Know this - when you put your resources behind new brewery startups, you have about a fifty-fifty chance that you are wasting those resources. Invest in Green Flash. We will contribute to the growth of your bottom line for years to come. Cheers to a great summer! Thanks for all that you do.
HUNGWAH!
Jim
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