Leading East Coast craft brewer Two Roads Brewing Company has announced its first-ever, portfolio-wide packaging refresh.
The goal is a more consumer packaged goods (CPG)-oriented approach to the brewer’s brand, shelf presence and marketing support.
Retaining its crossed-arms logo, every Two Roads can, bottle and box now shows a master-brand look, greater emphasis on its sub-brands and styles, and a more modernly clean approach to design, the company says.
Two years in the making, the refresh resulted from internal and external research, including direct feedback from retailers and distributors and a series of consumer surveys, panels and focus groups.
“Our category is far more competitive than it was when Two Roads launched in 2012,” says Brad Hittle, co-founder and CEO of Two Roads Brewing Co. “Today, more than ever, craft brewers need to have branding that makes the selection process easier for the consumer: brands need to stand out, stand for something and have staying power.”
The refreshed packaging rolls out over the next few months.
The brewery’s evolution to a CPG mindset has it relying more on data to drive its business, marketing and sales strategies, the company says. The shift resulted from the work of an internal task force formed during the pandemic charged with strengthening the company’s overall position and its leadership team with veteran beer and CPG executives.
General Manager Brian Hollinger, previously VP Operations at Dogfish Head, was hired to transition the company’s operations from “home grown” to “world class.” On the commercial side, Brian Corrie was brought on as VP of Sales and Brian Duprey as Senior Director of National Accounts, both of whom have decades of experience working for top beer brands. Two Roads’ fortified marketing strategy — led by Collin Kennedy, who has more than a decade of experience in beer and broader CPG marketing — is meant to help support their efforts.
Some of those executives were part of a newly formed Business Insights team that used data and trade feedback to develop a focused beer portfolio strategy centered on:
- A deeper commitment to Road 2 Ruin — Two Roads’ Double IPA — as its flagship beer
- Line extensions that leverage existing brand equity from other top performing SKUs like Lil’ Heaven and Two Juicy
- Innovations including Juicy Box, a 16-oz. variety six-pack of hazy IPA’s
“Juicy Box took a total team effort and has been a huge hit; we are barely keeping up with demand,” Hittle says. “Consumers love the name and the product — a one-two punch for success.”
Two Roads product development strategy also includes approaching “beyond beer” as a category that encompasses more than just hard seltzer and ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Within the last six months, Two Roads has released it first two non-alcoholic beers, Non-Alcoholic Juicy IPA and Non-Alcoholic American IPA, along with the first products from Two Roads Distilling: small-batch vodka and London-dry gin.
They follow the brewery’s Daybreaker line of vodka-infused ready-to-drink cocktails.
Two Roads is currently available in Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the UK. Fans can also check on local availability through the company’s Beer Finder.
