There is a variety of industries involved in the distribution of consumer goods that are purchased by end customers. The brewery industry is among multiple markets that sell ready-to-drink products. Nowadays, beer is one of the most popular beverages in the world, and its production continues to increase, especially in China and the United States (Conway, 2018). Concerning the basic facts about the industry, as a product, beer is typically associated with particular cultures. For instance, brewery companies that are located in Germany or the Czech Republic are usually trusted by target customers (Pulec, 2016).
If compared to other industries involved in the production of food and beverages, the beer industry is not extremely heterogeneous in terms of the goods that it offers. Nevertheless, proper industry segmentation is required to distinguish between several groups of target customers and advertise products in an effective manner (Aaker & Moorman, 2017). Despite the seeming heterogeneity, it is possible to single out four segments of the selected industry that are interconnected (Lahnalampi, 2016). They include domestically-produced beverages, imported beer, craft beer, and non-alcoholic beer.
The customers’ motivations may vary depending on the segment and products’ properties. For instance, those consuming beer produced in their countries can be motivated by more attractive prices. Imported and craft beer is usually more expensive, so people who consume it probably focus on new experiences, quality, and brand image (Lahnalampi, 2016). Finally, when it comes to beer that is low in alcohol or does not contain it at all, customer motivation is likely to be linked to lower health risks. The target customers’ potential needs associated with the product are not a popular research question today. However, the demand for craft beer continues to grow, whereas the price of its production is still quite high for some populations (Elzinga, Tremblay, & Tremblay, 2015). Thus, it is valid to suppose that modern customers’ unmet needs include the emergence of companies producing inexpensive craft beer.
References
Aaker, D. A., & Moorman, C. (2017). Strategic market management (11th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Conway, J. (2018). Global beer industry – statistics and facts. Web.
Elzinga, K. G., Tremblay, C. H., & Tremblay, V. J. (2015). Craft beer in the United States: History, numbers, and geography. Journal of Wine Economics, 10(3), 242-274.
Lahnalampi, B. (2016). Craft beer marketing. Do you have to be the first, best, or unique to succeed? Web.
Pulec, J. (2016). Integration of the Czech brewing industry into global production networks. AUC Geographica, 51(1), 47-59.