Bad Collaborations
Here’s an example of galaxy-brain synergy: Perdue’s Beer Can Chicken Beer.* Surely this is not what it seems? Nope, it’s exactly what it seems:
“We’ve crafted a honey double-citrus summer ale brewed with classic grilled chicken seasonings like rosemary, thyme, and pink peppercorn, to help backyard grillers make the perfect beer can chicken with PERDUE® Whole Chickens this season.”
Okay, sure, the marketing department at a fowl conglomerate thought a tie-in beer would be a keen idea, but surely this is a quiet contract-brewing situation? I mean, a brewery wouldn’t collaborate on a beer the sole purpose of which is to season a chicken, right? Umm. “Crafted in partnership with Torch and Crown Brewing Company, Perdue Beer Can Chicken Beer is tangy, juicy, and has just a hint of sweetness to help backyard grillers make the perfect beer can chicken each and every time.”
I’m a fan of Torch and Crown and they hosted one of the stops on my book tour. I really enjoyed Joe Correia’s melony take on an IPA, as well as his lagers. But this strikes me as counterproductive, brand-wise. With collaborations that are clearly commercial in nature (as opposed to R&D or fun one-offs), the only real benefit is creating a bridge to another company’s customers, whom you hope will find a pathway to your other products. Ommegang thought their Game of Thrones collabs would convert fans of the mother of dragons into drinkers of subtle, sophisticated Belgian-style ales, but none of them stuck around for the Hennepin.
You also really don’t want to alienate your current, actual customers by debasing your brand. It’s hard to see how Beer Can Chicken Beer will appeal to upscale Manhattan drinkers, but easy to see how it might turn them off. (This page drives home some of the problems.)
I may be an outlier here, but as a rule of thumb, I personally would never green-light a collab with any packaged meats product. No doubt some drinkers will cotton to the idea of a meaty brew, but are their numbers sufficient to offset those who gag at the idea? Put another way, one way to consider the potential harms and benefits of a potential collab is to ask whether people will confuse it with an April Fools joke. If the answer is even a maybe, it’s probably a poor opportunity.
I’ll throw it to you. Beer Can Chicken Beer: brilliant synergy or embarrassing gaffe?
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* Honestly, I admire how the title works in the word “beer” twice and still makes sense.
PHOTOS: Purdue