When you come to VT you learn about the major companies that started here. The first ones we are told about include Ben and Jerry's, Vermont Teddy Bear, and Magic Hat. Magic Hat is a steadily growing brewery that is based out of South Burlington.
Since I came to Burlington three and a half years ago I have witnessed them growing. There are multiple things that have contributed to Magic Hat's success.
1. Creative Designs
2. Funky Lingo
3. Connection with Music
4. Events and promos
5. Social Networking
Magic Hat has very successfully created themselves a personality that everyone wants to be friends with. They know their market and how to reach them. I applied for an internship at Magic Hat my sophomore year at Champlain and lost the spot to a senior. Now that I and a senior and have grown and know more about what I want to do with my marketing major I have applied again (Interview on Wednesday -keeping my fingers crossed). The reason why I would love to intern with Magic Hat is because of their marketing department. They have figured out how to promote and run events that Market their brand to their consumers.
In Media Society on page 25 there is a simplified model of media and the social world. This model shows "that all components of the media, as well as the audience, exist within the broader framework of the social world". Magic Hat has found a way to market without their consumers feeling like they are being marketed to. They host social events most of the time based around music where their consumers go to socialize and have a good time. They see the Magic Hat logo or receive a Tweet from Magic Hat on Twitter and they don't feel annoyed or bothered it is more of an invitation from a friend, inviting you along to have a good time.
When you go onto the New Magic Hat web page they have section titled Get Social. From there you can connect to their Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter. They are keeping up with the times as does their target market and they seen the success in doing so. Through their Twitter page fans can get remind about events, told about contests, or just get information that Magic Hat thought was interesting. I won tickets to see a band play a Metronome through a link that Magic Hat posted on Twitter. On the same day as the show I won tickets to I found out about a live video stream they were having via Twitter. During this live stream you watched them talk with the band that was going to be at Metronome that night. You could also Tweet to them with questions you wanted answered. My roommate had a question about home brewing that she got answered during the live video stream. All of this marketing is through mediums where the consumer is choosing to be marketed to. Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter are all social networking sites where you choose to follow an organization or person to know more about them.
All of these things have given Magic Hat's its magic to appeal to their market as a friend rather than a money hungry beer company. This is the type of organization I want to work with, they know how to do their jobs and still have fun with it.
I have read all EIGHT of your blog posts here, Lindsay.
ReplyDeleteExcellent work - I am glad you decided to put your head down and "git 'er done."
I particularly enjoyed this Magic Hat post - you capture the company's creativity quite well. Indeed, they seem an interesting outfit for whom to work.
See you in class,
W