Brewing relevance for a new generation

Greene King’s traditional reputation and limited launch distribution made entering the youthful, fast-moving craft beer category particularly difficult. Initial plans to target younger consumers risked wasting budget, as TGI data showed no significant demographic differences among craft beer drinkers. We needed a smarter approach to targeting, to ensure the campaign reached the right people in the right places, and proved Greene King could credibly compete with modern craft brands.

We shifted the focus from demographics to behaviour, building our own segmentation using surveys, factor analysis, and statistical clustering. We found that experimentation, not age, defined craft beer drinkers, with 21% identified as “Cutting Edge Craft”: consumers most likely to try new beers immediately.

Activation focused on this group, aligning targeting to distribution for maximum efficiency. We partnered with platforms able to build behavioural and geo-targeted audiences across interests like alternative music, football, comedy, and fashion. Media included premium DOOH, YouTube, VOD, and contextual/digital targeting with partners, and creative formats like interactive WeTransfer placements captured attention around key drinking moments.

To optimise in real time, we developed a UK heat map combining Greene King’s first-party sales data with distribution data. This allowed us to dynamically scale investment in hotspots and opportunity areas, maximising trial and minimising wastage. Over time, behavioural targeting has been layered with premium OOH and experiential activations in London – a key battleground for craft beer salience.