Cody and Isaac sit down with Natasha and Hannah of Cowbell Brewing to unpack their recent rebrand — from Brand Strategy and packaging decisions to designing at scale for one of Ontario’s largest breweries.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the different ways we’re seeing breweries use Sub Brands to scale their portfolios today.

A practical look at how we approach Brand Strategy — what it is, what it isn’t and how it can actually help your business grow.

Cody and Isaac sit down to answer audience questions from their recent brewers conference presentations.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the (many) downsides and (few) upsides to inadvertently repositioning your parent brand.

What Happens When Non-Alc Brands Violate Their Core Promise

A deep dive into MAP’s brand refresh — from strategy and identity to packaging, positioning, and preparing for the next ten years.

Real-world challenges from the front lines of brewery M&A — and how to navigate brand and integration decisions during and after an acquisition.

A practical guide to integrating brands, protecting IP and keeping your customers on board

Isaac sits down with Dave and Bump Williams from Bump Williams Consulting to discuss shifting beer pricing tiers and how a brewery today can best navigate this fractured market.

Cody and Isaac sit down with Loy & PK from MAP Brewing to discuss their recent brand refresh. Why now, what did the process entail and what does this mean for MAP moving forward?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss real-world challenges (and common problems) we’ve seen on the front lines of brewery M&A.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss what goes into integrating a new brewery acquisition after the deal is done.

A look at the forces driving the current wave of craft beer acquisitions (and what this means for you)

Cody and Isaac sit down to introduce the new Beer Branding Trends Newsletter summer series, Acquired.

A new 3-part series on all things brewery M&A from your friends at CODO Design.

Should your values be a marketing tool to differentiate your brewery — or should they emerge organically from how you actually run your business?

How to brand (and name and position) a cannabis beer without going full “weed culture.”

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss several ways you can de-risk your brewery’s rebrand ahead of the process.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss a few questions from our CBC seminar on Brand Architecture, including the fine line between when a product shifts from living under a Branded House towards becoming …

Cody and Isaac sit down to interview Kevin Waltermire of Comma Brewing about his new cannabis NA beer brand.

How a properly developed brand identity system can set your brewery up for long term evolution.

Hardly anyone reads their Brand Guidelines. Why does this happen, and how can we change it?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how newer breweries can use Brand Architecture to shape their portfolios and grow their business.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss whether or not a brewery can (or should) Line Extend to a different style?

January 1 or on a big anniversary? Rushing to hit an ABP or go live before summer?

A step-by-step guide to how CODO names breweries, beers and Bev Alc brands.

Cody and Isaac sit down to field audience-submitted questions from this year’s annual Beer Branding Trends report.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the unique headwinds facing Regional and Legacy Breweries (and how to overcome them) in 2025.

How can an older brewery stay relevant? Here are several strategies we’re seeing work well for courting lapsed fans and younger drinkers alike.

Are cannabis beverages an opportunity or a threat? Here’s the straight dope (sorry) on what we’re seeing in our cannabis branding work right now.

Pros and cons to being a first mover, a fast follower or a cautious observer when it comes to launching new categories.

Let’s hang out and discuss all things brewery branding during CBC.

How to build and maintain a strong foundation for years to come.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss when it could (or could not) make sense for your brewery to launch a cannabis beverage.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how early (or late) your brewery should consider jumping on a trend.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how your brewery can future proof your flagships.

Opportunities and strategies to help you build a resilient, thriving brand in today’s challenging beer market.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss CODO Design’s 2025 Beer Branding Trend Review.

A deep dive look at how CODO breathed new life into one of Massachusetts’ most beloved legacy brewery brands.

Cody and Isaac sit down with Rob Day to discuss how CODO rebranded the Massachusetts legacy brand, Wachusett Brewing.

A controversial opinion on cider’s gluten-free claim. Plus, some practical thoughts on apples and provenance and hard cider drinker demographics.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how to organize and prioritize different info types on your brewery’s packaging.

A package refresh for one of the fastest growing breweries in California.

Cody and Isaac sit down with Jill and Ryan Ahrens to discuss Malibu Brewing’s recent package refresh.

How we evolved a popular Legacy Brewery’s brand to court lapsed fans and younger drinkers alike.

Cody and Isaac sit down with Michael Claar to discuss Alewerks Brewing Co.’s recent brand and package refresh.

A handful of strategies for working around a geographically-limiting and/or otherwise esoteric brand name.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss when it makes sense to launch an Endorsed Brand vs. an entirely new, standalone brand.

A step-by-step guide (+ a template) to map out your brewery’s Brand Architecture.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss why branding is important for a taproom-focused brewery, even if you have no intention of ever packaging your beer.

A few easy prompts CODO uses to help our clients frame their key messaging during the branding process.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how a brewery that releases hundreds of new beers each year can bring clarity to their packaging.

Isaac sits down with Matthew McLaughlin to discuss all thing brewery Intellectual Property.

How can a smaller brewery build a House of Brands without the Big Beer budget?

A behind the scenes look at how CODO helped AleSmith Brewing launch a new hard cider brand.

Isaac sits down with Brandon Richards and Kristen Ballinger of AleSmith Brewing to discuss their new hard cider brand development.

A handful of best practices CODO has learned after handling several dozen package refreshes.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss a handful of best practices CODO has learned after handling several dozen package refreshes.

Key differences between package refreshes, brand refreshes and rebrands as well as why these nuances matter.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the key differences between package refreshes, brand refreshes and rebrands as well as why these nuances matter.

A deep dive into why breweries across the country are refreshing their packaging right now.

Cody and Isaac sit down to introduce CODO’s new summer BBT newsletter series: The Package Refresh Series. Plus, why *are* package refreshes so hot right now?

A 3-part exclusive Beer Branding Trends Newsletter series on why package refreshes are such an important trend in craft beer today

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss Brand Essences and how they help to make your Brand Strategy actionable.

A full run down on what we’ve learned about Brand Architecture since publishing the Beyond Beer Handbook.

Rebranding your brewery can be a powerful move, but it is not without risk. Here’s how to ensure you’re set up for success ahead of your revamp.

Here are a few compelling Sub / Endorsed Brand use cases we’ve seen in our brewery branding project work over the last year.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss what they’ve learned about Brand Architecture in the two years since publishing The Beyond Beer Handbook.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss when it can make sense to jettison your visual & Brand Equity.

A collection of pain point—and opportunities—we’re seeing in our brewery branding work right now.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss their experience at the 2024 Craft Brewers Conference.

On the (many) risks and (few) upsides of accidentally repositioning your Parent Brand.

Do all of your labels have to look the same under a Branded House?

Cody and Isaac sit down to field subscriber-submitted questions on our 2024 Beer Branding Trends review.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss craft lager and how your brewery can nail this positioning challenge.

A look at how CODO refreshed one North Carolina’s most popular breweries.

Why is lager trending? How do you position craft lager? And beautiful examples to inspire your lager’s package design.

A step by step guide to determine who you should partner with, and how you should measure the results.

How Regional Breweries adapting, and winning, in today’s challenging beer market.

Tools for defining your Brand Equity ahead of a rebrand.

Exploring opportunities and strategies for building a resilient, thriving brand in today’s challenging beer market.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss Co-branding in craft beer, and why this is such a fun strategy right now.

Cody and Isaac sit down with Jacob Virgil to discuss their recent rebranding project with NoDa Brewing.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss what they’re seeing in their Regional Brewery branding work.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how to actually frame your visual and Brand Equity

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss CODO’s 2024 Beer Branding Trends review.

Could it make sense for your brewery to release a hard cider this year?

A behind-the-scenes look at how we built a Sub Brand that can travel across state lines with Virginia Beer Co.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss all things Hard Cider.

Cody and Isaac sit down with The Virginia Beer Co. to discuss their recent collab: Cold Drinking Beer.

Understanding your Brand Architecture is crucial for the growing brewery. But how about for a newer brewery or a brewery in planning?

Some thoughts on how far you can take Line Extensions while maintaining your audience’s trust.

Some tips to make your packaging work harder for you this year.

When should you endorse a brand vs. launch a new one altogether?

Cody and Isaac sit down to field our latest round of listener-submitted questions.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss qualitative and quantitive reasons for rebranding a brewery, and why all roads ultimately lead to increasing revenue.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the merits of a Branded House Brand and why this could be an important part of your brewery’s portfolio.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the nuances between a rebrand and a brand refresh (and why your intent matters more than anything).

Year end action items to set your brewery up for a strong start to your year.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss action items to set yourself up for a strong 2024.

A look at how Brand Essences and Mood Boards make your Brand Strategy actionable.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss Legacy Breweries: What are they and what unique challenges do they face today?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss why the way we help our clients launch their rebrands has shifted so dramatically over the last few years.

Could a Branded House model make sense for your brewery’s portfolio? Let’s discuss the pros and cons of this Brand Architecture approach.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how to design better merch and merch programs and make millions of dollars along the way.

Building on your Brand Equity is a crucial component of successfully rebranding your brewery. Until it isn’t.

Cody and Isaac sit down to field questions from in-house designers, freelancers and marketing pros from around the beer industry.

Let’s discuss how to get the right people at the table to ensure a successful rebrand (or new product launch).

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss timeless brands. What makes a brand timeless and what lessons can we can apply to new branding projects?

Do you need a beautiful brand identity system when your beer and taproom experience itself is what will keep people coming back?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss best practices for getting the most out of your in-house team and external agency relationship.

Here are a few strategies for wrangling your brewery’s intense packaging schedule

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss best practices for remote work with a branding agency that might be a state, a time zone or half a world away.

Introducing the Sub Brand Ladder: a step-by-step guide for launching and scaling your brewery’s next Sub Brand.

Cody and Isaac sit down to introduce their “Sub Brand Ladder” framework. Are you interested in building a Sub Brand at your brewery? Start here.

Let’s explore the subtle (but important) differences between Sub Brands and Endorsed Brands.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the subtle (but important) differences between Sub Brands and Endorsed Brands.

Why are breweries, big and small, building brands within their portfolio and what does this mean for the beer industry moving forward?

Cody and Isaac sit down to introduce CODO’s Sub Brand Summer Series and answer the question: “Why are Sub Brands so hot right now?”

A 3-part series exploring why Sub Brands are so important right now, what types of Sub Brands your brewery can build and how to actually build one.

How has the definition for Legacy Breweries shifted over time and what unique headwinds are these groups facing today?

When (and why) should a brewery consider a package refresh?

Let’s discuss the importance of developing Sub Brands as a long term brand building platform.

Cody and Isaac sit down with Fernson Brewing to discuss their shiny new package refresh.

An all killer, no filler look at how we help our clients sell hundreds of thousands of dollars in merch each year.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss Modular Identity Systems.

Cody and Isaac sit down to field community-submitted questions on CODO’s 2023 Beer Branding Trends review.

Exploring the key differences between hard seltzer’s visual canon and the exciting world of RTD cocktails.

How can designers prevent children from accidentally consuming alcohol? Let’s discuss a provocative topic, shall we?

Examining the pros and cons of building your brewery’s Parent Brand vs. building Sub Brands within your portfolio.

How are new breweries coming to market in 2023? This is a run down on what we’re seeing in our brewery in planning project work.

CODO Design’s annual deep dive on everything that’s shaping beer and Bev Alc branding right now.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss an important, looming issue in the Bev Alc world. (Won’t someone think of the children?!?)

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss what we’re seeing in our brewery in planning and startup branding work so far this year.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss CODO’s 2023 Beer Branding Trends Review.

What is the best way to announce your brewery’s rebrand? And why has this shifted so dramatically over the last few years?

Cody and Isaac sit down to field some Q&A, including how to brand and position a seemingly “boring” brewery.

When does a package refresh make sense? And what are some important best practices to make sure you get this update right?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss brand guidelines. What are they, why are they valuable and why does no one ever read them?

Here’s what we’re seeing in our digital work this year and how you can use this to improve your website and customer experience.

Cody and Isaac sit down for some Q&A on the topic of audience definition within the beer and beverage industry.

A behind the scenes look at CODO Design’s Brand Architecture and Brand Strategy work for one of New Zealand’s largest breweries.

Cody sits down to discuss the CODO’s recent rebrand for Good George Brewing out of New Zealand.

Should your brewery rebrand or refresh? Where are these approaches similar, where do they differ, and why does this matter?

Cody and Isaac sit down for a frank, somewhat productive(?) conversation on project timelines.

A behind the scenes look at the naming, branding and package design process for New Jersey’s all craft lager brewery, Birdsmouth Beer Co.

Cody sits down with the team at Birdsmouth Beer Co. to discuss what went into naming and branding their craft lager brewery in New Jersey.

Let’s discuss how signaling and Role Theory can help you connect with consumers and create a stronger craft beer brand.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the Hop Water category, and why they believe it could be a big trend in 2023.

How to build a robust and modular identity system that will keep your brand consistent and dynamic as you scale.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss their recent trip to speak at the Ontario Craft Brewers Conference.

Let’s discuss Hop Water, and why we think it’s perfectly positioned to flourish as a better for you beer alternative over the coming years.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the importance of a perfect (re)brand rollout in a post-pandemic landscape.

Three critical questions to ask before purchasing a brewery so you can understand what to do (or not to do) with the existing branding.

Cody and Isaac sit down to field Beer Branding Trends Newsletter subscriber-submitted questions.

Can releasing a budget option help your customers weather a financial downturn? Let’s explore the pros and (mostly) cons of this concept.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss some options for how to handle a brewery’s brand post acquisition.

Cody and Isaac sit down for some Q&A on Brand Architecture and The Beyond Beer Handbook.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the Beverage Extension Assessment Tool (B.E.A.T.).

Examining the fine line between Brand Extensions and Sub Brands. When can each strategy make sense and how can your brewery implement them?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the Beverage Brand Architecture Continuum.

What is your parent brand? And why is this such an important concept when launching new beverage products?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the role of the parent brand in Brand Architecture.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss CODO’s new book, The Beyond Beer Handbook.

Part book, part quiz, and part choose-your-own-adventure-style novel, The Beyond Beer Handbook is a purpose-built tool for helping you expand your brewery’s portfolio and build a more resilient business.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss CODO’s recent rebranding project with Mission Brewing + a conversation with our FIRST EVER guest, Mission’s CEO, Dan Partelow.

Rebranding a 100+ year old brewery to stand out in a stacked San Diego beer scene.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss CODO’s 13th anniversary, and how the beer industry has evolved along the way.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss what makes for a great brewery name and how to actually find one.

A deep dive, behind the scenes look at an ongoing branding project with a brewery in planning named Lost Nomad Brewing Co.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the differences between a brewery’s Mission and Vision, why this matters, and how it can help you build a more purposeful business.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss audience segmentation, customer personas, and why you don’t see more fistfights in craft breweries.

A special podcast episode tackling subscriber questions on our 2022 Beer Branding Trends review.

Cody and Isaac sit down to answer ten hard hitting questions from subscribers on this year’s Beer Branding Trends review.

Dive into 17,000 words spanning major industry currents, package design trends and emergent beverage opportunities.

Cody and Isaac sit down and discuss everything covered in this year’s Beer Branding Trends review.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the common goals we see breweries set at the start of their rebranding projects.

When does a brand become a “Lifestyle” brand? And what does this mean for beverage companies who want to stand out in the cold box?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how you can be the best client your design firm has ever had.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss what a branding project kickoff looks like. Plus, art direction homework, organizing internal and more.

What makes a brand timeless? And how can we build a timeless brand from the ground up?

Did you know that there are actually two types of equity you need to measure during a rebrand?

Framing your Brand Values is one of the most important tasks your startup will tackle.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how your brewery should vet and hire a design firm for your rebrand.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the different types of creative partners a brewery can hire to handle a rebrand.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the finer points of announcing your brewery’s rebrand.

Cody and Isaac sit down to introduce themselves and CODO Design… 7 episodes in?

Only 90’s kids will remember this newsletter.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss Brand Essences—what they are and what role it plays in the branding process.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the various people and stakeholders groups you’ll need to organize ahead of your rebrand.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss how to position a craft brewery.

How many extensions are too many? And how are you supposed to know when you’ve hit the limit?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the various types of brand values a brewery can have (Core, Pay-to-play and Aspirational), why they’re all important and how to frame them.

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss the subtle differences between a brand refresh and a craft brewery rebrand.

What can craft learn from the Big Beer Wars. Plus, watch our live present

How many brands can a craft brewery actively maintain?

Quick—think about hard seltzer packaging. What do you see?

Cody and Isaac sit down to discuss when (and when not) to rebrand a brewery.

Does a brewpub (with no intention to ever package beer for distribution or carryout) need compelling branding?

Thanks to everyone (all 25 of you) who sent in a question about our 2021 Craft Beer Branding Trends article.

Clocking in at just under 20k words, this is the most thorough annual guide we’ve put together to date.

Variety Packs have been a perennial best seller in Big Craft for years. But we’ve seen a sharp uptick in smaller breweries getting into this format as of late.

One of the lasting changes in the beer industry triggered by the pandemic will be the expectation for breweries to continually package their beer.

The iconic Anchor Brewing recently launched a stark rebrand that was met with fervent backlash.

One of the biggest sea changes we’ve seen in the beer industry over the last few years has been a move towards being a “house of brands.”

Fielding community submitted questions on CODO’s 2021 Craft Beer Branding Trends article.