Hi, there. (Happy New Year!)

This issue is an experiment. 

It’s much shorter than our typical BBT issues. It’s not Seth Godin short, but compared to our usual 2,000+ word write-ups, this will certainly be more digestible. 

My goal here is to quickly outline an interesting conversation we’re having around the shop here at CODO or in our work with breweries across the country. 

Please give this a read and email back to let me know what you think.

I like it. Short and sweet.

Nah. More detail and pictures, please.

I appreciate you being here and reading BBT.

Let’s get to it.

(Above): The entire first section of our Craft Beer, Rebranded book bundle focuses on pain points and project goals. Give this a read if you're thinking about updating your brand sometime soon. 

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Qualitative vs. Quantitative goals during a rebrand 

We’re currently rebranding a brewery in the PNW and had an interesting conversation with their COO during the strategy phase. 

Her question was, “Are qualitative goals ever more important than quantitive ones during this process?”

An example to illustrate her point:

Quantitative goal: “We want to produce and sell an additional 1,500 bbl over the next 2 years to bring our total annual production up to 9,500 bbl.” 

Qualitative goal: “I want our team to understand what we’re building here and why we work so hard every day. What is our rallying cry? I think this will make everything more cohesive behind the scenes.”

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Here’s our take on this. 

It’s easy to overemphasize quantitative goals because they’re measurable. By definition, these are S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable…).

It’s easy to benchmark where you are today vs. where you are a year or two post refresh to see if you were successful. And because of this, I’ve noticed that people tend to focus on quantitative goals.

But we believe that qualitative goals — soft, fuzzy and hard to benchmark — are equally as important during the branding process. 

Branding your brewery is chock full of qualitative stuff.

– What is your origin story? 
– What are your brand values?
– What is your brand personality and voice? 
– What is your Brand Essence? 
– What role does your brewery play in a fan’s life?
– What is someone actually buying when they grab your beer? 
– How will this refresh make your life easier? 

See, not much concrete stuff in that list. But everything there is every bit as important as a specific production or revenue target because if you don’t nail the former, you’ll never achieve the latter. 

One isn’t more important than the other. And you need to clearly define both categories.

Then, you should do your best to benchmark and measure them over time so you can tweak and make adjustments (or celebrate) as needed. 

(Above): Prost Brewing's rebrand is a great example of working to achieve several qualitative goals with the broader objective of increasing sales. Read a deep dive case study on this project here.

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A quick caveat

To be clear: I'm not dismissing quantitative goals. They're essential.

Branding isn't a beauty contest. It's a critical business function that should directly impact your bottom line through increased revenue, market share and profit.

Design awards — complete with fancy trophies — don't mean anything. 

And while having your work featured on a high profile design blog can feel great, this also means nothing. 

Recognition is fun, but it doesn’t pay the bills.

Any move you make to rebrand your brewery must result in an increase in sales to be considered a success. And great branding can help you sell more of it. 

The magic happens when strong qualitative foundations — your story, values, and purpose — fuel and amplify your quantitative success. When these align, your brand becomes both meaningful and profitable, creating a brewery that resonates with consumers while driving sustainable growth.



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Did you like this shorter format? Please let me know below:

– I like it. Short and sweet.

– Nah. More detail and pictures, please.