From the beginning, Newton realized it was a David in a sea of running shoe Goliaths, so it focused on the small but affluent market of core triathletes and quickly built a loyal group of customers. Backbone implemented an integrated social media strategy that leveraged Newton’s tribe of product evangelists to increase brand awareness and connect with new customers. Backbone launched and manages the official Newton blog, which has an engaged and passionate readership. Backbone also administers the Newton Facebook page and Twitter profile, which have both experienced significant growth since inception. Backbone manages all of Newton’s social media anonymously, posting under the persona of Sir Isaac Newton, which Backbone helped establish as Newton’s unofficial founder and inspiration.

Ranger IPA launched in February. As the Beer Rangers (New Belgium’s affectionate term for beer sales reps) were the brainchild behind the beer, it was only fitting to focus our marketing efforts around them. The print ad, for instance, featured a Beer Ranger in uniform demonstrating his assigned mission “protect, pour and partake”. On the social web, Rangers also became the center of attention. In anticipation of the Ranger IPA launch, regional Facebook pages and a socially optimized map were created to connect fans with their local beer ranger(s). The map and regional facebook pages enabled people to connect with New Belgium  regarding nearby events and happenings, such as Ranger launch parties and beer pairings.

In sum, as the media landscape changes and it becomes harder to connect with people on an intimate scale, New Belgium stands out as a brand up for the challenge. While the print media campaign developed wide-reaching awareness for Beer Rangers, efforts on Facebook connected the dots. In a fast-paced, ever complicated world, New Belgium Brewing fans still have the opportunity to meet their local Beer Rangers face-to-face, shake hands, and share a beer.