MKT474 Case Study: New Belgium Brewing, Social Responsibility

This case study examines New Belgium Brewing's (NBB) approach to social responsibility and branding, highlighting its commitment to environmental stewardship and ethical business practices. NBB's investments in sustainable technologies, such as wind turbines and steam condensers, demonstrate its dedication to minimizing environmental impact. The company's marketing campaigns, including the "Follow your Folly, Ours is Beer" tagline, effectively portray its unique brand personality and values. While NBB faces challenges in balancing growth with maintaining its core beliefs and customer expectations for social responsibility, its proactive use of social media and focus on customer engagement have contributed to its success. The case concludes that NBB's actions and initiatives indicate an ethical and socially responsible business organization that effectively integrates its values into its marketing and operational strategies. Desklib offers a wide array of case studies and assignment solutions for students.

RUNNING HEAD: New Belgium Brewing, Social Responsibility and Branding
New Belgium Brewing, Social Responsibility and Branding
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NEW BELGIUM BREWING, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BRANDING
Part A
Answer 1:
NBB is interested to curtail the adverse impact of business operation on the environment. This organization
has invested in the wind turbine. The steam condenser is used by this organization to capture and reuse hot water.
To utilize natural daylight, this organization has incorporated sun tubes. It helps this organization to save energy.
Environmental steward which contains reduce, reuse and recycle, is followed by this company (Bumblauskas,
2015). This organization prioritizes environmental issues due to the owner’s interest in the environment. The core
values and beliefs of this company help NBB to become an environment-friendly and socially responsible brewer.
Answer 2:
It can be said that emphasize social responsibility is beneficial for NBB to gain a competitive advantage for
the organization. By becoming socially responsible, this organization generates a positive brand reputation in the
market. By following environmental stewardship, this organization is successful to reduce its operation cost and
the adverse impact of business operation on the environment. By following green business this company can attract
more customers.
Answer 3:
NBB is interested to expand its business. To achieve this objective, this organization has to develop a
factory with the same facilities, which can be useful to curtail the adverse impact on the environment. This
organization has to invest a huge amount of money to build the factory with the same facilities. Thus, it can be said
that this organization can build factories with less energy-efficient facilities. Customers expect intense social
responsibility activities from this organization (Crittenden et al., 2011). So it can be said that maintaining both
social responsibility and customer intimacy is difficult for this organization. It can be said that the success of this
company relies on the core belief of this company. To enlarge the business, the authority of this company will not
break the core belief.

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NEW BELGIUM BREWING, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BRANDING
Answer 4:
It can be said that the actions and initiatives of in NBB are indicated of an ethical and socially responsible
business organization. Producing alcohol is not unethical. If a business organization emphasizes responsible
drinking, prohibit the sales of alcohol to the minor then it can be said that the organization is ethical and socially
responsible (Kolodinsky & Bierly, 2013). While producing the alcohol after business organization follows
environment-friendly manufacturing process and encourage other business organization of the same industry to
follow this manufacturing procedure then it can be said that the company is socially responsible and ethical.
Initiatives taken by NBB are proof that this organization is not only ethical but also socially responsible.
Part B
Answer 1:
For the last 20 years, the New Belgium Brewing has effectively used integrated marketing communication.
The first television campaign of this company was successful to fortify the brand image of this organization. The
personality of this craft brewer was accurately portrayed by the television-based advertising campaign. This
organization was successful to create its position as thoughtful, reflective and whimsical (Hopkins et al., 2011).
This television based advertising campaign of this organization portrayed a metaphor, which was the recycling and
reusing effort of this brewer company. As a socially responsible business organization, NBB reused 98 per cent
diversion of their waste stream. Besides that, the texture of the film and music tone used in this advertising
campaign was perfect to reflect the philosophy of this company. Many people feel that the production and
promotion of alcohol are immoral. This organization is successful to utilize its marketing campaign to prove that
wrong. This company efficiently utilized traditional medium for marketing and that was thoughtful, and effective
to attract the customer. The marketing campaign of this company has appropriately utilized the ideas of whimsy
and joy.

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NEW BELGIUM BREWING, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BRANDING
Answer 2:
“Follow your Folly, Ours is Beer” was the tagline of a marketing campaign of NBB, developed by
Amalgamated, a New York advertising agency. This marketing campaign portrayed the down to earth image of this
company. According to several people, not only ‘folly' had too negative connotation but also ‘folly' undermined the
science and technology used to produce high-quality beers. For several weeks, the debate regarding this issue was
continued. The creative team referred that the word 'folly’ was used in the marketing campaign to aptly alluded to
the ideal of offbeat endeavors, not “follow the money”. This word is used to portray the image of Tinkerer in the
advertising spot. However, the creative team of this organization was successful to convince the authority of this
organization to use this tagline as the campaign’s tagline.
It can be said that though the word ‘folly’ is negative yet the creative team of this company was successful
to utilize the word positively. The tagline developed by the Amalgamated was successful to deliver the desired
outcome.
Answer 3:
NBB is successful to expand its business from the local region. Sustainability, whimsy and fun are
prioritized by this organization, which is rooted in its Colorado-based culture and the ethos of its founders and
employees. Pursuing creative activities simply for the joy of doing them well and in harmony with the natural
environment is beneficial for this organization to make its branding and messaging resonate with consumers in
different parts of the country.
Answer 4:
In comparison with its competitors like Boston Brewing Co and the Sierra Nevada, NBB has been much
more successful using social media. To maximize customer engagement, this organization motivates customers
(Kidwell & Peek, 2009). While enjoying the beer of this company beer drinkers can post their message on social
media. This organization is proactive in Instagram and Twitter. So it can be said that the presence of this
organization in the social media platform is promising.

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NEW BELGIUM BREWING, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BRANDING
However in future to enhance customer engagement this organization can communicate with customers
through the social media platform. It will help this organization to collect feedback about their product directly
from the customer.
References:
Bumblauskas, D. P. (2015). SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND BENCHMARKING IN
BREWING AT NEW BELGIUM. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 27(1), 155-180. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1766258124?accountid=30552
Crittenden, V. L., Crittenden, W. F., Ferrell, L. K., Ferrell, O. C., & Pinney, C. C. (2011). Market-oriented
sustainability: A conceptual framework and propositions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1),
71-85. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0217-2
Hopkins, M. S., Haanaes, K., Balagopal, B., Velken, I., Kruschwitz, N., & Arthur, D. (2011). New sustainability
study: The embracers seize advantage. MIT Sloan Management Review, 52(3), 23-35. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/862059430?accountid=30552
Kidwell, R. E., & Peek, A. N. (2009). New belgium brewery: Sustaining earnings, employees, environment and
beer culture. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 14(2), 126-138. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/203911716?accountid=30552
Kolodinsky, R. W., & Bierly, P. E. (2013). Understanding the elements and outcomes of executive wisdom: A
strategic approach. Journal of Management and Organization, 19(1), 1-24.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2013.1