The drinking experience varies depending on where you are, who you're with and of course what you're drinking. In a move to merge social media with how one normally socializes at a bar, Carlsberg introduced its #HappyBeerTime campaign to promote both itself and the bars that use this technology.
When employees plug in the HappyBeerTime USB stick, a timer comes up on the bar's TV showing how much time is left during happy hour. To add more minutes, patrons must add photos of themselves to Instagram with the hashtags #HappyBeerTime as well as the name of the bar. These photos will then appear on the screen and add time to the clock - quite the clever marketing move by the Carlsberg brand.
Customer-Controlled Happy Hours
The Carlsberg HappyBeerTime Stint Revamps the Drinking Experience
Trend Themes
1. Social Media Integration - By merging social media with the drinking experience, there is an opportunity to create immersive and interactive marketing campaigns.
2. Gamified Marketing - Introducing interactive elements like a timer and incentivizing user-generated content can create a fun and engaging experience for customers.
3. Collaborative Promotions - Promoting both the brand and the bars through customer participation can foster a sense of community and drive foot traffic.
Industry Implications
1. Beverage - The beverage industry can explore leveraging technology and gamified marketing techniques to enhance the drinking experience and build brand loyalty.
2. Hospitality - Bars and restaurants can incorporate social media integration and collaborative promotions to attract customers and differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
3. Advertising & Marketing - The advertising and marketing industry can capitalize on the trend of customer-controlled experiences to develop innovative campaigns that drive consumer engagement.