Instagram Versus Reality: NOCA
Being transparent on social media shouldn’t be a novel concept. In fact it can turn into an entire strategy. Few breweries are willing to pull back the curtain though, and take that risk. Most prefer the safe and filtered Instagram view into reality, despite the declining results. Either that or they just don’t know where to begin with an alternative. Join me on a case study of one of the most fascinating beverage company TikTok’s I’ve seen thus far, not because I want you to do the same thing, but because I want to open your mind to what an alternative social media feed can look like.
Drink NOCA, a boozy beverage drink start-up that was mostly off my radar, completely grabbed my attention when this social media post popped into my feed and sent me down the rabbit hole of their back catalog.
Real People, Real Interactions
For starters, this video shows real employees/owners of the brand and what it’s like to be in their shoes on a day to day basis. While it’s always glamorous to meet the brewmaster, the sales team hitting the streets provide a compelling look at the front lines, fighting for the shelf space where we ultimately discover it, and the tough decisions that have to be made along the way. Getting to know the people behind the brand and seeing them in their element builds a special appreciation and connection to the product.
In the Trade
Migrating social media outside the typical office, taproom, and production setting and into the trade offers a chance to make the retailer be a key element of your content. For a company who contract brews or co-packs their product at a 3rd party, this strategy provides a creative solution in the absence of their own space. Too many breweries view their social media exclusively as being directed toward their end customers, but the retailers who sell their product are often relying on social media to stay current. NODA’s content is extra relatable to the retailers who they interact with on a daily basis and offer a chance to subtly shout each one of them out.
Trust in the Truth
What grabbed my attention most in the first video is the filming of the dilemma where they locate old product on the display floor. While the cases are still technically in code and wouldn’t taste offensive, it’s mentioned that they’ve improved the recipe since those dates. The crew ultimately decides to do right by the retailer and end consumer by replacing those cases with fresh ones, ensuring a better drinking experience. Even if this were pre-planned (I don’t believe it was), how many beverage companies are willing to admit on their social media that they’ve changed a formulation and older, identically branded cases on the shelf won’t taste nearly as good as newer ones? The trust gained through sharing these interactions openly supersedes any negativity that could have resulted otherwise.
Reality
Reality TV has been popular for over twenty years now. Sure, it’s needed to evolve and the concepts have freshened up, but the same principles continue to resonate. Instagram on the other hand, or Instagram as we used to know it, eventually became stale. The lack of reality encouraged the migration over to TikTok which provided a new canvas for individuals to demonstrate their own reality. NOCA found their way into a strategy that uses TikTok (and Instagram) to create their own homemade reality tv show and I can’t get enough. Not sure how to get started on TikTok? What if instead of trying to cover EVERYTHING like we do on Instagram, what if you just make it about one thing? And then go from there.