Shore Craft Beer App Focus of new Campaign to Help Local Breweries
Shore Craft Beer, working with the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) and with funding from the Rural Maryland Council created a state-of-the-art App to help users find local craft beer near them. The App was first released in beta form at the Love on Tap festival February 29th in Ocean City, Maryland. This festival attracted more than 1500 people and resulted in the highest number of downloads of the Shore Craft Beer App since its original development in 2014. Then, the Corona virus struck and closed down breweries and bars. During this time, Shore Craft Beer worked with OCDC and our App developer, 5th Floor, Inc out of Baltimore, Maryland, and added functionality to help users find breweries, bars and restaurants that have take-out, delivery, and outside dining.
Breweries are Struggling; Mission Possible Campaign Here to Help!
With most breweries and other craft beer related businesses open for modified experiences, Shore Craft Beer is now launching the Mission Possible campaign to bring attention to the craft brewing industry on the Eastern Shore of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. “The brewing industry is struggling during COVID. We want to highlight the breweries here on the Shore and let people know that they can experience these breweries and buy their beer in many different ways” said Ann McGinnis Hillyer, CEO of Shore Craft Beer.
Maryland has allowed the shipping of local craft beer during the COVID crisis thanks to an Executive Order by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and many breweries have taken advantage of this opportunity to get local craft beer into the hands of buyers safely. Additionally, the Comptroller of Maryland announced the relaxation of rules regarding limits of the amount of craft beer sold directly from the brewery. Take-out and delivery options have become popular and now outdoor drinking options are expanding across the state and the Shore.
State-of-the-art Shore Craft Beer App
The new Shore Craft Beer App helps users find local craft beer near them. It allows users to check-into a brewery just by buying and trying their beer and not necessarily by visiting the brewery personally. It allows users to check into virtual events and keep track of all the beer they have tried. In addition, the App pulls each brewery’s list of beers from Untappd so that a user can find the most popular beers easily.
Challenges are listed and breweries are adding prizes to be awarded to winners of each challenge. The Gallery of Champions celebrates all winners, both on the App on and the ShoreCraftBeer.com website. “We will be introducing new discounts, new prizes, and many exciting virtual experiences for App users” said Anne Neely, Director of Shore Craft Beer. So far, users will find prizes or discounts for using the App donated by Burley Oak Brewing, the Princess Royale Resort Hotel in Ocean City, Odyssea Watersports and more.
McGinnis Hillyer believes the Shore can become a top craft beer destination “if each and every bar, restaurant, and brewery that focuses on craft beer works together.” “With the world-class craft beer here on the Shore, the world-class beauty of our towns and natural resources, and with this App, we can all work together to ensure that the Shore is recognized as a top craft beer destination. This mission is possible!”
Campaign Launch – Beercation Giveaways & Cash Prizes
To kick off the Mission Possible launch, Shore Craft Beer is awarding one BEERCATION each week throughout the month of September. The prizes include a two night off-season stay combined with other craft beer related prizes. The Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel is offering a 2 night stay and Shore Craft Beer is adding a gift certificate to Odyssea Watersports. Each week in September, a new beercation will be awarded to one lucky winner. The Princess Royale is offering the 2 night stay for the second week and will be hosting craft beer focused events at their bar. Details of each prize package will be posted to the Shore Craft Beer Facebook page throughout the month.
All you have to do to be entered in the random drawing is download and log into the Shore Craft Beer App. Please share that you downloaded the App on the Shore Craft Beer Facebook page. Don’t forget to like and share the page!
Breweries and staff can get involved by promoting the Shore Craft Beer App on their social media pages. Please use the hashtag, #MissionPossibleSCB when posting on social media. One post using this hashtag will be randomly identified each week to win a $25 cash prize.
The beercation winners each week will be notified of their prize through the App. All winners will be announced on Facebook.
Author: Ann McGinnis Hillyer
Ann's father was in the Corps of Engineers so she was born in Africa and moved all over the world and the United States growing up. After graduating cum laude from Duke University, she started her marketing career at an airline based out of Dulles International Airport. She furthered this career in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds before helping launch StateVentures, LLC, the publisher of OceanCity.com, Annapolis.com, and other state and regional geodomains. Here, she focuses on tourism and tourism marketing through a broad media mix including online, print, and social media efforts. While at the airline, she worked with Jim Koch and the Boston Beer Company, brewers of Sam Adams beer. This love of craft beer and the craft beer industry as well as her interest in tourism, led to the founding of ShoreCraftBeer.com and the effort to make the Shore a craft beer destination.
