Behind Athletic Brewing’s marketing and innovation plans

More people are deciding to order a non-alcoholic beer every day. Their next decision is which brand to ask for. Athletic Brewing is determined to be the answer, expanding availability to more places where people consume beer—restaurants, bars, stadiums and concerts—and supporting that with new advertising that encourages consumers in those spaces to ask for Athletic by name. The brand worked with the agency Fair Folk on the ads. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Amazon Music/Audible. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! “It’s not going to be an overnight sensation. This is a category people come to on their own, and when they discover us, we get into their repertoire, and we just become part of what they’re drinking,” Andrew Katz, chief marketing officer of Athletic Brewing, said on the latest edition of the Marketer’s Brief podcast. Athletic is benefitting from rising interest in non-alcoholic beer, which is driven by the health and wellness movement and the fact that Gen Z drinks less than previous generations. The uptick has led to so-called zebra-striping, in which drinkers alternate between non-alcohol and alcohol beers in the course of a night. More beer news: Light brews face new challengers Athletic is outgrowing its non-alcohol competitors, Katz said. According to NielsenIQ, Athletic recorded more than $132 million in off-premise retail sales in 2024 and Katz said the NA beer is accounting for up to 20% of total beer sales at some retailers. Now the company is looking for more beer occasions. A newly signed agreement with Live Nation puts Athletic beers in 113 concert venues across the country where it can serve, market and sample its selections. “It’s a way for us to meet consumers where they are, even though that’s probably a beaten-to-death saying,” Katz said. “We’re going to go out to music festivals and venues and amphitheaters, and we will be for sale. We’ll be sampling. It’s really a way for us to start to get Athletic into the repertoire of drinkers so that it’s just another thing that they’re drinking.” Athletic has also focused on chef partnerships and food pairings, and is aggressively expanding its draft product in bars as the on-premise business is really important to the brand, Katz said. “Ordering an NA draft will hopefully surprise a lot of people, said Katz. “They’ll taste it, and they’ll be blown away by how good Run Wild is on draft,” he added, referring to the brand’s IPA-style drink. Athletic is also testing cocktail-inspired beer products like a Moscow Mule and a Paloma that could attract users beyond traditional beer drinkers. These may also help address issues that are troubling the larger beer industry, like young drinkers bypassing the category for canned cocktails. And this week, it’s re-releasing Fancy Like, an American Pale Ale made in partnership with the sober country singer Walker Hayes. Fancy Like will be sampled as part of Athletic’s activation at Two Step Inn, a country festival in Georgetown, Texas April 5 and 6. The brand has also taken an active role on social media where it recently spoofed the Ashton Hall viral workout routine. @athleticbrewing Rise & grind everyone, the brews await🍺☀️ #ashtonhall #morningroutine #athleticbrewing ♬ original sound - AthleticBrewing Growth in the non-alc beer sector is sparking new competitors, perhaps none as potentially formidable as Michelob Ultra Zero, a 0% version of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s all-conquering, fitness-focused beer. Katz is welcoming the competition, saying the new entrants would help build interest in the category—but may find they are only dividing their consumer base. “I think in a lot of cases, they’re just trading occasions—they’re not necessarily accretive to their portfolio,” Katz said of beer brands with non-alc siblings. “Whereas for us, everything is accretive. All new users for us are new users.” Katz, who first encountered Athletic at the finish line of a half marathon, said the brand remains indebted to its early supporters and a community of 1,600 grassroots brand ambassadors. And it continues supporting sample products at athletic events. “Yes, you need to expand, you need to reach new consumers,” he said. “But you can never leave your core customer behind, because they’re who got you to where you are today … Your true fans are the best marketers you’re ever going to have.”

Behind Athletic Brewing’s marketing and innovation plans

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