Macro Beer vs Craft Beer: Instagram Content

With thousands of brands of beers to choose from, the way a company portrays their product over social media is crucial if it is to stand out. Instagram provides an opportunity for breweries of all sizes, from macro breweries to craft breweries, to gain a following and display their style, attitude, and values.

What are Macro Breweries and Craft Breweries?

To first make a clear distinction, a macro brewery is a national or international brewery that distributes over 6 million barrels of beer annually. Macro beer tends to be more affordable, on account of it being mass-produced. Craft beer distributes less than 6 million barrels annually and is owned, usually, by an independent party.

Bud Light and 805 Beer’s Standout Content

Bud Light, made by Anheuser-Busch, an incredibly successful American macro brewery, is one of the most popular beers in the country. Bud Light’s Instagram account can boast approximately 270k followers. Their content is representative of their brand in a number of ways:

Bud Light’s photos are brightly colored, with vibrant blues and whites.
Those pictured in their content tend to be young, usually in their 20s.
Dogs are featured very frequently.
A large amount of their content involves celebrities, whether as endorsers or as the subject of potential contests.
Their content displays a beachy, partying atmosphere.

A rising star in the world of craft beer is the Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s 805 Beer. Notably popular in California, 805 is a light blonde ale with an Instagram account followed by 43k users. There are a number of standout features in their content.

The photos on 805 Beer’s account are entirely in black and white.
They present a classic vibe, with vintage vehicles posted frequently.
Nature and rural landscapes appear more frequently than parties or cityscapes.
The people featured in their content are of diverse ages.
Frequent references to California lifestyles, with surfing, skateboarding, and dirt biking heavily featured.

How Images Define Their Brands

These two brands present themselves in somewhat different ways. Their greatest similarity appears to be in capitalizing on their popularity in California, and the well-beloved beach lifestyle. Beyond that, their attitudes are quite different, as they’re trying to attract different audiences.

Bud Light’s use of celebrity faces, young partygoers, cute dogs, and bright colors emphasizes a youthful, carefree attitude. In order to maintain mass appeal, Bud Light’s stylistic choices are very modern and mainstream.

805 Beer put out content that praises a classic, dignified, way of drinking beer. With black and white photos, vintage cars, and drinkers of all ages, 805 Beer portrays itself as a beer for both young and old, as opposed to Bud Light’s youth-centric attitude. Whether you’re going on a fishing trip or about to play at an indie concert, 805 wants to be your drink of choice. They know their audience is a bit more niche, for now, and carving out a specific identity is crucial to their growth.