San Diego State University

MKTG 371: Consumer Behavior

Subculture of Consumption

Spring 2015

Marissa Garcia Shannon Lubar

Amanda Ramirez Andrew Willetts

Table of Contents

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….3

Ballast Point History……………………………………………………………………………....4

Unique Service Proposition……………………………………………………………………….6

Competitors………………………………………….…………………………………………….6

Marketing Strategy…………………………………….…………………………………………..7

Cause Related Marketing………………………………………….………………………………8

Target Market……………………………………………………………………..……………….8

The 4Ps of Marketing……………………………………………………………………….…….9

Social Media……………………………………………………………………………………..12

SWOT Analysis………………………………………………………………………………….13

Low Informant Profile and Analysis……………………………………………………………..15

High Informant Profile and Analysis…………………………………………………………….17

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………..19

Association Maps………………..…………………………20(low informant)/21(high informant)

Low Informant Interview………………………………………………………………………...22

High Informant Interview………………………………………………………………………..28

References………………………………………………………………………………………..34

Executive Summary

Ballast point began as a home brewing experiment out of a UCLA dorm room and has

now become the 23rd largest brewery in the United States. Over the last 20 years, this craft

brewery has taken off and now achieves over $73 million in revenue and is continuously

expanding. We set out to find what makes this seemingly typical craft brewery, anything but

typical. Ballast Point is well known for their award winning beers and nautical artwork. With

national beer awards won time and time again, it’s no wonder consumers are drawn to the San

Diego brewery. We found that since Ballast Point originated in the craft brewery ca

pital of the United States, our high informant chose Ballast Point because he is brand loyal to his

hometown brewery and also enjoys high quality beer.

Ballast Point History

Ballast Point is a brewing company who was founded by Jack White. He seemed to grow

bored or the recurring beers found at local stores, so his roommate Pete A’Hearn, and him

decided to brew in their apartment at UCLA. As they began their adventure into at home

brewing, they came across a lot of obstacles gathering the necessary materials. It is not as easy as

going down to the grocery store.

From there, Jack decided that he would open his own mart that would allow people to

access the necessary materials for at home brewing both easily and conveniently. Thus Home

Brew Mart was opened in 1992. From there, Pete was able to continue his studies and achieve

his “master brewer’s certificate” from UC Davis.

Furthermore, the two of them teamed up with Yuseff Cherney, a man who also enjoyed

home brewing. Yuseff was then hired as the first employee at Home Brew Mart’s and selected to

assist in the organization of the brewery located “behind the shop”.

Ballast Point was then developed years later in 1996. Their philosophy, “has always been

doing what we love, and making what we love to drink”. The name came about from a fishing

hobby that both men enjoyed. The labels are an indication to their consumer to continue doing

what makes you happy and what you love to do, which is what fishing was to Jack and Pete.

Although the brewery located “behind the shop” was convenient, it grew to be more and

more well known; however, in 2004 they decided to re-locate to a more spacious area in Scripps

Ranch. From there, they decided to actively work and strive to accommodate the wants of their

customers, from a beer prospective.

Furthermore, they were able to establish a well known beer brand, and were thinking of

how to continue expanding to make Ballast Point the absolute best. The men who had already

started it all decided to overcome an entire new “beast” being distillment. Today, Ballast Point

has 14 different options of alcohol.

From where it all began, at Home Brew Mart, to now it continues to be a core location for

people to come and pursue their passions in brewing. They also offer an interactive area for

people to enjoy Ballast Point beer from what started from home brewing in itself. Within the last

few years, Ballast Point has outreached to a new location in Little Italy that is dedicated to the

development of new products as well as testing current ones.

Unique Service Proposition

Ballast Point has a unique service proposition of upkeeping their products with a high

quality and creating award winning craft beers. They create award winning craft beer. Their goal

is to bring people better beer through expanding on traditional techniques. Though these are

“cherished” they still love to continue bettering their beer. One of their motto’s is: “helping you

make great beer since 1992”. They have brought quality to people for years, and plan to continue

bettering and growing as a large brewery.

Competitors

San Diego is in the heart of the Craft Brewery world. No other city comes close to the

number of craft breweries that San Diego has to offer. That being said, Ballast Point faces fierce

competition. The most notable craft brewery in San Diego and highly recognized around the

nation is Stone Brewing. Other notable Craft Breweries in San Diego are Green Flash, Pizza

Port, Coronado, Ale Smith, Lost Abbey, and Rip Current. Even with all these other competitors

Ballast Point still continues to innovate and grow and are one of the most well-known craft

breweries in San Diego and are beginning to establish themselves in other parts of the nation.

Marketing Strategy

Ballast Point, like many other craft beers, is in the process of growing itself on a national

level. They began as a small brewing company and continued to gain more attraction as they

continued to introduce various types of beer and liquors. As they continued to expand and grow,

they ran into the problem that many craft beers face: how to differentiate themselves on a

regional and national level. They created the tagline “Dedicated to the Craft’ to convey their

passion for brewing and showcase the brand’s personality. During the time of revamping their

brand, they changed the logos of their beers to include a bolder and more legible font, as well as

more artistic and visually appealing artwork on their beers, spirits, and home brewing supplies.

Ballast Point is well known for their fishing and angling artwork. Most of their beers are named

after, and showcase, a type of fish, such as in their most famous beer, the Sculpin IPA.

Ballast Point made a major marketing move by being the first craft brewery to be in the

high-traffic area of Petco Park; this is area is usually reserved for big name brands, such as Bud

Light. This area was named the Ballast Point Beer Garden. After an overwhelming response,

they expanded to another location, called The Draft which opened on Opening Day in 2014.

Upon recreating their brand, Ballast Point also redesigned their website with an

innovative, clean, and fresh look. They feature their beers, spirits, and home brewing line that

can accommodate their anticipated growing product lines in the years to come. Ballast Point

focuses on conveying their dedication to the art of craft beer. Not only do they highlight their

native San Diego roots with their fishing and angling named beers, but they also promote the

countless awards they have won over the years. Their awards promote a higher and more

prestigious quality to their brand and capitalize on its value. Consumers see the value in their

beer, as well as its relatively low cost and delicious taste.

Cause Related Marketing

On their website, Ballast point has a section titled “donations.” They say that they love

sharing what they love to drink, especially if it’s for a great cause. It’s easy for an organization to

approach Ballast Point to gain some donations, and Ballast Point is happy to help. This seems to

be the only form of cause-related marketing they participate in. Ballast Point is not heavily

involved in the community because their target market is usually more wealthy and they it would

be unlikely they would generate any increased sales from hosting a charity event. It is important

to note that few other craft breweries are heavily involved in the community; however, the

macro-breweries, such as Anheuser-Busch, Coors, and Miller, are almost always do some form

of cause-related marketing.

Target Market

Ballast Point’s target market is made up of individuals from the ages 21-31. Potential

customers include but are not limited to legal drinking age beer drinkers. This age demographic

is young typically without children and have extra spending cash. This target market’s hobbies

tend to be outdoor activities such as fishing and hiking. The brewery has values around fishing

and San Diego pride and thus sells to individuals who are likeminded.

The 4Ps

Product

Ballast Point has various different products they offer to the community including but not limited

to beer, vodka, whiskey, rum, gin and liqueur. Despite offering different spirits, Ballast Point is

best known for their wide array of beers. The customer that is buying Ballast Point’s beer is

anticipating a quality beer that they know will be consistent time and time again. Ballast Point

offers their customer favorites year round as well as releasing limited batches to entice customers

to try the latest seasonal flavors. The Ballast Point logo is one that many San Diego residents

have come to know and love. Their packaging differs slightly when buying different forms of the

beer. On their beer cans that they sell they have the brewery’s logo to highlight them as a

brewery. When you switch from a can to a 16oz glass bottle you will find the Ballast Point logo

but it will be at the bottleneck instead of plastered across the front. Instead of the large logo

centered on the bottle you will find artwork that is beer specific, typically an image of a fish or a

nautical illustration. The last bottle differentiation worth noting is that of the 22oz bottle. On this

large bottle, the general brewing logo makes no appearance at all and instead it is the individual

beer’s artwork. Ballast Point has a consistent look that is designed by their resident artist, Paul

Elder. Paul exemplifies San Diego’s lifestyle and is a part of the Ballast Point success.

Place

Buyers of Ballast Point initially were locally in San Diego but now they have started to grow a

bit outside of San Diego. The customers can typically expect to find the Ballast Point beers in

cans or bottles at their local grocery store or liquor store. If a customer resides in California, they

also have the additional option of purchasing a handful of the Ballast Point beers online. If the

customer wants the full Ballast Point experience however, they can go to one of the four

locations in San Diego. Each of the four locations is open every day where patrons can indulge in

tasting the many craft beers Ballast Point offers. On their website, they claim to have 62 different

beers, of which, only 23 are available for purchase at locations that are not a Ballast Point tasting

room. For the avid craft beer drinkers craving an un-bottled or can Ballast Point brew, they can

make the journey to Scripps Ranch, Miramar, Little Italy, or the Homebrew Mart. Many of the

Ballast Point competitors also have storefronts and tasting rooms that patrons can visit. Stone

Brewing Co, for example, has 6 company stores as well as two bistro and garden locations. With

San Diego being the craft beer capital of the world, it seems that no matter where you look, you

will find tasting rooms or beer bars that have some of the best craft beer in the country.

Price

For the craft beer industry, many of the customers are willing to pay a higher price for a higher

quality of beer. When the customer goes to the brewery they will get the cheapest price of said

beer but typically customers that are very loyal to their beer are willing to pay the extra few

dollars for the convenience of drinking at a different location. Most of the craft beers are around

the same price give or take a few dollars and because of that, majority of customers are loyal to a

specific beer if they enjoy it. The extra few dollars does not tend to be a deal breaker for avid and

loyal customers. As far as the rest of the beer drinkers that are not loyal to a brand or beer, they

tend to be more price driven and will typically chose the cheaper of the beers offered. The price

for the Ballast Point beers at a non-Ballast Point location tend to be on the more expensive end of

the craft beer world but since their beers are high quality and have great drinkability, many

people still order it. Most of the discounts offered to Ballast Point patrons are offered if they are

drinking at a different bar. However, Ballast Point will do $5.00 flights for three samples which

is more likely than not the best bang for your buck while allowing the customer to try a multitude

of beers.

Promotion

Ballast Point is mainly promoted through word of mouth instead of the traditional advertising.

Because San Diego is the beer capital of the world, the craft breweries tend to speak for

themselves. Instead of spending money on advertising, Ballast Point puts on events such as

“Beginner Brew Class” or “Hoppy Yoga” where the customer pays a small fee ~$15 to attend a

course and enjoy a beer afterwards. This type of promotion is great because it brings in the

customer to learn and then they will most likely stay after for another round of beers. Another

popular promotional technique they use is having food trucks come to the tasting rooms.

Partnering with a food truck allows both Ballast Point and the food trucks to draw customers in.

These events that Ballast Point puts on are very similar to what the other local breweries are

hosting. The classes help give the breweries a personality and create a sense of community while

the food trucks give customers another reason to come.

Social Media

Ballast Point, being the second largest brewery in San Diego, has created a loyal

following on social media. They are on all of the major social media sites including, Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Ballast Point uses the same content for Facebook,

Twitter, and Instagram, with little variation in pictures and content on the various sites.

However, they still have an extremely loyal brand following with high engagement with their

posts. Their Facebook page has over 80,000 page likes and has continued to increase steadily in

the past few years. Their twitter page has gained over 50,000 followers and their Instagram page

has over 38,000 followers. One unique aspect that Ballast point uses is YouTube. They have

many videos that give a tour of the brewery, the brewing process, and taste tests. Ballast Point

receives a lot of secondary social media because various beer aficionados post reviews of the

beer, most of them being extremely positive. This San Diego brewing company also saw a large

increase in following upon their release of their new hot Sculpin IPA, which combines habanero

flavorings with their traditional Sculpin IPA. Ballast point also receives attention from various

beer bloggers both on a regional and national scale.

SWOT

Strengths:

One of the biggest strengths of Ballast Point is that it offers 62 different types of Beer.

They offer all different types of Ales (Red’s, IPA, Pales, Amber’s, etc.), Porters, Lagers, Stouts,

Pilsners, and Saison’s. This vast number of different beers means Ballast Point can appeal to

almost all kinds of beer lovers. Even for beer enthusiast, they have the opportunity to try unique

beers such as, Sour Wench Blackberry Ale, or Three Sheets Barley Wine Ale. Ballast Point

really goes above and beyond with all their different brews and it is safe to assume that any beer

lover would find multiple Ballast Point Brews to fall in love with.

Weaknesses:

It is important to remember that Ballast Point is a Craft Brewery. That means that Ballast

Point’s market is no where near the size of traditional breweries (Anheuser- Busch, Miller,

Coors, etc.) The Craft Brewery Market is much smaller and there are many more craft breweries

making the market very competitive and cutthroat. Another weakness is that Ballast Point is

aimed for more towards the fishing market, as their beer names suggest (Longfin Lager, Big Eye

IPA, Black Marlin Porter, etc). Much of the United States does not fish very much so this type of

Beer would not be as appealing to them.

Opportunities:

Just this past December at the 2014 New York International Spirits Competition, Ballast

Point Brewing was awarded, California Distillery of the Year. This was the second consecutive

year that Ballast Point won this award. This award shows that Ballast Point is beginning to

become recognized not just in San Diego, but throughout California and even into other regions

in the nation. Ballast Point also has inserted itself into Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

At Petco Park, Ballast Point offers 8 different types of their Beers, which is 4 more types than

any other Craft Brewery offered at Petco Park. Which again shows how Ballast Point is showing

the rest of us how they that perfect beer for all of us beer lovers.

Threats:

Every single year it seems as if another popular craft brewery pops up in San Diego.

Considering San Diego is already the Craft Brewery Capital of the World, it is important that

Ballast Point continues to grow and innovate and attempt to separate itself from the rest of the

pack. But it must not over extend itself at the same time, so Ballast Point must be very careful

how it continues to develop.

Low Informant: Dalton Theis

Consumer Profile:

Dalton is a 21 year old student living in Pacific Beach, California. He is a very active

individual who goes to school and works at the Wavehouse in Mission Beach. Dalton exercises

regularly and often eats very healthy. He is not a heavy drinker but does enjoy a nice alcoholic

beverage every once in awhile. He does not have brand loyalty towards any one beer, but his

favorite types of beers are the local craft breweries as well as Firestone and Lagunitas. When

buying beer, cost is not much of a factor for him. He understands that you get what you pay for

with beer, so he will spend a few extra dollars for a higher quality beer.

Analysis of Low Informant: Dalton Theis

It was interesting interviewing Dalton because he had difficulty answering many of the

questions. He had never previously considered the psychological reasons he purchases beer, but

after our interview he learned a lot about himself. For example, during the laddering section of

the interview he was asked a few basic questions that he struggled with. He said he likes beer

because of the taste; the taste is important because it allows him to become more intoxicated and

it relaxes him. It is important for Dalton to be relaxed because he lives a very stressful lifestyle,

as he is going to school to become a doctor. Having a few drinks every now and then, and being

relaxed, allows Dalton to escape all the stress and re-energize himself for the next load of work

he must complete.

Dalton’s associative map was also very interesting. Dalton see’s a somewhat strong

correlation between the price of a beer and the trendiness or traditional of the beer as well. So the

cheaper the beer the more traditional, the more expensive the beer is the more he views it as

trendy. He views the major breweries in the US and traditional and the craft breweries as more

trendy.

Dalton found the What/If section of the interview pretty interesting and fun. He is a big

fan of country music and when asked about what song reminds him of Ballast Point he said This-

Darius Rucker. To answer this question Dalton said he imagined himself sitting on a porch

drinking a Ballast and in the background he would have some uplifting country music playing,

which is why he chose the Darius Rucker song. When asked him what song reminded him of

Bud Light he again imagined where he would be drinking the beer. In this case Dalton imagined

himself at a country concert drinking Budlight out of a red cup which of course meant that the

song that reminded Dalton of Bud Light was Red Solo Cup-Toby Keith.

Overall Dalton doesn’t have any brand loyalty towards any specific beer, but he

definitely has loyalty towards specific types of beer. Dalton loves craft beer and while Ballast

Point may not be his favorite craft beer he still enjoys a nice Ballast Point Pale Ale every now

and then to mix it up. When comparing Dalton’s personality to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

beer would be somewhere near the Self-Actualization. As discussed earlier Dalton likes beer

because it helps him relax and re-energize himself which allows Dalton to work harder in order

to reach his full potential. Beer is not self-actualization for Dalton, but it is a tool that Dalton

utilizes in order to reach self-actualization.

Lastly, Dalton really enjoyed our interview. He said that while he was helping us we

were also helping him. He learned a lot about the psychology of his decision making and realized

things that he has never previously thought about before. His wide array of beer knowledge and

lack of brand loyalty to any beer really helped give us a clearer picture of the psychology behind

someone and their purchasing habits.

High Informant: Paul Wentura

Consumer Profile:

Paul is a 25 year old student living in San Diego, California (just about a mile away from

SDSU). He is a very active individual who goes to school and works at Oggis Pizza Express at

SDSU as the beer buyer. Paul surfs regularly and often eats very healthy. He is not a heavy

drinker but enjoys a beer or two after a day of school or work. He is brand loyal towards Ballast

Point, when buying anything aside from Ballast Point he only buys beers that are local craft

breweries. When buying beer he likes to stick with Ballast Point and will occasionally try a

different brand if it is very unique and has heard people talking about it.

Analysis of High Informant: Paul Wentura

Interviewing Paul was interesting because he too had a very difficult time answering the

questions. When interviewing him he did not understand what most of the questions had to do

with his beer purchase and why it would be of interest to marketers. Throughout the questioning

of Paul we were able to learn why he has such a strong attachment to Ballast Point as opposed to

other beers.

Growing up, Paul lived in Ramona, CA, not too far from SDSU. Since he grew up surfing

and participating in typical San Diego activities, he has strong feelings towards enjoying the San

Diego culture. Because of such strong affiliation with San Diego’s culture, Paul somewhat

unintentionally has become a Ballast Point groupie. Ballast Point is a brewery that goes hand in

hand with cultural movement in relation to San Diego. Since San Diego is the craft beer capital,

there are many different upcoming breweries trying to put their stamp on the San Diego market.

Ballast Point was one of the original powerhouses and their Sculpin IPA has quickly become not

only a rite of passage for San Diegans, but is also seen to be a beer of sacred consumption. As

a result of San Diegans loving Sculpin, the Sculpin line has too become Paul’s go to beer.

When asking Paul to complete his associative map he struggled with where to put a

handful of beer that seemed obvious to the interviewer. We have concluded that because of

Paul’s dedication to Ballast Point, he has much higher expectations for his beers and as a result

viewed traditional beers to be different than a non-beer drinker. On the other hand, he viewed a

lot of the San Diego favorites as being trendy beers and feels that they will not be San Diego

staples for long, unlike Ballast Point’s Sculpin.

Paul found the What/If section of the interview to be very frustrating and confusing.

Since Paul studies philosophy he enjoys analyzing the world around him. However, he never

thought about the deep psychology about his beer purchases or anything farther than the

reasoning he supported Ballast Point (because of their quality beer), and so, he would get

flustered when we asked him odd questions. For example, when asking him what color he would

describe Ballast Point as he wanted to say it is more like a 94 color crayon box and it could be a

multitude of colors. When asked the same question about Bud Light, he said it would be a lot

simpler of a color and would thus fall in a 12 color crayon box. Instead of giving a

straightforward answer, he found he was struggling to answer questions without giving a full

explanation like any philosopher would do. ‘

By the end of our interview, Paul felt that he was able to see his beer purchases from a

different light. He hadn’t looked too closely into the reasoning of his purchase history and

loyalty aside from wanting to support local breweries but that after discussing it with him it made

more sense. Paul’s position as a beer buyer and love of craft beers made him attractive to see

what makes him a brand loyal consumer and was fascinating to apply our semester’s knowledge.

Recommendations

We recommend that Ballast Point continues to expand their products. Not only

would this create more revenue for the company, but it would expand their outreach to

far more customers as well. Another recommendation would be to continually uphold

their core values in the products they make. It becomes evident to consumers when

quality is being lowered. In today’s society, people only want the best of the best, and the

way to do that is keeping the core ideals of making quality craft beer a primary priority.

A final recommendation that could bring something new to the table would be signature

promotions .Engagement of the public has skyrocketed with new social media outlets in

today’s society. Promotions via these outlets are key sources to successful branding as

well as educating consumers as to what is new and exciting.

Low Informant Associative Map: Dalton Theis

traditional

low price

High Informant Association Map: Paul Wentura

Trendy

Low Re

Cor

Lag

Ballast

Low Informant Interview: Dalton Theis

Andrew: Dalton what is your favorite type of beer?

Dalton: Stone Pale Ale

Andrew: Are you brand loyal to this beer?

Dalton: No, I like all types of beer but if I was celebrating something or treating myself I would

buy Stone Pale Ale.

Andrew: How often do you buy beer?

Dalton: Like I said earlier I am not a heavy drinker so I usually buy a 12 pack around every 2

weeks or so.

Andrew: What factors lead to the decision on what beer you buy on a given day?

Dalton: It all depends on what event I am drinking for. Whether its a long outing or am I trying

to get drunk fast. Whether its an indoor or outdoor event, am I just relaxing with friends or trying

to meet new people. Essentially all the social aspects play a role in my purchase decision of beer.

Andrew: How many times have you drank Ballast Point in your life?

Dalton: I would guess around a dozen times.

Andrew: What are your thoughts on Ballast Point?

Dalton: I really like Ballast Point, I enjoy the fact that they are a local brewery so I have no

problem paying the extra money to support them.

Andrew: What is your favorite type of traditional beer?

Dalton: Bud Light

Andrew: What do you like about Bud Light?

Dalton: It quenches my thirst and they are easy to drink when I am outside relaxing.

Andrew: How often do you drink Bud Light?

Dalton: I do not drink Bud Light that often because I prefer the local breweries, both because I

find that they taste better and I am supporting local companies.

Andrew: What is your favorite craft brewery?

Dalton: Firestone

Andrew: What do you like about Firestone?

Dalton: I like how much variety they have with their beers. All their beers have a nice crisp taste

with a smooth finish. One day I might be in the mood for their pale ale and the next day I am in

the mood for their 805, blonde ale. They are also brewed in San Luis Obispo, which is a place I

enjoy visiting.

Laddering:

Andrew: What do you like best about Beer?

Dalton: I like how beer leaves a nice taste in your mouth that makes me want to drink more of it.

Andrew: Why is that specific attribute important to you?

Dalton: So I can get more drunk?

Andrew: Why do you like getting drunk?

Dalton: I like getting drunk because I am more relaxed and its a good way to relieve stress for a

little while and just have fun.

Andrew: Why is it important to relieve stress and have fun?

Dalton: Because with my current school load and work load I am always on the go and to be

honest I get burnt out. Having those few times where I can drink beer allows me to re-energize

myself for the next round of work and further allow myself to push forward in life.

What If Questions: Ballast Point (BP) vs. Bud Light (BL)

Dog:

BP: Thoroughbred Golden Retriever

BL: Mutt

Sports brand:

BP: Air Jordan

BL: Champion

Upper or lower division class?

BP: Upper

BL: Lower

Automobile:

BP: Bentley

BL: Ford Taurus

Corporation:

BP: Apple

BL: Radio Shack

Color:

BP: Sapphire

BL: Brown

Professional Football Team:

BP: New England Patriots

BL: Jacksonville Jaguars

Professional Baseball Team:

BP: New York Yankees

BL: Houston Astros

Theme Park:

BP: Universal Studios

BL: Six Flags

Animal:

BP: Bald Eagle

BL: Raven

Song:

BP: This-Darius Rucker

BL: Red Solo Cup-Toby Keith

University:

BP: UCLA

BL: Humboldt State

Country:

BP: Spain

BL: America

Famous Person:

BP: Gabriel Macht (Suits)

BL: Rob Schneider

Book:

BP: 50 Shades of Grey

BL: American Sniper

Sport:

BP: Golf

BL: Professional Bull Riding

Food:

BP: Filet

BL: Wings

High Informant Interview: Paul Wentura

Marissa: What type of book would these beers be?

Paul:

BP: Hemingway or some kind of a philosophy book or poetry

BL: Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham

Marissa: Which famous Person would the beers be?

Paul:

BP: Someone with a beard and a man bun and a lot of rings on his fingers. Johnny Depp

or Leonardo Decaprio. Anyone hipstery

BL: John Wayne

Marissa: If your beer was a restaurant, what would it be?

Paul:

BP: American style breakfast – because that’s my favorite style of food to go with my

favorite beer

BL: sports bar

Marissa:If your beer was a dog, what type of dog would it be?

Paul:

BP: Ummm I guess a golden retriever because I enjoy beers of the golden yellow light

color or I would pick a herding dog because it is a working dog and I would like that

because I would want to drink a working man’s beer.

BL: Dalmatian

Marissa: If your beer was a sports brand, what would it be?

Paul:

BP: It would be watersports because I live in san diego and the beer here is near the

coastal town

BL: NFL

Marissa: Would your beer be an upper or lower division class?

Paul:

BP: I guess an upper class because I do enjoy something complex

BL: Lower

Marissa: What type of automobile would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: Something exotic, and sharp – like a businessman’s vehicle, maybe a bmw.

BL: pickup truck or sedan

Marissa: What corporation would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: Not a fortune 500 company, wouldn’t even be a corporation, it would be an artisan

shop.

BL: blue collar job. manufacturing or mining

Marissa: What color would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: a 94 color crayon box - probably a seabreeze beachwood sage lemon-zest

BL: a 12 color crayon box- mauve or blue

Marissa: What professional sports team would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: Padres, because they represent San Diego for its history.

Marissa: why not the Chargers?

Paul: Chargers are just a lightning bolt and lightning doesn’t even happen in San

Diego very often.

BL: Patriots

Marissa: What theme park would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: Like an outdoor adventure theme park. Outdoors, surfing, hiking, wildlife – not like a

zoo, no gates. If it were to have animals similar to a zoo you can touch up close but

would have to sign a waiver.

BL: Seaworld, because they are as bad as blackfish says

Marissa: What animal would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: It would be an octopus because it represents wisdom and you would want a smart

brewer so I would have an octopus brewing it

BL: Dog

Marissa: What song would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: Nothing by taylor swift. The Black Keys- Turn Blue

BL: FREE RIDE - Edgar Winter Group

Marissa: What athletic brand would your beer be? (i.e. Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, etc…)

Paul:

BP: I guess nike because it is very streamline, modern and industrial

BL: They wouldn’t be a brand but would be a used sporting good

Marissa: What university would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: I don’t know the name of the university, but it would be a small university based on

small class sizes, hands on and focused on trades. Agriculture, horticulture (the art of

growing vegetables, produce, etc).

BL: Palomar Community College

Marissa: What country would your beer be?

Paul:

BP: Liberal and open minded, forward thinking. Switzerland or Sweden- they are all

about forward thinking.

BL: Muricaaaa

Laddering

Marissa: Do you prefer beer over hard alcohol?

Paul: Yes

Marissa: Why?

Paul: Because it doesn’t get you as drunk as quickly and beer tastes better. Less intoxicated and

be able to appreciate the beer and maybe have one or two.

Marissa: Why do you think beer tastes better?

Paul: Hard liquor is too boozy to enjoy, beer has so many different flavors and is drinkable

where hard alcohol isn’t as appealing as a beer.

Marissa: Why do you prefer to get less intoxicated?

Paul: I don’t like getting to wasted because it isnt fun to get that wasted. I’m getting too old for

that and i would just rather have two beers after work and hangout, do work around the house

and make dinner.

Marissa: Why do you prefer Ballast Point beer over other brands?

Paul: Because they are locally produced beer and are award winning and have been doing it a

long time.They have quite a few beers I enjoy to drink. I have never been let down by any

experience at a ballast point brewery and that is my go to purchase from a liquor store.

Marissa: Are there specific attributes that you find preferable?

Paul: Certain styles, I like certain ones of their beers and drinkability of those beers. I like their

complex flavors but not any specific attribute.

Marissa: How likely are you to buy other brands?

Paul: If there is any other type of beer that is being gossiped about that is being talked about in

the craft beer industry. But I will stick with Ballast Point because they are consistently brewed

well and are my favorite.

Marissa: How many times do you think you have had ballast point?

Paul: At least 500 times.

References

Hernandez, Brandon. "Ballast Point Expanding to Little Italy." Ballast Point Expanding to Little

Italy. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"A Home Brewer's Humble Dream." Ballast Point How It Began Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 29

Apr. 2015.

"Ballast Point Announces New Brewery in San Diego." Strategic Brands Marketing. N.p., n.d.

Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (7% ABV) | Beer Geek Nation Craft Beer Reviews."YouTube.

YouTube, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"Beer Stats." California Craft Beer. N.p., 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"Craft Beer Trademark Battles." Craft Beer Trademark Battles. N.p., 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 29

Apr. 2015.

"Rebranding Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits." Rebranding Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits.

N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.