There are many beer competitions but the inaugural Craft Beer Marketing Awards (CBMA) may be a first for this area of the industry. The CBMA's will recognize accomplishments in 30 categories by designers, marketing agencies and partners as well as breweries. Entry submission for the CBMA's is open November 29th through January 31st, 2020.

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Branding in the craft beer industry is what truly brings the beer to life. Today, brewers can use strong visual identity, storytelling, word-of-mouth, and digital media to achieve never–before seen growth that has levelled the playing field between big and small beer. The packaging and overall branding of a beer is the most effective means of influencing purchase at that decision-making moment. CBMA felt the time had come to recognize the talent behind the creative nature that makes the craft beer culture so rich and unique. 

The Craft Beer Marketing Awards feature categories that celebrate the very best of beer marketing and the teams, and individuals behind them. All categories are judged by an influential and respected panel of beer, marketing, and design experts from across the country. Check out the full panel of over 65 judges here. The CBMAS judging process is a robust, credible, and transparent digital scoring.  

The 2020 CBMAS consist of over 30 categories which cover all aspects of brew marketing- from labels to logos; from tap handles to tap rooms. Entry is open to anyone involved in marketing within the brewing industry. 

Award categories include:

• Best Can
• Best Tap Handle Design 
• Best Original Video 
• Best Merchandise Design 
• Best Use of Social Media 
• Best Website Design 
• Beer Marketing Wild-Cards, like Coolest Taproom  

To see the full list of categories, click here.

CBMAS is excited to reveal its official trophy- “The Crushie”-for the series of awards, including the Platinum Crushie, the Gold Crushie, and the People’s Crushie. The CBMAS Crushie trophies were designed and manufactured by the same NYC designer awards firm that creates the prestigious Emmy Award, and MTV Moonman Statue. The Crushie award is sculptured to depict a heavily tattooed arm crushing a beer can representing how breweries are “crushing it” with their unique, and creative beer marketing and branding.

Entries are now being accepted on the CBMAS website. Early bird deadline is November 29 and the final entry period ends January 31, 2020. Breweries and their marketing teams can enter work from January 2018 through September 2019. This year’s presenting sponsor is Hillebrand. 

The judging process will begin February 13, 2020 and conclude on March 20, 2020, with the award winners announced on Monday, April 20, live from The Craft Brewer’s Conference (CBC) in San Antonio, TX. There will be a small award ceremony that evening for those attending. Winners do not need to attend the conference to receive recognition. For more information and to enter, visit craftbeermarketingawards.com.

ABOUT THE CRAFT BEER MARKETING AWARDS

The Craft Beer Marketing Awards was established in 2019 to give recognition to the best of the best in the marketing realm of the brewing industry. With categories that range from can design and to best tap room, and best website design to social media influencer of the year, there’s opportunity for every area of marketing in the brewing industry to showcase their work. For more information, visit craftbeermarketingawards.com.