Cheers to Kona Brewing Co.

Cheers to Kona Brewing Co.

Aug 01

Brands are getting the message that their customers, fans and followers want to engage with them at their level. Gone are the days of writing a “To Whom it May Concern” letter and never receiving a reply. Brands are not only listening to the people who make them successful – they’re responding and engaging. Just last week, the Boston Red Sox impressed me with their @RedSox Twitter focus group, and this week I’m raising a glass to Kona Brewing Co. for going the extra step to show customer appreciation.

Back in May, Kona Brewing Co. held a contest on Facebook to increase their number of fans. They asked fans to suggest three of their friends become fans for the chance to win a Sno-Kona Pond Skim Competition beach towel and keychains.

I follow @KonaBrewingCo on Twitter, which is where I learned about the contest, so I became a fan of Kona Brewing Co. on Facebook and suggested all of my Facebook friends do the same.

I never heard from Kona Brewing Co. that I won, so I drowned my sorrows in Wailua Wheat Ale – kidding! – but I did move on. Then, on a rainy Saturday in July, I was scrolling through my Facebook messages, looking for a friend’s address I thought was sent to me in a message. I couldn’t locate my friend’s message, but I did stumble upon a message from Sally Murdoch at Kona Brewing Co., sent on May 25.

I won! I couldn’t believe it. I had never received Sally’s message, and months had gone by. I took a chance and wrote back to Sally, apologizing for not responding sooner. To my surprise, Sally wrote back to me after she returned from the Liquid Aloha Music Festival. She said there were no Pond Skim towels left, but that she would put “something awesome” together for me and send it out right away.

I came home from work today to find a package from Kona Brewing Co. had arrived. Not only did Sally send me some Kona Brewing Co. keychains, but she also included a couple of stickers, coasters and the Pond Skim beach towel. It’s not free beer for life, but it certainly is the little things that go a long way. I’ll definitely be soaking up the sun on my beach towel, sipping on a Longboard Lager (responsibly, of course) and sharing the liquid aloha with friends, just as I promised I’d do when I entered the contest.

Thank you, Sally, and thank you Kona Brewing Co. for reaching out to your fans. Cheers to you!