Partnership
Sierra Nevada needed to rethink its heavy traditional mix to stay competitive in the crowded craft beer market. They joined forces with IMM to measure, plan, and optimize a digital-first media strategy.
Case Study
Sierra Nevada
Cracking growth open for craft beer
Digital-first media strategy drives CPG growth
Work
We built connected content to align Sierra Nevada’s authentic narrative with native digital placements—where ads delivered entertainment, not interruption.
We focused on paid social and online video, weaving an integrated media plan with consistent messaging across digital and traditional touchpoints.
Our analytical insights team developed custom reporting to track media performance back to individual barrels sold, collaborating with Sierra Nevada’s finance analysts for precision data accuracy and continuous optimization.
Outcomes
In the first year, IMM’s digital-first approach delivered a 165% sales increase in target markets, proving the power of reallocated media.
The brand also saw a 77% boost in awareness, quickly establishing Sierra Nevada as a digital-savvy pioneer amongst craft brewers.
165%
media-driven sales increase
media-driven sales increase2.5x improved media efficiency
improved media efficiency77% boost in consumer awareness
boost in consumer awareness
Define
We assessed Sierra Nevada’s historic media spend—75% traditional, 25% digital—and posed the question: Does digital media increase beer sales?
Benchmarking the brand’s current campaigns set the stage for a digital-first roadmap to pivot media investments toward high-impact online channels.
Design
Channel allocations were optimized to balance reach and engagement, ensuring that Sierra Nevada’s differentiated craft beer narrative resonated at every digital touchpoint.
Our creative and media teams collaborated on connected content—blending craft beer storytelling with paid social, native ads, and video for seamless experiences.
Deploy
We launched the integrated media campaign, then continuously measured results through custom analytics dashboards tied to sales data and distribution metrics.
Iterative optimizations—guided by direct collaboration with Sierra Nevada’s team of finance analysts—ensured ongoing media efficiency and sustained growth.
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