America’s Fastest Growing Craft Beer Brand Voodoo Ranger Lands in the UK
American craft beer brand, Voodoo Ranger, is launching its UK exclusive Hazy IPA (5.3% ABV) to the on-trade as national lockdown restrictions begin to ease. With the brand’s cult status in the US, beer lovers will be excited to get their hands on this true Ranger style ‘bold and juicy’ Hazy IPA when hospitality gradually reopens from 12th April onwards. During lockdown the beer has only been available to purchase in cans directly through its website, but craft fans will soon be able to enjoy a freshly poured pint straight from the tap. Venues are opting for Voodoo Ranger as they prepare to welcome back customers with the brand already securing listings in fourteen sites owned by London-based pub and bar group, Barworks.
As a pillar of the New Belgium Brewing range, Voodoo Ranger has made its way across the Atlantic under the Lion Little World Beverages’ quartet that also covers British grown Fourpure Brewing Co. and Magic Rock Brewing along with Australian favourite, Little Creatures.
After becoming the fastest growing craft beer brand in the US, surpassing pioneer breweries such as Sierra Nevada and Lagunitas, and achieving a value of $420m, the Voodoo Ranger decided to head to the UK. Voodoo Ranger has grown more in value (+$31m) than any other national IPA brand family YTD[1], which is strongly linked to the way it connects with its drinkers. Its US Instagram channel represents a new way for breweries to interact with their audience through memes and topical humour coming from the voice of Voodoo Ranger himself. It has ten times the social engagement rate of the average craft beer brand and top social engagement rate in the entire US beer category.
Kyle Bradshaw, New Belgium Director of Brand Marketing in the US, said about the launch: “Voodoo Ranger is a very different brand in the world of craft beer and drinkers appreciate that. It’s bold, anarchic and embraces the unconventional. The face of the brand is the Voodoo Ranger himself, a straight-talking and wryly humorous spokes-creature who pokes fun at some of the pretention around craft beer. The brand positioning offers a real point of difference, tapping into a millennial and Gen Z centric audience and we think Voodoo will translate to a British audience very well.”
Since its initial online launch last November, the British public have been exposed to the brand’s spokes-creature and are becoming accustomed to his antics and wry sense of humour via its Instagram channel @voodoorangeruk. After touching down on UK soil, the Voodoo Ranger has campaigned against Dry January, raised money for The Drinks Trust, tried to get vaccinated and even produced a limited-edition scent for Valentines Day called Voulez Vous Voodoo.
Adrian Mooney, marketing director at Lion Little World Beverages says: “While we have big Voodoo boots to fill in the UK, it’s great opportunity to inject some revelry back into UK craft beer. It’s time for Voodoo Ranger to rock the boat of what has become the ‘norm’ for craft beer and we plan to execute the same authentic positioning, through the line from marketing to on-shelf and in venue, that gave Voodoo Ranger its ‘cult like’ following in the US. Just like our American cousins, we want the brand to be a genuine player within the gaming sphere and see Voodoo Ranger collaborating with the community to make two worlds collide. We’ll continue the legacy of the Ranger, by delivering quality beer alongside tongue-in-cheek content that’s relevant and engaging to our audience and, of course, live a little Rangerously.”
As part of Lion Little World Beverages, venues looking to stock Voodoo Ranger are able to take up the company’s brand-new ‘Cash Flow Scheme’. A scheme to help pubs and bars get back on their feet post-lockdown with free stock in exchange for stocking its portfolio of craft beer.
For any enquiries email sales@magicrockbrewing.com or orders@fourpure.com
[1]NIELSEN XAOC + CONV + LIQ L26 W/E 6/13/20
