Inside Rhinegeist’s Merch Strategy – Emotional Hooks, Limited Drops and Loyal Fans

Merchandise remains an important piece of Rhinegeist Brewery’s business, and the Cincinnati brewery is leveling up under the guidance of merchandise director Jenny Morrissey. 

 

Morrissey and Rhinegeist VP of marketing Tracey Ireland share the evolution of the company’s merch strategy from “marketing tool,” to an individual business unit. 

 

After hitting its peak in the late 2010s, Rhinegeist’s merch business started to decline. Morrissey, who joined the company a year ago, has brought a fashion background and a new approach to the business, from assortment planning to limited-time offerings.

 

Morrissey and Ireland share how they’re working to engage Rhinegeist’s diverse customer base, from out-of-town visitors to the brewery’s Cincinnati taproom, to its home market “super fans.”

 

“We’re trying to get as many skull drop T-shirts on as many people as possible for every occasion,” Morrissey said.  

 

Morrissey and Ireland discuss efforts to re-engage fans with new products via event-driven and limited-time offerings and monthly product drops. 

 

“We’re exploring doing a lot more illustration, a lot more nods back to Cincinnati heritage and just having a lot more fun with it, a lot more humor,” Morrissey said. “And then driving sales with scarcity, essentially, and keeping our assortment fresh. It’s such a good lever to pull to just keep things fresh, keep people coming back to check what we have that’s new.”

 

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