Founded in the late 1980s in the north of Quebec, Boréale is the pioneer of the Quebec microbrewing movement. Over the years, Boréale has lost a good number of fans, given the explosive growth in the number of microbreweries and a loss of interest on the part of young beer drinkers, who did not experience the golden years of Boréale. Sales had been declining for several years. To get back on the path towards profitability, Boréale gave itself some ambitious objectives: increase Boréale brand awareness by 3%; rejuvenate the consumer base by increasing relevance and consideration among 18-to-34-year-olds; and increase Boréale sales in Quebec by 2%.

For Millennials, the call of nature, the need to disconnect and to enjoy life have become an aspirational luxury. Boréale is a perfect match with its philosophy and vision: Celebrating the natural spaces of Quebec by brewing beers without artifice, composed exclusively of natural ingredients. That was the inspiration for the new brand positioning “Celebrate life naturally,” a nod to Boréale’s legacy, its authenticity, the call of the wild, the thirst for freedom and the rejection of the superficial.

The product line was reworked to divide the beers into three large product families, each one aimed at one of the three consumer target groups and each with a different degree of attachment to the Boréale master brand. There was the Classic line (strong endorsement): This line includes the most popular brews. There was also the Artisan series (moderate support): With the explorer beer drinker in mind, it includes products that are more niche and unique, and is subtly endorsed by Boréale. The beers of the Artisan series already existed, but were not strategically presented within the overall portfolio. Finally, there was the episode program (minimal endorsement): A program of short-term, unexpected draft brews offered in a few select bars. Once the batch is finished, it’s on to the next episode. The objective of the Episode program was to rebuild the brand’s credibility among beer geeks.

An integrated communication campaign was developed. Accompanied by the new signature “Free the Bear in You,” this campaign, with a media budget of just over $200,000, includes online and television spots, posters, web banners, point-of-sale advertising and social media content. Since the launch, Boréale sales have seen an increase of 12.5%. During the same period, beer sales in Quebec decreased by 3.09%.

Moreover, Boréale saw a considerable rise in others areas: Top-of-mind awareness (first mention) is now at 14% vs. 6% the previous year. This gives it the highest score of any Quebec beer. Unassisted awareness of Boréale is now at 20% vs. 10% year-over-year and assisted awareness rose from 84% to 87% during the same period. Fifty-four per cent of respondents found that the rebranding effort improved their perception of Boréale (67% among Millennials). And 44% of respondents said the rebranding effort incited them to purchase (62% among Millennials).