The results for the nomination round are in!

But before we get into the nitty gritty analysis and the next steps… there are a few things that I need to make clear.

First, I have a degree in psychology as well as a degree in criminology. As a result, I am experienced in qualitative and quantitative research and statistical analysis. In addition, I also have market research experience as a “Knowledge Planner” at an advertising agency. I have experience with the collection, organization, and interpretation of data.

Second, this survey was conducted on a volunteer basis. In simple terms, it is an opinion poll — aka  a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. The sampling population consisted of social media users within at least two degrees of separation from myself and my website. Most of the sampling population is associated with or interested in the craft beer sector of the beer industry. The nomination round was limited to one week.

Now, let’s look at the data.

Preferred Social Media Platforms of participants:

• 93% of participants use Facebook
• 67% of participants use Twitter
• 43% of participants use Linkedin
• 38% of participants have a blog
• 30% of participants use video platforms

Social Media usage of participants:

• 48% use social media 1-2 hours per day
• 19% use social media less than one hour per day
• 18% use social media 3-4 hours per day
• 15% use social media 4+ hours per day

62% of participants think it is important for breweries to acknowledge messages sent to them from fans and followers. They should retweet, repost, and respond accordingly.

Participant Social Media following of Breweries:

• 52% of participants follow under 10 breweries
• 33% of participants follow 10-50 breweries
• 8% of participants follow 50-100 breweries
• 4% of participants follow 100-200 breweries
• 3% of participants follow 200+ breweries

89% of participants prefer to follow breweries that engage with its fans and followers. They believe that social media is a two-way conversation.

The Result Breakdown:

• 320 ballots were submitted
• 1, 263 nominations were made
• 150 breweries received at least one nomination
• 84 of the breweries received more than one nomination
• Only 25 breweries received a nomination of 10 or more
• Only three breweries received 60+ nominations
• And only ONE brewery received over 100 nominations

The Honorable Mentions:

• Deschutes
• Avery
• Magic Hat
• Bell’s
• Great Lakes Brewing Company
• Brewdog
• Lagunitas

The breweries list above received over 10 nominations.

The Top 20 Social Media Brewery Nominees (In NO Particular Order):

1. Dogfish Head
2. Surly
3. Victory Brewing Company
4. Brooklyn Brewing Company
5. Smuttynose
6. 21st Amendment
7. Summit
8. Flying Dog Brewing Company
9. Rogue
10. New Belgium Brewing Company
11. The Bruery
12. Oskar Blues
13. Great Divide
14. Stone Brewing Co.
15. Southern Tier Brewing Company
16. Founder’s Brewing Company
17. Abbey St. Martin
18. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
19. Goose Island
20. Devil’s Canyon

The second (and last) step is to open up the voting process. Each Top 20 brewery will be scored on 3 separate measures:

1. Proficiency
2. Engagement
3. Content

The scores will be tallied and the top 3 breweries in each category will be determined. Also, based on all scores collected, the top 10 Social Media Breweries will be ranked in order and the top three will be awarded people’s choice social media “medals.”

As with the nomination round, once the voting round goes live, people will have EXACTLY one week to vote.

The official ballot will go LIVE Wednesday, March 23rd. Please stay tuned!