Beer website launched to push positive image

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has unveiled a new website - Beer Genie​ - aimed at promoting a positive image for beer.

The initiative, developed in partnership with R&R Teamwork headed up by beer guru Rupert Ponsonby, focuses on the heritage, provenance, health benefits and sociability of beer as well as offering information, advice, hints and tips about all things beer-related.

The site also features ideas for upcoming events linked to beer such as the World Cup or summer weddings as well as a photo library showing drinkers enjoying beers in all sorts of social occasions which can be used by the local and national press as well as licensees needing free images for their own marketing material.

As an offshoot to the site, R&R will also be running media events around the country to get journalists to buy in to the positive benefits of drinking beer.

The BBPA's director of brewing Andy Tighe said: "It's all about trying to present beer in a better light and is part of our new strategy of getting on the front foot and being more positive. Beer is a sociable product and a low alcohol option and we wanted to re-awaken that sociability factor. This is not about brands it is about beer as a category."

Rupert Ponsonby said he hoped the non-corporate nature of the site and chatty style of the content would appeal to consumers, publicans, journalists and anyone else interested in beer.

"If we get it right the visitor numbers should go up and up," he added.

"It's about taking the fear factor out of beer. People might have tried one style and not liked it and never tried it again. This is about promoting the variety of styles out there and the occasions you might try them."

He also said that he had plans for introducing some downloadable guidance for licensees wanting to run beer and food matching events.