Work Stone Brewing Co.
Stone Brewing: a record-setting crowdfund for a global craft brand
Designed and executed a crowdfunding campaign that raised $2.5M in 30 days — the largest brewery crowdfunding campaign at the time — while leading digital strategy for a $167M global brand.
- Organization
- Stone Brewing Co.
- Role
- Senior Digital Strategist
- Years
- 2013 – 2015
- Sector
- Global consumer brand
$2.5MRaised in 30 days on Indiegogo, 2014 — 2.5x the $1M goal
The organization, the market, the moment.
Stone Brewing Co. was one of the largest craft breweries in the world, with roughly $167M in annual revenue and distribution in more than 50 countries. In 2014 it was preparing a major expansion, including a brewery in Berlin, Germany.
Stone’s community was famously devoted and famously discerning. Anything that looked like conventional marketing would be noticed — and judged.
What I was accountable for.
- Global digital strategy
- Social & community
- Crowdfunding design & execution
- Content
- International brand awareness
The root problem
“Craft beer fans don’t want to be marketed to; they want to be let in. The campaign had to feel like an invitation to help build something — with rewards worthy of the people giving.”Michael Cameron
The moves that mattered.
Rewards as the product
The campaign pre-sold a slate of collaboration beers brewed with other respected craft brewers — something fans could not get any other way.
Community as the media plan
Stone’s own channels and fan community carried the launch; the story spread through the people who already cared.
Momentum architecture
Milestones, updates, and reveals paced across all 30 days so the campaign built energy instead of fading after launch week.
Global story, local participation
An international expansion told in a way that let every backer — anywhere — feel part of it.
Who had to align — and the tradeoffs.
A campaign like this touches nearly every part of a brewery: founders and brand leadership, brewing, e-commerce and fulfillment, legal and compliance, communications, and partner breweries. The work was keeping all of them aligned on one public promise — and making sure the company could deliver on every reward it offered.
What was built.
- Before launch
Design
Reward structure, story, and platform plan built with brand, brewing, and fulfillment.
- Days 1–7
Launch
Community-first launch across Stone’s owned channels and fan networks.
- Days 8–30
Momentum
Milestone reveals and updates carried the campaign past 2.5x its goal.
- Aug 2014
Close
$2,532,211 raised from 13,979 backers.
What followed.
Campaign totals and backer counts are public — see coverage below. Company revenue and distribution figures reflect the period of my tenure.
- “Stone Brewing Company Ends Indiegogo Run at $2.5M; Breaks Record”Crowdfund Insider, Aug 2014
- “How Stone Brewed Up the Largest Brewery Crowdfunding Campaign Ever”Brewbound, 2014
Reflection
Crowdfunding is the most honest focus group there is: people vote with their money, in public. It taught me that the strongest growth lever is a community that feels ownership — a lesson I’ve applied to donor programs and audiences ever since.
My role and collaborators
I designed and executed the campaign as Senior Digital Strategist, working with Stone’s founders and brand leadership, brewing, e-commerce, and communications teams, and its partner breweries.