Case Study: Brewers Association boosts craft beer’s economic impact and policy influence with IMPLAN

How one association unified an industry, amplified the voice of its members, and trumpeted the economic significance of craft brewing across the country

The Brewers Association, a trade group representing small and independent American craft brewers, faced the challenge of advocating for better regulations. Their disparate members lacked the hard data needed to demonstrate their collective economic importance to lawmakers and counter larger beverage corporations. To unify their voice, the association partnered with IMPLAN and utilized its economic impact analysis to quantify their industry's true footprint.

Using IMPLAN software, the Brewers Association's chief economist modeled the economic contributions of over 2,300 craft breweries. The analysis revealed they contributed $33.9 billion to the U.S. economy and supported over 360,000 jobs in 2012. Armed with this IMPLAN-powered data, the association successfully lobbied for regulatory changes in multiple states, leading to direct economic benefits. For example, a new law in South Carolina was followed by $13.7 million in economic impact from new breweries, showcasing the powerful, measurable results achieved with IMPLAN.

Brewers Association

Bart Watson

Chief Economist