Matthew Jones

• 18% — Increase in retail outlet sales for weekend vibes
• 22% — Increase in retail outlet sales for salty crew

I needed to increase beer sales in retail outlets and gain market share against large competitors in a crowded market. I had to maintain brand identity and core values without becoming bland, while also tracking sales lift from ad campaigns.

I focused on high-value audience segments rather than broad beer drinkers and created personalized ad creatives based on individual interests. I leveraged the brand’s authenticity and connection to surf, fishing, and outdoor adventure, and aligned the messaging with the aspiration to live those lifestyles. I segmented beer lines to target distinct audiences, including outdoor adventurers and a relaxed San Diego lifestyle.

We grew Salty Crew by 18% and and Weekend Vibes line 22% versus control zip codes in a YoY CE sales.

• $2.5 million — Revenue growth from $10,000 in 12 months
• 37% — Revenue from email marketing

I needed to take an eCommerce brand that had struggled for 10+ years and grow it as fast as possible. I had to rebuild its eCommerce financials, including discounts, offers, and pricing; diversify revenue channels; scale Meta and Google campaigns from $10,000 per month to profitability; and grow email revenue.

I repriced the full product catalog to protect margins without sacrificing conversion rate. I raised the free shipping threshold to increase AOV and used it for email capture. I eliminated constant discounting and replaced offers with free product incentives to preserve pricing power. I scaled email volume with formats for an older demographic, introduced premium video and high-volume Meta creative, and redesigned the site around bundles and simplified navigation to drive larger orders.

Meta ads became the first profitable and scalable purchase. Email marketing accounted for 37% of revenue, and we scaled to $1 million in monthly revenue in three months.

The challenge was standing out from the thousands of other craft beer brands when consumer loyalty is low. I had to prove digital marketing ROI to leadership while competing against billion-dollar macro beer budgets. Syndicated data lagged by weeks, and there was no strong purchase intent data to feed algorithms.

I focused on authentic storytelling by developing lifestyle-first creative that sold the brand story, not just the product. I built a content engine around the culture, implemented geo holdout market testing, and prioritized brand lift, follower growth, and unaided awareness to measure impact.

In 2017, 805 became the number one craft beer in California. In 2019, brand sales grew by 12.7% ($60.4 million). By 2023, 805 was a top-10 craft brand nationally, becoming the most successful beer launch of the last decade.