Push Notifications, SMS & Email: The Secret to Keeping Brewery and Distillery Customers Coming Back With A VIP Program
Push Notifications, SMS & Email: The Secret to Keeping Brewery and Distillery Customers Coming Back With A VIP Program
Your best customers already carry the world’s most powerful marketing channel in their pockets. Their phones. The challenge isn’t necessarily finding more customers; it is the bigger opportunity of getting the people who have already visited, purchased, or joined your VIP program to come back more often. What’s the secret? We would love to tell you.
The Secret to Keeping Brewery and Distillery Customers Coming Back With A VIP Program
Push Notifications
Push notifications are messages delivered directly to a customer’s smartphone through an app or other permission-based notification system. One of their biggest advantages is simple: they don’t require a phone number, unlike SMS. Customers opt in to receive notifications through their VIP membership program, giving your business a direct communication channel that isn’t dependent on a social media algorithm.
Push notification numbers are hard to ignore. Industry benchmarks vary, but commonly reported push notification statistics demonstrate why businesses are paying attention to this channel. Branded apps often see opt-in rates of 50–70% on Android and 40–60% on iOS, depending on the brand, audience, and when permission is requested. Push notifications can also significantly increase engagement among customers who receive them compared with customers who don’t. Well-targeted notifications may achieve 10–30% open rates, although actual performance varies widely by audience and message type. The bigger takeaway isn’t one magic percentage. It’s that permission-based, personalized communication gives businesses an opportunity to reach customers directly instead of competing for attention in a crowded social feed.
For Example:
A push notification sent at 4:00 p.m. saying:
Trivia starts tonight at 7! Grab your friends and join us.
OR:
Inventory Alert!
Only 20 bottles left! Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Every notification gives the customer a reason to act.
SMS: The Same-Day Sales Driver
Push notifications are exciting; however, SMS marketing is one of the fastest ways to communicate with customers. Commonly cited benchmarks put SMS open rates around 90–98%, with many messages being read within minutes. That makes SMS particularly useful for breweries and distilleries when something is happening today.
For example:
Slow Thursday? We’ve got a deal for you. Show this text tonight for $2 off your first pour.
Email: Your Relationship-Building Channel
Email may not have the instant gratification of a push notification or SMS message, but it remains an incredibly valuable marketing channel. Industry benchmarks frequently cite email marketing returns of $36–$42 in revenue for every $1 spent, although results vary significantly by business and campaign. For breweries and distilleries, email can do much more than send a weekly newsletter. Tell the story behind a new release, share upcoming events, or give customers early access to a limited release.
Push + SMS + Email = A Stronger Customer Strategy
The real magic isn’t choosing between push notifications, SMS, or email. It’s using them together,
- Push notifications are excellent for immediate, time-sensitive communication.
- SMS is incredibly effective when you need a message seen quickly.
- Email is ideal for longer communication, storytelling, promotions, newsletters, and relationship-building.
Real Example:
Imagine this customer journey.
Monday: An email announces that a limited bourbon release is coming Friday.
Wednesday: VIP members receive a push notification reminding them that they get early access.
Friday at 3:00 p.m.: SMS goes out: “It’s here! Limited Batch #14 is now available.”
Friday evening: Social media shows customers enjoying the release.
Saturday: A push notification reminds customers that bottles are still available.
That isn’t just marketing. It’s a customer experience. And every message helps move the customer closer to another visit or purchase.
The Bottom Line
The secret to keeping brewery and distillery VIP customers coming back…you guessed it – push notifications, SMS & email. Used strategically, they can help breweries and distilleries build customer relationships, increase repeat visits, drive same-day traffic, and increase customer lifetime value (to name a few).
When you have a direct line to those customers who are already VIP members, every new release, event, tasting, promotion, and special experience becomes an opportunity to bring them back through the door.
Your customers already have their phones in their hands. The question is: Are you using them to stay connected? It is time: visit perksprofessor.com to start the conversation, or email ycsgroupllc.com for a free demo.
