02 Oct Secret Hopper – Increasing Engagement, Loyalty, and Advocacy for Breweries

Secret Hopper – Increasing Engagement, Loyalty, and Advocacy for Breweries

Over the last 2+ years, we’ve come to recognize that many of our readers are taproom employees, reps, and even owners. We typically write with the beer drinker in mind, but this one’s specifically for the rest of the industry folks.

In the streets of New Orleans, dozens of signs read, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” In business, truer words have never been spoken. (Or hand-painted in this case.)

That’s exactly why Secret Hopper exists – to help expose your blind spots and capitalize on your strengths to increase customer engagement and loyalty.

We spoke with Andrew Coplon of Secret Hopper, and he had this to share, “We are a mystery shopping service for craft breweries that is helping breweries monitor their tasting room, increase their in-house revenues, create more repeat customers, and find new ways to differentiate as the craft beer industry continues to soar past 6300 breweries.”

Craft beer is about far more than the liquid in the glass. Experience, atmosphere, and a cohesive branded experience all play into who sinks and swims.

Craft beer is a community. Craft beer is a complete sensory experience. A brewery is only as strong as the ingredients that make up that community and experience.

How do you know you’re hitting all the marks in that sensory experience? The answer is simple, you probably don’t. You’re too close to it, and like the signs in NOLA, you don’t know what you don’t know!

Secret Hopper is the only beer centric mystery shopping company in existence. They select Secret Hoppers based on age, gender, and experience with beer, and they send them in anonymously to check out your bar, brewery, or bottle shop.

If you’re trying to see if you’re scaring off ladies or if you’re too stuffy for the hipsters, Secret Hopper has your answers.

Andrew, much like brewers and owners, is constantly dialing in the Secret Hopper service. He’s been in the foodservice industry for over 17 years overseeing food and drink experiences across the country.

“To create the questionnaire we use to help monitor tasting rooms, we spent quite a bit of time ‘researching’ ourselves to come up with a list of 25 points that we believe will help breweries maximize their guests’ experiences, increase their in-house revenues, and keep guests coming back. Over time, we have updated our questionnaire to cover points breweries have been interested in monitoring. For example, some breweries have expressed interest in little aspects like whether or not a guest thought the music volume was appropriate. Additionally, we have added a question in regard to whether or not an experience at a brewery will increase a guest’s likelihood of purchasing that brewery’s beer at other establishments. We are always looking to better our business for both our shoppers and breweries.”

When people feel a connection to a brewery, bottleshop, brewpub, etc. they’re more likely to want to learn more about them. That leads to return visits and even advocating for that place. Just ask Flying Dog Brewery.

An average visit from a Secret Hopper will cost an establishment about $50 currently depending on the package, and if you consider the fact that the Secret Hopper will be buying beer while they’re there, that cost is almost cut in half. If you want to double check your blind spots, sign up to be Secret Hopped today. Beers to you, Houston!