Crafting a New Online Experience for Columbus Brewing Company

Since 1988, Columbus Brewing Company has been serving up one-of-a-kind brews for the people of Ohio’s capital city. It’s one of the state’s oldest craft breweries, the creator of iconic beers like the Columbus IPA and Bodhi, and is well-known for its ingenuity, craftsmanship, and dedication.

Earlier this year, Columbus Brewing Company partnered with Origo to design and develop a new website that paid homage to its roots, reflected its individuality, while also showing how the brand has evolved its culture and operations, promoting new e-commerce capabilities, a new taproom, and new product lines to be enjoyed by new and loyal customers.

Creative Concepts

Through deep competitive analysis and collaboration with the CBC team, we implemented the following goals for the new site:

• Create a more sophisticated e-commerce platform that engages with customers.
• Establish a brand identity that appeals to a larger customer base.
• Highlight the brand’s commitment to quality in everything from sourced ingredients to original can art.

With an impressive taproom and a beer hall under development at Columbus’ new East Market, CBC also needed its website to convey the role its brand growth would play in the community and function as a useful resource for on-premise, online, and in-store product sales.

The Origo and CBC leadership team went through several rounds of creative exploration and conceptual exercises in an effort to meet these needs effectively. In addition, Origo spent time at the facilities and engaged with staff members, which gave us a personal connection with the brewery’s DNA.

As a result of these efforts, Origo implemented our concept of Craft with a Capital C, an embodiment of CBC’s past as Columbus’ first craft brewery and its future as a regional and national brand committed to the craft of beer making.

Design and Messaging

In order to bring this concept to life, Origo’s in-house team created an in-depth messaging and design system that embodied the spirit of CBC. The stunning new website experience contained in-depth product detail pages, an immersive brand story with a unique voice and tone, and a brand new e-commerce experience.

A critical component of the new website was to capture the essence of CBC through original photography and videography. 

Photography and Video

CBC and Origo conducted in-depth photoshoots that focused on the aspects of the brewing facilities that have driven to its resounding success. This included the staff perfecting their craft, the energetic taproom atmosphere, a creative collection of merchandise, and more.

A full video team also shot a brand video that emphasized CBC’s ethos of vision, quality, and craftsmanship. The new Mission Video included an extensive interview with the owners, a deep dive into the brewery’s history, and a look at the mix of unique and dedicated individuals who embody CBC.

Site Development

Working in concert with CBC leadership, we developed a completely custom-built website that featured a seamlessly integrated e-commerce experience. Origo also helped CBC migrate the site to a new state-of-the-art web hosting service to increase site performance and minimize downtime.

Equally important as the engaging front-end user experience was a custom intuitive content management system. By creating this, we helped eliminate pain points CBC felt existed on its previous site.

And since beer fans enjoy CBC in many ways, Origo made sure that the site looks and works great however a user is viewing it — whether at home on their laptop or in the taproom on their phone.

The Future of CBC

A bright future lies ahead of Columbus Brewing Company. Now armed with a new website that spotlights its constant pursuit of creativity, beautiful new facilities, and dedication to its roots, the brewery is better positioned to expand its impact for years to come. 

We’re proud to partner with an organization that continuously works to take craft to the next level, and we’re excited to see how they continue to grow. Want to see the new website? Check it out at columbusbrewing.com.