Steam Whistle & Beau’s Appoint Good Kids as Digital Marketing AOR — Full Details
Who’s involved:
- Steam Whistle Brewing (iconic Canadian pilsner brand)
- Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. (craft brewery known for community-focused beer)
- Good Kids (Toronto-based digital marketing and media agency) (Little Black Book)
The Appointment
Good Kids has been named the digital marketing and media buying agency of record (AOR) for both Steam Whistle and Beau’s on a 12-month mandate. (Little Black Book)
This follows a successful test campaign in late 2025, where the agency delivered strong performance results, particularly in digital engagement and efficiency. (Little Black Book)
Scope of Work
Good Kids will lead:
Digital Strategy
- End-to-end planning and execution of digital initiatives.
- Shaping how each brewery shows up online in ways that reflect their brand heritage and engage modern audiences. (Little Black Book)
Media Buying
- Strategic placement and optimization of paid media to boost awareness and conversions.
- Emphasis on interacting with craft beer drinkers across key digital channels. (Little Black Book)
SEO & AI Discoverability
- Optimizing brand presence for search engines and AI platforms) — including emerging channels like ChatGPT and other recommendation engines.
- The goal is to ensure Steam Whistle and Beau’s are top answers when people ask for beer or brewery recommendations online. (Little Black Book)
Why This Matters
Proven Test Results
During the pilot phase:
- Good Kids ran a full-funnel digital campaign in Q4, one of the toughest media environments of the year.
- The campaign delivered 10× engagement over cold traffic in just eight days, showcasing efficiency and impact. (Little Black Book)
Focus on the AI Era
Both breweries see AI-driven discoverability as a key competitive edge — because:
- People increasingly ask AI systems for recommendations instead of clicking traditional links.
- Optimizing for AI means brands need to be trusted and easily referenced by these systems. (Little Black Book)
Good Kids’ strategic lead on this is central to the work ahead. (Little Black Book)
What the Marketers Have Said
Steam Whistle’s VP of Marketing:
“We needed a partner to help us expand into the future of digital marketing — someone that could optimize our traditional digital channels while helping us take advantage of how people engage with brands in the age of AI.” (Little Black Book)
Good Kids Leadership:
- Agency leaders emphasize AI discoverability, tight audience segmentation, and cultural relevance as core levers for growth. (Little Black Book)
- They’ve pointed out that today’s marketing isn’t just about visibility — it’s about being the obvious answer when audiences turn to search and AI tools. (Little Black Book)
Strategic Priorities Going Forward
Good Kids plans to focus on:
Sharper audience segmentation — better targeting of millennials and Gen Z craft beer fans. (Little Black Book)
Stronger creative systems — more tailored messaging that resonates with community values. (Little Black Book)
Measurable business impact — tying digital efforts to real-world sales through taproom visits, retail performance, and events. (Little Black Book)
The agency sees this as building a “modern playbook” for craft brands to win with digital and AI-centric audiences. (Little Black Book)
Summary
Good Kids’ appointment as digital marketing AOR for Steam Whistle and Beau’s is a strategic move into the next era of digital and AI-enhanced marketing. Key aspects include:
- A 12-month mandate rooted in performance from a successful pilot. (Little Black Book)
- Focus on AI discoverability, SEO, and media strategy that drives both online engagement and offline business impact. (Little Black Book)
- Optimizing for how audiences discover and interact with brands today — especially via AI platforms and search. (Little Black Book)
Here’s a case-study-style breakdown with commentary on the recent digital marketing appointment involving Steam Whistle Brewing, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co., and Good Kids, based on industry reporting:
Background: The AOR Appointment
In January 2026, Good Kids, a Toronto-based digital marketing and media agency, was named the digital marketing and media buying agency of record (AOR) for both Steam Whistle Brewing and Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. following a successful test campaign in late 2025. The mandate runs for 12 months and covers strategy, media buying, SEO, and AI-centric digital work. (Little Black Book)
Case Study: Pilot Campaign Success
Context
Before being named AOR, Good Kids ran a full-funnel test campaign for both breweries during one of the most competitive digital media periods (Q4), putting their strategic approach to the test against tough seasonal competition. (Little Black Book)
Results
- 10× engagement over cold (untargeted) traffic in just eight days.
- This strong performance demonstrated efficient use of budget, smart targeting, and compelling messaging that resonated with craft beer audiences.
- These measurable results helped secure Good Kids the larger, longer-term AOR role. (Little Black Book)
What Worked
Good Kids attributes the success to:
- Disciplined optimization — cutting underperforming elements and reallocating to higher-performing tactics.
- Segmentation and first-party data use — better audience understanding enhanced relevance and efficiency.
- Cultural presence powering performance — meaning the campaign was not just transactional but tapped into the breweries’ brand identities. (Little Black Book)
Comment from Good Kids’ team:
“Our edge was discipline… cost efficiency improved five times through better segmentation and first-party data.” — Arron Thomas, Account Coordinator, Good Kids. (Little Black Book)
Strategic Focus: AI Discoverability & Digital-First Marketing
With the AOR role secured, Good Kids’ strategy emphasizes AI discoverability and modern digital engagement:
1. AI-Optimized Presence
With search behavior shifting toward AI recommendation engines (like ChatGPT and Perplexity), Good Kids is prioritizing making Steam Whistle and Beau’s brands the obvious answers when users ask digital assistants for beer recommendations.
“People aren’t clicking links; they’re asking for recommendations… Our job is making Steam Whistle and Beau’s the obvious answers.” — Mike Terry, Director of SEO, Good Kids. (Little Black Book)
This reflects a broader trend in digital marketing where brand presence must be optimized for AI attribution and trust signals, not just traditional search engine rankings. (Little Black Book)
2. Modern Media Buying
Good Kids will coordinate strategic media buys with an eye on both performance and cultural relevance, targeting:
- Millennials and Gen Z craft beer drinkers
- Channels where craft beer discovery and social conversation happen
- Integrated paid and organic tactics to extend reach and engagement. (Little Black Book)
3. From Digital to Real-World Action
The agency plans to closely tie digital activity to measurable business outcomes, such as:
- Taproom visits
- Event participation
- Retail sales performance
This linkage helps demonstrate clear ROI from digital investment. (Little Black Book)
Executive Commentary
Steam Whistle’s Perspective
“We needed a partner to help us expand into the future of digital marketing — someone that could optimise our traditional digital channels while helping us take advantage of how people engage with brands in the age of AI.”
— Catherine Oppedisano, VP of Marketing, Steam Whistle Brewing. (Little Black Book)
This underscores the brewery’s desire to remain competitive and relevant as digital behaviors evolve — especially where AI influences how people discover and choose brands. (Little Black Book)
Good Kids Leadership
Good Kids sees the assignment as a natural evolution of an already productive relationship, emphasizing smarter targeting, audience respect, and cultural engagement.
“Growth isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about getting smarter with who you talk to and what you ask them to do.” — Steve Rock, Founder, Good Kids. (Little Black Book)
Key Takeaways (Case Study Insights)
| Area | Insights / Results |
|---|---|
| Pilot Campaign Performance | 10× engagement over cold traffic in eight days. (Little Black Book) |
| Optimization | Better ROI through data segmentation & targeted budget shifts. (Little Black Book) |
| AI Discoverability Focus | SEO strategy tailored for AI recommendation systems. (Little Black Book) |
| Business Impact Tie-ins | Emphasis on linking digital actions to offline results. (Little Black Book) |
| Brand Alignment | Cultural resonance plus performance focus drives stronger campaigns. (Little Black Book) |
Overall Commentary
This appointment reflects how modern digital marketing for consumer brands — especially craft beverages — is evolving:
- Data + culture = performance: teams that understand both the quantitative signals (engagement, conversion metrics) and qualitative brand culture (heritage, craft ethos) tend to outperform. (Little Black Book)
- AI is rewriting discoverability: being present isn’t enough — brands must earn trust and relevance signals that AI systems use to recommend. (Little Black Book)
- Digital strategy now intersects with real-world outcomes: digital isn’t just awareness — it’s measurable actions like taproom visits and retail conversions. (Little Black Book)