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tcm · 5 years ago

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None Shall Escape – As Long As We Don’t Let Them By Kim Luperi

“Think how important those formulae are: How to make a villain? We need to pay very great attention to those ‘how to’s,’” actress Marsha Hunt warned before a screening of the WWII drama NONE SHALL ESCAPE (1944) at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival. Sage advice then and some 75 years later.

I first heard of NONE SHALL ESCAPE about five years ago. The film is rarely screened and was not on DVD, yet as the first picture to depict the post-WWII world – before the Allied victory – it was groundbreaking on many levels. It detailed “Nazi barbarism with far more courage and intelligence” than other WWII films (Baltimore Morning Sun), was “the most prophetic screen play of our time” (Waterbury Democrat) and was said to contain “the most passionate, the most militant indictment of anti-Semitism in the history of Hollywood” (The Daily Worker). Despite such strong accolades, NONE SHALL ESCAPE remains all but forgotten today. What a shame that is, because the episodes of unjust hatred and pleas for peace this film depicts feel very relevant today.

NONE SHALL ESCAPE unfolds in flashback, as Nazi officer Wilhelm Grimm (Alexander Knox) faces trial for his war crimes following the end of WWII. Acquaintances including his former fiancée Marja (Hunt), his brother Karl (Erik Rolf) and Father Warecki (Henry Travers) testify against him, painting vivid pictures as to how this former schoolteacher and disabled WWI veteran transformed from an outcast in a Polish village to a high-ranking Nazi official.

NONE SHALL ESCAPE approaches its war theme from a different vantage point in analyzing the hows and whys of evil and intolerance in the making. Part of the reason I admire this uncannily prescient film, aside from its resilient production and performances, is its brazenness. Shot while the war raged on without a clear end in sight and released over a year and a half before hostilities officially ceased, the movie not only predicted the Allied forces’ triumph, but it also forecast the prosecution of Nazi party members with the Nuremberg trials almost two years away.

If those audacious facts aren’t astounding enough, here’s one more: While over 140 movies came out during WWII, NONE SHALL ESCAPE was the first picture to depict the massacre of the Jewish population and identify victims as Jews. Furthermore, the film did not shy away from showcasing the atrocity of war, and its violence, mostly aimed at innocent civilians, comes across as incredibly blunt and agonizing for its time.

Universally praised, NONE SHALL ESCAPE won high marks from critics who commended its blatant, timely condemnation of the Nazis’ brutality. Though President Roosevelt’s October 1942 proclamation that the UN would investigate war criminals inspired producer Sam Bischoff, director André De Toth’s experiences as a newsreel cameraman documenting the fall of Poland in 1939 informed many of the picture’s most vicious events. “I must never forget what I saw and learned,” De Toth said in a January 1944 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. And clearly, he hadn’t. Case in point: The German officer assigned to his unit who was “inordinately proud of the destruction which we saw all about us and kept talking about the music of battle” sounds suspiciously like NONE SHALL ESCAPE’s Wilhelm Grimm.

Both sides of what De Toth witnessed made it into the picture: the truth – brutality, destruction, indiscriminate murder and assumed prostitution, none of which he was permitted to photograph – and the lies he was ordered to capture, like German troops handing food out to Poles smiling “practically at bayonet point.” “Had I turned my camera in another direction to photograph the truth, I would have been sent back to Budapest without another word,” De Toth stated. Thankfully, Hollywood gave him a second chance to put more of the truth to film.

Though firmly of its time, certain episodes in NONE SHALL ESCAPE resonate in today’s political and social climate. Between Father Warecki and Rabbi David Levin’s (Richard Hale) impassioned speeches imploring peace and acceptance and Marja calling Wilhelm and his Nazi-bred nephew blind followers, well, it’s still pretty timely stuff. Some critics found the film’s ending negative, with Wilhelm reasserting the Nazis’ prowess (“We will rise again and again!”) and the judge handing judgement off to the UN (and with a square look into the camera, the audience as well). This move, which could have been mandated by the US government as some viewers would regard the movie as foreshadowing future events, can also been seen as placing an obligation on the viewer to do what’s right and hold the guilty parties accountable. NONE SHALL ESCAPE informs us that denouncing intolerance and protecting marginalized populations is a responsibility placed upon every citizen in every country. And that’s a message we need to hear – and heed – more than ever today.

#None Shall Escape #Marsha Hunt #WWII #facism #war crimes #TCM #Turner Classic Movies #jewish #Kim Luperi

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shadowofthelamp · 4 years ago

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Year in Review: Writing

So, I can’t do the ‘year in review’ for art because... yeah, I didn’t really draw that much this year. So I decided to trawl through my writing tag for one favorite piece per month, and a pulled few paragraphs from each! Basically everything here is Zim except for the one tendershipping week thing, lmao, oops.

Some months had slim pickings but I still do like every one of these and it was a nice reflection.

January: Arrival

Her skin was tinted a sickly green, more like decomposing flesh than irken or human. Dib swallowed, but her breathing seemed to be even when he placed a hand to her kind of chubby chest, so that was probably just how their skin colors mixed, right? Besides, the lighting in the lab was always weird. Her mouth was gummy with no teeth yet, but her vocal cords were functioning perfectly. He was going to need hearing aids by his twenties, between her and Zim.

She had four fingers and three toes, which he kind of expected, as well as a nose but no ears. That made sense, if she had antennae, but it was still strange to run his fingers along the sides of her head and just feel smooth skin.

Her eyes… they were Zim’s through and through, deep ruby with the color filling the sclera. Did irkens even have sclera if they only had one color? Under the lab’s lights and mixed with the way everything on her slightly shimmered from the sticky goo she'd been coated in, she was like a section of space stolen into the little room and it took his breath away. The water blurring his vision didn’t help as he wiped it away with his sleeve, shifting her to one arm. She was so small...

__________

February: WLOD Dib meets Twix, alt version

It’s fascinating, to see what could have gone right. The 1001 here had gangly, underdeveloped limbs, and wispy hair that never quite got clean from the showers. This version wasn’t fat or anything, but definitely had more meat on its bones.

He examined the goggles- peering through them, they altered its vision because they made the lab beyond the ‘glass’ blurry. Curious, very curious. He was about to pop the lens out when it began to stir, tugging at the metal restraints with a clatter.

_________

March: Zibvoid

He talked to himself.

He talked to Zim, who hadn’t said a word since he’d died, but maybe he was just giving him the silent treatment.

Round and round, the generator buzzed like a bee and a hospital and a bug zapper that would draw in prey like flies to a web, except he was the spider now and the Zims were the moths.

Dib. Dib Dib Dib Dib Zim Dibdibdibdibzimdibdibzimdib. The names popped off his tongue as he rolled them both in his mouth, over and over until they didn’t seem like names at all anymore.

__________

April: Sturdy Branches (I know the date’s different on ao3 but it was first posted April)

Her dad is either singing or talking to himself as he vacuumed inside the house with a sway in his hips. At least you’re pretty sure it’s her dad? You haven’t seen a picture of him or anything, but he’s about the same age as your dad, so he’s too old to be a brother and too young to be a grandpa, and she hasn’t mentioned any uncles. A babysitter, maybe, but that doesn’t really make sense since Tulip isn’t home yet- ah!

She’s talking to someone as she turns the corner, bouncing her backpack. It’s lilac and circular, as well as covered in buttons. The Ranger helmet is in her backpack or still in her locker, but either way, she’s not wearing it anymore. She’s got the boots on, though. You adjust the binoculars a bit, but you aren’t good enough at lip-reading yet to tell what she’s saying. Whatever it is, it’s making the girl she’s talking to laugh. Maybe she’ll tell you tomorrow in class or at lunch if you pull her to sit at your table again. She has more friends at the middle table, but they don’t like sitting next to you after the beetle incident, and she doesn’t seem to mind. She always has a big smile when you start talking, and she’d say something if she didn’t like you, right? Pretty much everybody else does.

_________

May: Do Something For You (TD spoilers!)

Dib had never really thought ahead to having a family, but she was pretty much everything she’d want in one. She was an assistant and a partner, she was invested in the paranormal, she hated Zim- but on the other hand, she didn’t want him hurt? She seemed weirdly invested in making sure he didn’t get caught, actually. Eh, she’d hit him pretty hard, so it wasn’t like she was opposed to him getting his rightful dues for being an evil space monster.

It was relatively simple- she was just worried if he died then her timeline would be destabilized, which was a decent enough concern. Zim had to be important to his life for years to come, in one way or another. But whatever they were dealing with in the future, it had to be better with Zim out of the way earlier, right?

__________

June: Unnamed capture au drabble

“Why do you even give me these stupid scripts if you don’t like me doing them?” Dib folded his arms, kneading the ball in his palm. “Just get a robot or something.” He snorted. “I mean, it’d probably break, like half the stuff you touch.”

Zim’s hands curled into fists. “Take that back, you- you- worm!”

Dib quirked an eyebrow. “What, touched a nerve? When I was a kid, half the stuff you made broke, it’s just a fact. You only conquered Earth because this place is a trash heap and your garbage is slightly better than ours.” Over a year in Zim’s presence without too many galling injuries and a lifetime of not being able to keep his mouth shut made him bold. “Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re probably broken yoursel-” He was cut off with a Pak leg aimed directly at his throat, prodding in just deep enough to draw a drop of blood down the alien metal.

Zim’s eyes were narrowed, but something was watering on the edges, and Dib swallowed, adam’s apple bobbing just below the leg’s tip.

“Zim. Is. Not. Broken.”

___________

July: Laughter

Ryou couldn't stand the lights on one minute and then hated having them off the next. The shadows bled from the way the light reflected off the couch, how it seemed to devour the wall behind it, and he swore he could still hear the voice in his mind. (Was that himself? Had he started thinking of himself as a separate voice? It had been ages since he'd really been alone, even though anyone outside him would have wondered about the boy who talked to his reflection like it was an old friend.)

He wished he could talk to Ryou. Ryou who had seemed so pliable as a child but had proved entertaining, a match for the fire, (heh, fire, even though it wasn't that funny, in fact, it wasn't funny at all, but what did he have but jokes? it wasn't like he could cry anymore) who carved out rules for use of the body with gritted teeth and tugged at the rope of the Ring so hard it had chafed his neck. He'd respected him. From a soft child, he'd hardened and grown firm, grown powerful, grown to be worthy. What were the odds fate had given him a chance at the same time someone had handed a young Yugi the box with the Puzzle? A roll of the dice. (The Gods having a last laugh, perhaps..)

Ryou dug his nails into the wood of the desk so hard that it made crescents, tiny moons in the umber that dug splinters into his pale fingers. The little model of the Thief King sat, as he always did, half-hidden on his shelf behind the pieces of Zorc. He'd never bothered to glue the monster back together but felt oddly reluctant to just incinerate the figures and be done with them. Both of them. Either of them. Maybe he just didn't want to pretend it had never happened. (Maybe he was worried he'd forget, thoughts and memories swept away by the sands of time, trickling down the hourglass, minute by minute, day by day, as he aged the way the Spirit had never been allowed to.)

___________

August: New Mission

It had been a month.

Nebula Twix had survived. She’d had to be popped into the healing pod when she had an allergic reaction to the oatmeal Dib had tried to feed her when it had inflamed her spooch, and Gir had tried to eat her head the one second Zim’s back had been turned, and she made goo from both ends a lot, but otherwise, she was perfectly fine!

And with that, Zim had come to a crossroads. It seemed that he was, indeed, in this for the long heel. (He was pretty sure that was the phrase. Humans liked large feet and large boots, so it made sense.) He could either continue to keep her a secret, or he could pass on his success to the Tallests.

Creating slaves out of the species marked for invasion was pretty common- something like 85% of invaders did it. But creating hybrids? That number was much lower. (Besides, they were usually disposed of as soon as the invasion was complete.) And irkens having those hybrids from their own bodies, and not just mixing them out of genetic slurry and quickly aging them up in time-fields? Almost completely unheard of. Zim was the pioneer in that area.

Also, having smeets from one’s body may have been a tad illegal, considering how hard it had been to find good information and judging from the fact that all irkens found to do it were brought in for experimentation. But no matter! Zim was nothing if not very, very good at things few other irkens dared to do, ready to drive the Empire forward by any means possible. They would have to appreciate that!

__________

September: Twix finds out she’s pregnant

Secondary life-form detected, the chamber chimed.

“Oh, gross, I’ve got a tapeworm? Well, flush it out.” Twix rolled her eyes, going back to the computer.

Lifeform has elements of Pak user.

Her finger froze on the ‘b’ key. “It… what? Analyze species origin.”

The chamber hummed around Twix as sweat dripped down the skin of her neck. There was a tiny 'ding!’ like a kitchen timer.

Lifeform is too underdeveloped to make more than approximations, but is roughly 25% irken and 75% Dominant Earth Species.

Her scream rattled the walls.

__________

October: Best-Laid Plans

“Of course, Number One.” Two turned his head slightly, and Dib jolted- he hadn’t directly commanded him to do that. “Your plan is perfect.” He blinked slowly- much slower than most Zims. Most Zims were utterly manic, back and forth and back and forth, loud and brutal and dangerous, but Two- Two had always worshiped him. Maybe even more than the rest. It had been nice, to be admired so heavily. Two had adored the personal attention when he was turned into an errand boy.

Dib might miss him.

He shook that thought out of his head, gripping both sides of Two’s face with his index finger and thumb, nails (not claws, they weren’t claws) digging into the cheeks.

“You belong to me.” Two didn’t respond, and Dib dug in a little further. Irken skin was thicker than a human’s, with a single drop of pink blood oozing over Dib’s fingernail and leaving a barely-perceptible damp trail. “Respond. Who do you belong to?”

“I belong to you, Number One.”

___________

November: Desperation (warning if you click through for impalement)

Dib’s lips were on Zim’s before he even knew what he was doing. “You’re not dying on me, you little bastard,” he hissed, fumbling to hold up the body as Zim nearly coughed blood directly into Dib’s mouth. It was salty and sweet all in one, but Dib couldn’t linger on the taste. Zim’s fingers grasped at his shirt, and Dib took that as a sign that it was working, pressing their lips together hard enough to bruise the capillaries.

There was a click. Dib breathed in blood and out carbon dioxide, sputtering and swallowing it down so Zim wouldn’t die like this-

Something red-hot and metallic climbed over his arm before digging into his spine, and he realized that the body had gone entirely limp before there was electricity and then there was nothing.

____________

December: Freak

Twix grit her teeth. “How am I supposed to trust you if you’ll just- just do that?”

“How am I supposed to drop my whole social life because you can’t help being the weirdest person in school?” Tulip shot back. “I do care about you, but it’s so, so hard sometimes, because you just don’t know how to act, and sometimes I’m sick of waiting for you to play catchup just because your parents are the town freaks!” She slapped her hands over her mouth and took a step back.

Twix’s eye twitched under her goggles. “At least they’re freaks that love me. I’ll see you tomorrow, third period.”

“Twix-”

“I said,” Twix said through gritted teeth, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get out before I reactivate the security.”

Tulip got out, and Twix buried her face in a couch pillow and screamed.

#shadow says stuff

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glenmenlow · 6 years ago

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Innovating Brand Loyalty Programs

Never forget that the digital revolution is changing the way customers buy and the way brands sell. So, it’s no surprise that loyalty programs are evolving to differentiate. The old-fashioned approach of one-size-fits-all incentives, paper (or digital) coupons and classic points and rewards systems are simply too basic to meet the needs of a more savvy and busy consumer.

But that doesn’t diminish the importance of a strong loyalty program. According to research by IRI Worldwide, in 2017 74% of consumers chose a store based on a strong loyalty or discount program. This holds true across the generations as 79% of millennials and generation Xers want a “strong loyalty or discount program,” as do 74% of baby boomers. But rewards programs can be expensive, especially for brands that operate on high volume and thin margins.

Quoted in JWT Intelligence report, Bryan Roberts, insights director at loyalty marketing company TCC Global, says that “particularly when margins are so wafer-thin, retailers, I think, are looking to try and minimize the cost of the rewards they’re giving to shoppers. And we’ve seen that a number of retailers have dialed back some of the regular rewards they’ve been giving out.” In the UK, recent changes to simplify Tesco’s pioneering Clubcard program set off outrage among customers when they made all partner redeemable points worth 3x their value, when previously some had been worth 4x. Even airline programs are seeing higher fees imposed to redeem that “free” flight.

The data that loyalty programs provides brands is valuable and can provide granular understanding of what consumers actually want. But as revealed by several recent scandals and breeches, there’s understandable customer concerns about what data is being collected and how it is being used. Too often, this data is used minimally, and in transactional ways, which just adds to the noise. Coupons come to us in email, SMS and via apps. Sometimes they are based on customer preferences or location, but many times they’re just blasted out because it’s very cheap to execute.

The opportunity for brands is to pursue emotional loyalty, not transactional. Bryan Roberts says that when shoppers are asked what drives emotional loyalty, they point out two primary drivers, “the in-store experience—is it nice, is it better, is it friendlier? And how much the retailer cares. Not just about the individuals as shoppers, but also do they care about healthy eating, do they care about the environment, do they care about suppliers, about employees? So there is a real emotional driver to loyalty.”

The smartest brands innovating in this space are succeeding because they have imagination and creativity around what is possible, rather than trying to bolt-on a veneer of tech to something that’s been around for a while. Here are three important trends to pay attention to:

Smartphones, Not Loyalty Cards

It’s 2018, so I wince a little every time I write or say the words around ‘how important the smartphone is’, but this is an important point. “It’s the final stages of loyalty cards, but not of loyalty schemes,” Martin Lewis, founder of the Money Saving Expert website, in January 2018. “The idea that it’s a piece of plastic, and that you get points back and vouchers, is going to go.”

Starbucks is a perfect example. In a Forbes article, Shep Hyken says, “The Starbucks app is the perfect example of this. In addition to a rewards program, the customer can use the app to place an order, pay for the order and even access streamed music. As members earn stars toward rewards in the My Starbucks Rewards program, they can redeem the rewards in real time. The app reinforces the Starbucks brand as a lifestyle enhancement.” Starbucks notes that its Mobile Order and Pay represents 11% of all its transactions in the US.

In Europe, mobile wallet Yoyo combines contactless payments with automated loyalty points and digital receipt collections. The app can trigger personalized offers based on geolocation and can work with brands that want to partner with Yoyo or power their existing app through Yoyo. Unlike American Express’ Plenti program which ultimately failed, Yoyo is interesting because it can tie in with the payment experience.

Membership Has Its Privileges

Could there be any better loyalty program than one customers are willing to pay to join? Amazon’s Prime program has around 80 million members paying about $100 a year to qualify for two-day shipping, Prime Video streaming and access to Prime books. There’s other benefits too. Because the customer has invested, it increases their propensity to purchase because they want to feel like they are getting the most value. They’ve even launched a business product which is essentially Prime for B2B. And brands have taken notice.

While it’s in beta testing right now, Bed Bath and Beyond is playing around with a premium loyalty program, costing $29 per year. On a 2016 earnings call, CEO Steven Temares said, “The coupon is clearly and has been strongly associated with us. But really…we are working on becoming a lot more intelligent about our marketing and making it much more personalized.” They are hopeful this shift will reduce their reliance on discounting, and the need for their famous 20% off paper coupons.

Exclusive Experiences

According to 2017 research from Eventbrite, 75% of millennials value experiences over things. I consider millennials to be a mindset rather than a demographic, and some brands, especially those in lifestyle and travel, are offering some very cool activations. In 2017, Marriott created an immersive experience at the Coachella music festival in Palm Springs, California.

Members of the loyalty program could use points to bid on the chance to sleep in one of eight luxurious safari tents. One of the tents was inspired by Moxy, which is Marriott’s millennial focused brand, and served as a preview for their Time Square location, which opened later that year. Vicki Poulos, senior global brand director of Moxy Hotels, noted at the time that Moxy appeals to the brand’s target guests “by creating fun and relevant experiences. Our activation at Coachella allowed us to bring the fun directly to a captive audience.”

They’ve since expanded their Moments experiential platform, which features “once-in-a-lifetime events only available to members using points. Those include the Moments Live series, a partnership with Universal Music Group and LITV Entertainment Group, which offers experiences such as VIP access to Keith Urban’s tour, and VIP access to music and culinary events in Napa Valley.

What Else?

On the horizon is even smarter personalization and more anticipatory programs. Many brands are sitting on vast quantities of data and missing major opportunities. According to 2017 research by Deloitte, 44% of consumers would like the option of personalized rewards based on their purchase history. But if marketing and purchasing sit in two different databases, and the data is not clean, no amount of AI or machine learning is going to help. This is one area where brands need to get comfortable embracing something basic and unexciting. As Bryan Roberts says, “Before they start running with stuff like AI or blockchain, I think a number of retailers would be better advised to start walking with basic data analysis to make sure communications are remotely relevant… a lot of them are making some quite fundamental mistakes and struggling to capitalize on the data they already have.”

As you think about brand loyalty and whether or not to create, update or refresh your current rewards program, there’s only one rule to follow: Build everything around the customer. Be clear on what loyalty to your brand feels like. Is it great value, is it exclusive deals, invitation-only experiences, or something else? Ensure it’s digital revolution ready.

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joejstrickl · 6 years ago

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Innovating Brand Loyalty Programs

Smartphones, Not Loyalty Cards

Membership Has Its Privileges

Exclusive Experiences

What Else?

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

0 notes

miamibeerscene · 7 years ago

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How I’m Approaching Craft Beer in 2018

Credit: CraftBeer.com

January 10, 2018

Recently, I was in Florida on something of a vacation and opted to take in the local beer scene for an afternoon. I went to a pub reporting 40 different beers on tap and over 300 different bottled beers. I didn’t give my choice a bit of thought. I didn’t look around. I didn’t even take a minute. I scanned the list to find the first IPA I wasn’t familiar with and ordered it.

As I sat there enjoying that choice, I began to really review the menu for the first time. I started taking it in and began to feel a growing pang of disappointment in myself. First, I saw a barley wine that sounded very interesting. Then I saw an Alt beer (which I rarely get to try). Finally, I saw an IPA that I had actually been wanting to try for a while.

I suddenly had a moment of clairvoyance. I was disappointed in myself because I never gave this bar a minute when I first walked in. And why the hell was I rushing? I was on vacation.

(VISIT: U.S. Breweries with Beer Hotels)

This got me thinking about the guests at the taproom where I work. They see tap lists that provide a ton of options, and some may not always be as familiar as a stout or an IPA. I can understand the notion of sticking with the tried and true in most arenas — jeans, shoes, pizza toppings — but small and independent craft beer relies on us as beer drinkers to be as daring, knowledgeable and thoughtful as the brewer himself. Complacency is the ultimate adversary to progress.

In 2018, let’s do our part. Let’s embrace our role in enhancing craft beer. I have nine thoughts on how we as beer lovers can think, and drink, in the new year.

1. Try Something New

Scott Miller is the founder of Cobblehaus Brewing Co. in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. (Cobblehaus Brewing Co.)

This one’s simple and easy. Scan a menu until you see something unfamiliar, and then order it. Don’t be afraid. When I was on vacation, the first thing that my eyes jumped to upon entering the swanky little pub was that white slightly curved tap handle with the familiar green bulb on top — but I know all about Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale. I can have it at home. Seeing as I was in a new area, I wanted to try a beer that I couldn’t have back home. I wanted the secret stuff that the locals keep in a back room and don’t like to tell outsiders about, lest there not be enough for them.

Scott Mills, head brewer for Cobblehaus Brewing in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, says, “[This] is something I am very interested in. Every time I see someone coming out with something I have not seen before…I typically target those [beers]when visiting other breweries.”

This doesn’t mean you have to ignore all beers you’ve already had. Just make an effort to give someone else’s beer a try. Who knows. You may even love it.

2. Don’t Dismiss a Beer Based on Beer Style

It’s something I hear incessantly while working at the pub: “Oh, I don’t want that, I don’t like brown ales.” I get it. You’ve had several brown ales, maybe you’ve even had a lot of brown ales and you know it’s just not your thing. Still, try to keep an open mind, and don’t shy away from these just because. Talk to the bar staff. That’s why they’re there. The brown ale on the list could be a traditional English Brown Ale rather than the different American Style Brown Ale you may often have. The differences can be more complex and subtle.

Andrew Volanski, the general manager for Voodoo Brewery’s Pub in Homestead, Pennsylvania, says, “I think the longer you drink craft beer, the more you are able to appreciate different aspects of all different kinds, which is why I think it’s important to cycle back to a style you maybe didn’t like in the past.” Don’t shy away from an amber because it’s too similar to a brown. Don’t ignore a saison because you didn’t like the last one you had. Give each beer a chance to stand on its own.

(READ: 3 Overlooked Beer Styles to Pair with Food)

3. Treat Every Beer with Respect

Every beer you will encounter is a labor of love. Small and independent craft breweries are out there doing what they do in the interest of making good beer. They want to push boundaries and explore new concepts, and at the end of the day, the thing they want most is to put a good product out there.

Scott Mills agrees. “All brewers put a lot of time and effort crafting the beer for your enjoyment.”

When you offer a critique, allow some respect for the beer and the brewer to permeate your comments. Don’t simply comment, “I don’t like that at all,” or, “That’s awful.” Not only are those not helpful comments, it’s disrespectful. Brewers work very hard and just because you don’t care for a beer, doesn’t mean it is bad. In fact, it may be someone else’s favorite. Everyone is unique with a varying palate and though you may encounter a beer that you don’t like, that just means that it may not be for you.

4. Follow the Hype

There’s no real secret in something that’s hyped up. (That’s kind of the point isn’t it?) I, for one, never much understood why people wanted to ignore or dislike things that are popular. If you try them and determine that they’re not for you, then fair enough. But if you haven’t tried that latest and greatest thing people are talking about, what are you waiting for? Like Andrew from Voodoo says, “If people are talking about it, there’s a reason why.”

Of course, it should be mentioned that obsession with any one style can be dangerous. Shane Walters, a senior member of the Three Rivers Underground Brewers (TRUB) Homebrew Club, cautions, “Sometimes [these cause]people to forget about the other great beer styles out there.” Still, this is where the bleeding edge of craft beer innovation lives right now. Don’t be afraid to explore it.

(LEARN: 75+ Beer Styles)

5. Learn Something New

Do you know why different beer glasses are shaped differently? Do you know why beers on nitrogen gas instead of CO2 have a silkier texture? Now is the time to find out and do some research. Personally, I believe my best interactions at the pub as a bartender happen when I can tell someone about something that they didn’t realize and seriously enhance their experience. Learning more about beer helps you to be a better student of the craft, which in turn allows you to give better feedback to brewers.

6. Take a Trip for a New Beer

Breweries are producing new beers all the time, and the best place to get a sample of those experimental elixirs is at the brewery itself. Moreover, given that brewing innovation requires considerable creativity, it’s no great stretch to imagine that creativity would spill out into taproom. Shane from TRUB feels the same way: “I [sometimes]consider it more [about]the brewery than the beer itself.”

Often unpredictable and rarely redundant, you will find a unique atmosphere at each and every brewery. Whether rustic and worn or chic and modern, you’ll find that the breweries themselves can be just as interesting as the beer that they’re producing. Why not take that couple-hour day trip you’ve been meaning to for a while now?

Check out a new town, take in a new pub and try yourself a new beer. That is kind of the overarching message here anyway. We have a ton of beercation destination ideas right here on CraftBeer.com to help you plan.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

7. Volunteer at a Beer Festival

For the most part, I am sure that any craft beer enthusiast has been to a beer festival. There are thousands throughout the country. In fact, I’m sure most have an agenda of festivals to hit throughout the coming year. Why not just volunteer at one of these? Festivals are often looking for volunteers to help them pull off a massive amount of work, and they can be a great way to help out the community. It does require a bit of work on your part (almost certainly lugging bags of ice), but most of the time you get to attend a festival for free, maybe chat with a brewer and get to see and appreciate just how much work goes into these events. It’s definitely worth your time.

Andrew from Voodoo has a lot of experience working festival events, and he says volunteering creates an excellent and unique perspective: “From a community standpoint there’s nothing better. You get to hang out with all different breweries…I would encourage anyone who’s interested to help out at a festival if the opportunity presents itself.”

8. Share a Bottle with a Friend

It probably goes without saying, but the beer you will find in New Mexico will probably be unlike almost any beer you can lay your hands on in Boston. If you have a friend who lives in another part of the country, reach out to them and arrange an exchange of beers when you two meet up (taking great care to properly handle the beer during your travels so that the beer arrives in your friend’s glass the way the brewer intended it to taste).

9. Visit a Homebrew Club Tasting

Find a local homebrew club this year. (CraftBeer.com)

This is where alchemy is happening! Homebrew club tastings are where the beer runs the gamut from simple to downright bizarre, and it’s an excellent place to get your taste buds on something no one else has had before. Nothing gets the creativity gears turning like a nice hibiscus and elderberry Berliner Weisse (not kidding, that was an actual beer I had one time).

“I think that by visiting a homebrew club meeting one would have access to much more in-depth knowledge of how beer is created…from malts [and]hops to perceived bitterness and tannins…it may open their mind to what they are tasting,” Shane from TRUB says.

Homebrew clubs are fairly ubiquitous. Do a search on the American Homebrewers Association’s website to find one nearby. Clubs usually meet on a fairly regular basis to talk shop, trade beers and of course drink a few. They are very open and welcoming, so don’t be afraid to meander into a meeting.

(WATCH: What’s the Next Trend in Beer?)

If there’s one thing that’s worth taking into 2018, it is that beer is an art form that people invest in varying degrees. Regardless of how ardent your passion for beer, the best thing that you can do to help the entire craft beer industry is to drink it and respect it. Offer constructive critiques if you must, but more importantly, work to learn more about it and try to understand better what you like and why. Realize the basis of your preferences while still permitting an appreciation for all styles and efforts. The success of any industry such as this relies on the consumer as much as the producer. The brewer can make the beer, but without the customer giving good feedback (which comes from learning as much as possible about beer), the industry would stagnate. Creativity and innovation are born as much from the desires of the individual as from the drive of the artist themselves.

So for 2018, let’s all do our part and put our collective heads together. Beer is an amazing thing. There appears to be no limit as far as a creativity and innovation ceiling, so let us ride this Wonka-vator to wherever it will take us. Drinkers, keep encouraging the brewers. Brewers, keep feeding the drinkers! Here’s to 2018.

Andrew Jockers

Andrew Jockers is a dental student in the real world, but he works for Voodoo Brewing Company as a bartender in their Homestead taproom to help maintain his sanity. He also works as an events representative for Voodoo in the Pittsburgh area, raises his newborn son with his beautiful wife and enjoys writing freelance when there’s a moment to breathe. In whatever spare time he doesn’t have, Andrew also loves music, homebrewing, rugby, hiking and rafting.