Toronto-based craft brewer Upper Canada Brewing wants to build brand allegiance and reward the faithful with its new Upper Canada Loyalist program.

A recent fsi in The Globe and Mail newspaper that showcased Upper Canada’s Wheat beer on one side and its flagship lager on the other included a postage-paid reply card for those who want to join the brewer’s new loyalty program.

Doug Corbett, vice-president of marketing, says the Upper Canada Loyalist program is meant to increase purchase frequency for a premium brew that is typically considered a special occasion beverage rather than a mainstream beer.

Upper Canada Loyalists will receive a quarterly newsletter (the first coming out in about a month) that will provide news about the company’s brands, and articles about fine food that can be enjoyed with uc beer.

The newsletter will also feature information about community events such as the DuMaurier Jazz Festival, the Antique Boat Show and other events that the brewer is sponsoring.

Loyalists will be offered discounts on Upper Canada merchandise including apparel, glassware and bar accessories, as well as invitations to special events at the brewery.

Upper Canada hosts dinners featuring fine food and uc brews. It recently held All Things Smoked, a cigar and scotch evening (with beer, as well, of course), to benefit Women in Film and Television ­ Toronto.

‘We’re not a mainstream beer and our promotions are not mainstream,’ explains Corbett.

‘We try to have whatever we do appeal to our target, which is not the 19- to 24-year-old. It’s more the late 20s to 50, higher income, highly educated professionals.

‘We want to occupy the premium position in the beer category, period.’

Corbett says the recent fsi had two other objectives: to highlight the new package design for the Upper Canada brand and to remind drinkers of the company’s recent investment in new packaging equipment which enables it to provide a fresher product.

The Upper Canada brand, rather than the type of beer, is more prominent on the packaging than before and the company, which previously had its own bottle mold, has switched to the industry-standard long-necked bottle.

In addition to the fsi, the brewer has a radio campaign currently on air that is scheduled to run throughout the summer.

The four spots focus on the Upper Canada brand. They talk about the passion of the people at the brewery and how that results in a unique, superior product.

Goodgoll Curtis of Toronto is the brewer’s agency.

Upper Canada brands are available in b.c., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.