Your comments, insights and supplemental reasearch are welcome and encouraged. Most beer enthusiast will pay more when buying beer for themselves than for their friends, according to a 1996 Real Beer Page user survey. The first reason is to support brands.
Many distributors participate in co-op advertising with their brands.
A brewer in New Mexico told me that half of all of his advertising dollars are shared by his distributor as an investment in building the brand. Importers with a portfolio of beers often advertise the portfolio in publications like this one to create awareness and pull-through of brands in a region. Second, outreach to consumers can eventually lead to building a politically informed and active group. This law means that Floridians will not enjoy the gourmet delights of imported Belgian beers, among others. Third, attract new brands to the distributorship.