Are You Actually Prepared to Market Cannabis?
While talk of cannabis is on the rise, best practices and legality restrictions are still hard to navigate. Read on for what you can do during this in-between time to prepare.
Non-drinkers, it’s your time to shine. Many brands are launching drinks with low alcohol levels—and it comes as no surprise these health-conscious beverages are having a moment. According to a study by Mintel, consumers continue to show a habitual pattern of lowering alcohol consumption with 21% of drinkers reducing their intake in the past year. In other words, “Dry January” is more than just a moment– it’s becoming a lifestyle for consumers nationwide.
While there is no industry-wide standard of what defines low-ABV, generally any drink that has lower than the typical alcohol range qualifies. Most hard seltzer and kombucha hover between 4 and 6 percent ABV, which is about the same as a light beer. Things are more clear cut with no-ABV, which by definition has 0.0% alcohol content.
When it comes to marketing low- and no-ABV beverages, many companies take a health-centric approach. That makes sense because, according to a Yale Source, 9 out of 10 Millennials consider healthy consumption habits a pillar of wellness.
Low calories and carbs are a big reason health-minded consumers typically reach for these drinks. The average calorie count for a hard seltzer is 100, with carbs around 2 grams per serving—about 3x less than a serving of wine. Some low-ABV beers have as little as 21 calories with carbs around 1.2 grams per serving.
The Heineken 0.0 campaign takes a different approach, encouraging consumers to imbibe at any and all times. Phrases such as, “That moment you couldn’t have a beer? Now you can.” And, “During a meeting? After sport? Before driving? Have a beer. Seriously, now you can.” And we’ll be seeing a lot more of that. Consumers want to know that you understand their lifestyle and that your brand can adapt.
As an agency of alcohol-loving Millennials, that have also been known to get pretty competitive during a wellness challenge, we were curious about how these drinks stacked up. We tried seven of these low- and no-ABV beverages for ourselves and evaluated their marketing strategies. Here are the four things you need to consider to make your beverage stand out in the digital space:
Effectively communicate all your product's benefit—not just its low alcohol content—to stay relevant with younger consumers as they make healthier choices.
Lastly, if you're looking for a low abv wine cocktail recipe check out our Marketing Wine in the Modern World ebook.