Failing to reach out to today’s sober (and sober-curious) drinkers could have you missing out on some valuable foot traffic. More people than ever are turning to non-alcoholic drinks, so now’s a great time to polish up your non-alcoholic marketing strategy.
At Your Brand Cafe, we want to do our part to help your brewery or bar maintain a steady supply of happy customers. Alongside providing eco-friendly supplies and stylish customization options for your business, we have a few thoughts on how best to reach out to this growing demographic.
Let’s take a look at alcoholic marketing trends today, changing attitudes toward social drinking, and how you can better appeal to non-alcoholic drinkers.
The Non-Alcoholic Niche Is Growing (And Fast)
Just how fast is the non-alcoholic industry growing, anyway? Thanks to a market analysis by IWSR, the United States saw an impressive 29% increase in non-alcoholic beverages from 2022 to 2023.
Additionally, some of the most popular options in the non-alcoholic category were craft beer and cider. Following close behind were non-alcoholic wine, spirits, and various RTD categories. While low-alcohol is a niche often bundled with non-alcoholic, it hasn’t grown nearly as fast.
There are plenty more fascinating insights to gather from these statistics, but one detail couldn’t be more clear: the non-alcoholic niche is only going to get more popular from here.
To craft a nonalcoholic marketing campaign that connects with your ideal visitors, you need to get to the root of why people are cutting back. For starters, non-alcoholic drinks are fundamentally inclusive, allowing people of different dietary needs and health conditions to enjoy themselves at the bar. People with blood disorders, liver problems, or heart failure are often advised not to drink alcohol to keep their conditions from getting worse.
Other drinkers are changing their lifestyle for fitness or general wellness reasons and enjoy a non-alcoholic drink alongside their usual favorites. Whatever the reason, you want to make sure you’re meeting people halfway and giving them what they need to relax at your establishment.
While there’s even more nuance behind the reasons why people reach for the non-alcoholic stout over their usual can, these motivations are dependable starting points when crafting your marketing materials.
What Does Alcohol Marketing Look Like Today?
Just like any other niche, alcohol marketing is nuanced and embodies many aspects of the lifestyle, ranging from the alcohol content to a craft brewery’s fascinating history. While you should absolutely take inspiration from today’s leading alcoholic brands, a few elements will have to be left behind.
For starters, evolving social attitudes toward alcohol mean your non-alcoholic marketing strategy has to step off the beaten path. Even traditional alcohol brands have started to dissect certain approaches to alcohol, addressing the gradual cultural shift among today’s critical drinkers. Coors Light, a brand historically associated with a male-dominated audience, has recognized how their limited marketing approach has failed to include female drinkers over the years.
That story is just one of many examples of the critical eye you can cast on your current marketing campaign. How can you improve the ways you connect with drinkers and make them excited to swing by your brewery or bar for a drink?
Non-Alcoholic Marketing Tips To Attract Foot Traffic
With old-fashioned catchphrases and conventional party imagery needing an overhaul, your non-alcoholic marketing strategy has plenty of room to expand. You need to tap into people’s desire to enjoy a good drink and good company not in spite of the lack of alcohol, but because of it.
Whether you own a microbrewery or run a bar, there’s always a more clever and effective way to get your menu in the minds of drinkers.
- Time Your Marketing Around Popular Sober Celebrations
- Remember, Diverse Audiences Are A Double-Edged Sword
- Focus On Recipes Over Alcohol’s Kick
- Celebrate Your Brand’s Local Roots
- Emphasize Compelling Details About Your Drinks
Ever heard of Dry January or Sober October? Effective marketing is all about good timing and nowhere is that easier than promoting your non-alcoholic menu during these popular sober celebrations.
Since these events target people who want to cut back or quit, craft a marketing campaign that speaks directly to those desires. You can talk about how your bar can still give them the social drinking experience they crave thanks to your friendly and good-humored employees. You could also talk about how your menu is so delicious, they won’t even miss the alcohol.
Non-alcoholic drinks are the great equalizer of the beverage industry. Since they’re not regulated quite as much as alcoholic drinks and have a very broad appeal, your marketing campaign needs to strike a balance between specific and diverse.
On one hand, many demographics are turning to non-alcoholic drinks these days – Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen X, you name it. On the other hand, you’ll still need to consider different ways of connecting and communicating with each demographic.
For example, Gen Z consistently shows a preference for brands that are transparent about their values, as well as a lean toward familiar, Influencer-style marketing. They’re generally less interested in conventional marketing tactics and often prefer a sincere, down-to-earth approach. They also enjoy more immersive marketing tactics like community building and live events.
Since non-alcoholic drinks have to contain .05% ABV or less, you can’t talk about their kick or their ‘strength’ in traditional ways. When promoting your menu, lean hard into what makes the drink tasty, stylish, or interesting.
Do you offer dazzlingly creative mocktails on your menu? How about some unique craft IPAs drinkers would have a hard time finding anywhere else? Drinkers are swinging by your establishment because they want a seriously fine drink – think about what makes your menu items special, then rave about them on social media or your website.
With almost 9,800 breweries in the United States, a beer drinker can easily find someone willing to accommodate their lifestyle. As such, you have to emphasize your brand’s individuality to stand out from other brands evolving their menus.
Any brewery can serve a non-alcoholic stout or lager, but the surrounding details around your brewery might be what gets people dropping by. Has your business been family-owned for several generations? Maybe you host a lot of unique, local events like open mic night, brewery tours, or live music.
Don’t be shy about all the major and minor details that turn your business into a one-of-a-kind destination.
Non-alcoholic drinks are in one of the best possible places to build intrigue. Not only is there currently a lot of buzz surrounding their growing popularity, they come with tons of interesting details that could be fascinating to your audience.
Did you know non-alcoholic beer has roughly the same amount of alcohol as a very ripe banana? This is just one of many fun facts you can use to grab attention and stir up some intrigue around your non-alcoholic menu.
Dealcoholization technology is another interesting detail that you can share throughout your marketing campaign, such as a behind-the-scenes documentary or a series of fun posts on social media. You can share tantalizing tidbits about how you capture the delicate nuances of certain flavors in your brewing process (and still stay hush-hush about more proprietary technology as necessary).
You don’t have to stop there. Consider discussing why your organic ingredients taste better than the alternative or share historical deep dives behind some of your quirky, local menu items. If you have a higher-than-average amount of mocktails to offer, you’ll be at an advantage – spirits have been surpassing beer in demand for a few years now.
We’ll Help You Create A Drinking Experience People Won’t Soon Forget
More businesses than ever are going to start muscling for the attention of sober and sober-curious drinkers. At Your Brand Cafe, we provide breweries and bars the high-quality accessories needed to set an unforgettable first impression.
Our line-up of custom reusable drinkware and customizable disposable cups will ensure your brand’s unique personality isn’t overlooked. We offer a mixture of eco-friendly materials with flexible budgeting to make sure you’re always stocked up on branding essentials.
Want to experiment with a little printing before committing? We offer sampler packs to let you try out some of our products first-hand so you can be completely confident in your purchase.
Ashe Samuels
Ashley (Ashe) Samuels is a business writer and marketing strategist in the food and beverage industry with a focus in coffee, tea, and alcohol. She has nearly a decade of experience helping brands launch products, build awareness, and craft marketing strategies. She's passionate about sustainability, wellness, and leaving the coffee industry a better place.