From the Stadium to the Skies: Booze-Free Brands Break New Ground

  Rassegna Stampa, Social
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Athletic Brewing made a special craft beer themed to The Witcher to kick off a Netflix collaboration.Athletic Brewing

“The driver here is societal change,” Katz told Adweek. “There’s a pronounced difference in today’s consumers, especially the younger ones, and they want these options. Venues that don’t have them will literally be leaving money on the table.”

Potential partners want to capitalize on buzzworthy NA brands, but programs need to be tailored to the nascent industry rather than borrowed from Big Alcohol’s playbook, according to Jim Gunning, CMO at Best Day Brewing, which is in its second year as a sponsor of the Professional Pickleball Association tour.

“The key is to come at these deals in a functional way,” Gunning told Adweek. “So consumers will understand why we’re there, and we can educate people about what we’re trying to achieve in the category.”

Sober October and beyond

A recent Drizly study found that 23% of Gen Z and 24% of millennials reported often drinking NA beer, wine and spirits, while only 6% of Gen X and 1% of boomers said the same. Though the data points to an age divide, there’s anecdotal evidence that the sober curious movement is gaining in popularity across demos.

The category overall grew 29% on Drizly in 2022 compared to 2021, and 45% of survey participants said they’re “extremely likely” or “likely” to take part in Sober October and Dry January.

And per a recent Coefficient Capital study, 22% of Americans aged 21-plus say they plan to drink less alcohol over the next year, citing their physical and mental health. 

Against that backdrop, NA brands are gaining real estate beyond health clubs, yoga studios, Tough Mudder races and other early adopters.

For example, San Francisco-based Free Spirits has started talking to coffee shops about boosting their afternoon sales —when foot traffic slows—by offering cocktails made with its tequila, gin and whiskey alternatives.

The brand is also in discussions with NBA and NFL teams, where venues have strict rules about when they sell—or cut off—alcohol, according to Milan Martin, a former advertising creative who founded Free Spirits in 2019.

“It’s the right thing to do from a safety and wellness perspective to stop selling alcohol in the third quarter,” Martin told Adweek. “But that’s a huge loss of revenue that NA could fill.”

Best Day Brewing is in its second season with the Professional Pickleball Association tour, along with fellow sponsors Carvana, Hyundai, Holland America cruise lines and others.Best Day Brewing

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