Club Soda report ‘demystifies’ low-and-no market

A new report by mindful drinking movement Club Soda and market research agency The Mix Global has been published to define the audiences of the low-and-no sector.

The report, Free Spirited: Demystifying the audiences of alcohol-free, has been released to help brands position themselves within the low-and-no category and ‘get it right’ for their audiences.

Laura Willoughby MBE, founder of Club Soda, said: “Selling alcohol-free can be difficult. Increasingly we see that a collaborative approach is what’s needed to keep raising the profile of the category and maintain evolution in the market. This report is one step towards giving brands a framework on which to build their alcohol-free offerings”.

According to the report, online searches with the word ‘mocktail’ have increased by 42% over the last two years.

Furthermore, in 2021, it was found that global consumers explicitly mentioned ‘low-alcohol’ 81% more often than in 2020, with 17% of conversations around non-alcoholic drinks coming from users between the ages of 35 and 44.

Free Spirited found that the interest in alcohol-free was being driven by new emerging behaviours and motivations, both intrinsic and extrinsic.

The former refers to the way in which consumers are becoming more conscious than ever about the impact alcohol has on their overall health and performance, and the desire to better themselves and improve mental and physical health.

Meanwhile, extrinsic motivations consider the external factors that influence the decision to moderate drinking, such as driving, medical conditions, and childcare commitments.

The report noted that for brands, “identifying the origin of the motivation to moderate is essential to truly understanding your audience. This is where the key consumer tension lies – it’s all about confidence.”

It also examined the different types of drinkers, layered with their established and emerging consumer behaviours, and how the needs of these consumers can be understood in order for brands to communicate effectively with them.

Gemma Mitchell, managing director of The Mix Global, added: “We want to challenge the echo chamber that is the drinks market, by differentiating between consumer voices and really listening to those who are buying alcohol-free. We’re excited to launch this project and give brands a helping hand forward”.

The report culminated in publishing seven archetypes, characterising the open-minded consumers driving the interest in alcohol-free.

These profiles, split into ‘established’ and ‘emerging’ audiences, showed the diversity within the market, characterising each individual’s motives behind cutting back, and what they want to see in future.

By understanding why someone might be reducing their alcohol intake, brands can avoid ‘loss aversion’ and make the benefits of their offerings clear to consumers, the report said.

Free Spirited: Demystifying the audiences of alcohol-free is available to download for free from Club Soda’s website, joinclubsoda.com/research.