As we get further into 2024, past “dry January” and on toward Cinco de Mayo and summer winery tours, those of us in the tourism marketing world continue to grapple with the challenges and opportunities around promoting wine, beer and craft cocktails. At Verdin Marketing, in the heart of a region teeming with world-renowned makers of wine, beer and spirits, we know that this can be tricky both logistically and in terms of content, but we have found some ways to make this valuable fodder both marketable and digestible for the right audience.
Challenges & Changes
The alcohol marketing industry can be tough for a lot of reasons. Firstly, it is a (justifiably) touchy subject, inappropriate for some age groups. The culture of drinking today is seeing a shift toward sober curiosity and consciousness and away from heavy drinking. Alcohol companies are already reacting and shifting their products and marketing to fit this changing culture of moderation.
On the logistical side, organic and paid marketing content must be given extra consideration. Organic content needs to include important reminders about traveling safely and drinking responsibly, while paid ads on platforms like Meta must be tailored to audiences ages 21 and up to even get approved. Both organic and paid content must be thoughtfully deployed in regions where audiences would be more receptive to it – say here in coastal California rather than the more traditional Midwest or South.
Take for example a 25-year-old female, who you may think is the perfect target audience given she is at the prime age to be interested in alcoholic beverages. On the contrary, research is showing us that Gen-Z is actually “the more sober generation” and can be seen drinking 20% less than millennials.
Tips for Marketing Alcohol Responsibly
Still, despite the challenges, opportunities abound for certain clients and tourism regions. Here’s some advice for leveling up your marketing efforts to capture a changing audience with 3 tactics.
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Find your audience, and focus on their lifestyle choices.
If you are looking to market something like a beer festival or wine country, looking at current 2024 insights is crucial. As we noted, the younger generation is drinking alcohol at a different rate than that of older generations. Knowing this is crucial in figuring out a strategy to market to the right audience, and it also provides an opportunity to market a different side of this industry.
The research found that 58% of consumers are drinking some version of mocktails, which presents an interesting new content opportunity. For your next campaign, consider highlighting non-alcoholic options, a non-alcoholic booth at the beer festival, discounted tickets for designated drivers, or other innovative ways to reach those who have reduced alcohol consumption. Messaging can shift to be less about quantity and more about quality.
2. Focus on the experience.
At Verdin Marketing, we work with a lot of tourism destinations in the heart of California wine country or that play host to major beer, cider and cocktail festivals and other events. We also represent a fantastic local restaurant client, Old Juan’s Cantina, whose bar and lounge boasts some of the most popular margaritas around.
When marketing these clients that are geared around alcohol, we aim to focus on more than just the drink but what the drink can be paired with. If we are in wine country, imagine sipping a glass of wine while strolling through a picturesque vineyard. At the big beer festival, visitors are sampling while rocking out to live music with their best friends. At Old Juan’s Cantina, guests are marveling at the bartender making a beautiful concoction while laughing and snacking on chips and guac. Make your campaigns less about the act of drinking and more about the experience that goes along with it.
3. Focus on the story behind the brand.
Whatever alcohol product or experience you are marketing, give your audience the story of the brand. When you connect your audience to stories related to alcohol, it resonates more than just marketing the product. Give an anecdote about a couple who met at the beer festival. Talk about the history of a wine region and the jobs it provides the community. Tell how a specialty cocktail was inspired by the restaurant owner’s grandmother. Again, it is not just about the what, but the who and the why.
We know marketing alcohol for your tourism destination can get a little tricky, but we hope these tips help you get creative and think of new opportunities for your clients in today’s changing environment.
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