Can Brands Say Cheers to Non-alcoholic Lifestyles?

The era of boozy Christmas parties and heavy drinking may be fading as the sober curious movement gains popularity with generation z and millennials. The low or no alcohol lifestyle is emerging as a wellness trend on TikTok and Instagram and non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits are enjoying record sales. This is a topic that I explored recently in a talk for Most Contagious and its impact for brands goes further than curiosity. 

In Canada, health authorities have adopted a radical approach to safe alcohol consumption, cutting the recommended limit to just two alcoholic drinks a week, compared with ten a week in the US and 14 in the UK.

This low alcohol trend is set to provide a jolt to the UK’s famed heavy drinking culture. University Freshers Weeks, once synonymous with drunken revelry, are evolving into more wholesome experiences which are less reliant on heavy drinking.

For brands, this trend offers exciting possibilities. While drinks brands are rushing out zero-alcohol versions, the wider sobriety movement provides a canvas to weave transformational narratives around wellness, positivity and brand-led experiences.

The “sober curious” trend refers to a behavioural shift where people are questioning their relationship with alcohol and opting to drink less or try out sobriety as a lifestyle choice. This can be liberating for social or occasional drinkers who feel that they are pressured into alcohol-fuelled excesses by social norms and drinking culture. Unlike those with addictive tendencies such as alcoholics, who take pathways to total abstinence, sober curiosity offers occasional drinkers a chance to consider simply drinking less.

Google searches for the term sober curious have surged by 189% while Tesco says sales of no and low alcohol drinks increased by 25% between January and June this year.

The trend is spreading fast, with Ruby Warrington’s book on the subject titled: “Sober Curious: The blissful sleep, greater focus, limitless presence and deep connection awaiting us all on the other side of alcohol.”

Brands are joining the movement, with Bumble hosting a sober happy hour and Heineken 0.0, the non-alcoholic beer, introducing “Nommeliers” – non-alcoholic sommeliers – for a pairing menu.

Meanwhile, alcohol-free beer Lucky Saint was last week named The Marketing Society’s Brand of the Year for 2023. The brand has opened a pub in central London, serving both alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages and offers an environment where people can seek a good time and social warmth without the need to drink heavily.

While sales of zero-alcohol versions are still tiny compared to those of alcoholic drinks, there is a tendency for marginal trends to suddenly storm the middle ground. Every now and then society experiences big cultural shifts. We’ve heavily cut down on smoking – so is alcohol next?

Brands should embrace the challenge of normalising sober curiosity – they are pushing at an open door. Consumers commonly express a desire for brands to help transform their lives. 

In one recent report, McKinsey points out that consumers not only want clear brand stories but for those businesses to have a positive impact on society.  

To tap into their broader social responsibility, brands can harness their authority to create a world of increased variety, where they present craft and premium options. By promoting health and wellness, they can also further partnerships, production advances, evolving regulations, market expansion and consumer education.

So let’s imagine the low and no-alcohol future and what it will mean for the industry.

Brands can play a key part in inspiring positive social transformation. Brands are at their best when they offer reciprocal relationships rather than simple transactions. They can help create a future where low and no alcohol lifestyles are desirable and contribute to healthier, more meaningful living by using marketing to redefine experiences. This could include creating low-alcohol experiences, parties and entertainment venues.

Gen z and millennials seem to be considering how they are going to feel the next day after a bout of drinking, and many are interested in how they can improve physically, socially and emotionally. It is becoming cool to simply drink less. With insights such as these, brands can inject magic moments into the sober curious trend and drive growth. Brands can fulfil their core role of helping people connect authentically while at the same time promoting a huge cultural shift away from heavy drinking.