With many consumers choosing a non-alcoholic drink in what was previously an ‘alcohol moment’, what are the guiding principles? What does a brand need to do to be considered in these moments to be relevant, credible and exciting? 

For a number of years industry data has told us that younger people are not drinking as much as previous generations, and some are choosing not to drink at all.  In the past if you weren’t drinking alcohol in these ‘alcohol’ moments, then the options were pretty limited in terms of range, flavour, brand and certainly making you feel part of the crowd. 

But now lots of the big brands are offering a non (or low) alcoholic alternative, with many of the same cues. 

Last week after the Aura and ICG event a number of us headed to the pub. I chose to have a non-alcoholic beer. Why? Because I wanted all the associations of a refreshing beer on a sunny day, but without the alcohol as I headed home to deal with children, meal plans etc. 

Choosing a Peroni Libera gave me confidence – the brand, the look of it -  it all looked and felt right. 

But there’s a bigger challenge for new brands that don’t have the alcohol heritage to fall back on. Peroni Libera was instantly recognisable as Peroni – obviously the name, but also the bottle shape and colour, the label.  

What do you call a non-alcoholic beer or non-alcoholic gin when you don’t have an established name like Peroni or Gordons to communicate its place in the category? What cues can be used to guide consumers as to when and how to drink your new non-alcoholic offer?