What’s sober curiosity?
Whereas the (Gen X) supermodel Kate Moss was famend for her love of alcohol, (Gen Z) mannequin Bella Hadid is celebrating her new-found sobriety, telling Elle: “I don’t really feel the necessity as a result of I understand how it’s going to have an effect on me at 3 within the morning after I get up with horrible anxiousness occupied with that one factor I mentioned 5 years in the past after I graduated highschool.”
Relatively than being an outlier, Bella Hadid speaks for a technology. Take Hadid’s birthplace, France, the place alcohol is ingrained in tradition and mealtimes. But almost three out of ten 18-24 French Gen Zs don’t drink in any respect, with a further third lowering or limiting their consumption over the previous yr. In truth, solely round a 3rd of 18-24-year-olds drink frequently, in comparison with half of French adults aged 55+. This sample repeats itself throughout Europe and extra not too long ago in North America.
Alcohol firms threat a few years of managed decline
It is a huge difficulty for alcohol firms, who haven’t been capable of monetise Gen Z in the identical method as they did with the harder-drinking Millennials, and Gen Xers. There’s been a €2.7Bn (4%) decline in European gross sales of beer, wines and spirits in 2022 in response to IRI, and until alcohol firms can revenue extra from Gen Z – they threat a long time of managed decline.
Alcohol firms must get forward of the curve. Again in 2014, I referred to as out non-alcoholic beer as a phase with big world gross sales potential, primarily based on the evolution of upper high quality non-alcoholic beers in Spain and Germany. In 2014, only one in 25 new beer launches into retail was non-alcoholic, however within the first three months of 2023 this determine has jumped to at least one in ten, in response to Mintel GNPD.
Why is Gen Z consuming much less alcohol?
The explanations are multi-faceted, starting from the hate of “hang-xiety” described by Bella Hadid to a want to really feel higher about themselves and lower your expenses.
However, simply because the prevalence of world smoking amongst youngsters has decreased dramatically for the reason that Nineteen Nineties, alcohol too has misplaced its youthful ‘cool issue’. That is largely as a consequence of hard-hitting authorities adverts warning European youngsters concerning the risks and embarrassments of binge consuming, and the sturdy hyperlink between alcohol and violence.
Gen Z, like all new generations, can be searching for to outline themselves as what their mother and father aren’t. And plenty of Gen Zs grew up with mother and father that drank to extra.
Not like earlier generations Gen Z don’t have as a lot peer strain to drink alcohol. Picture supply: iStock
Lastly, Gen Z embraces variety excess of earlier youth cohorts. For my Technology (X) and older Millennials, there was an enormous quantity of peer strain to drink alcohol. In distinction, Gen Z is extra accepting and respectful of particular person variations and decisions.
3 alternatives to focus on a sober curious cohort
Massive alcohol firms are in a race towards time to evolve into ‘whole beverage’ gamers, reasonably than counting on alcohol income alone. Listed here are three sure-fire methods for them to focus on Gen Z:
1. Goal a greater diversity of non-alcoholic need-states
Whereas low/no alcoholic beers are perfect for refreshment and summer season hydration, alcohol firms ought to take a look at creating non-alcoholic ‘spirits’, ‘cocktails’ and ‘wines’ to focus on different sober Gen Z events akin to stress-free evenings in, ‘excessive tempo’ nights out and mealtime accompaniments.
2. Calm an anxious cohort
Gen Z has long-struggled with anxiousness because of rising up with their smartphones. Not like earlier generations, Gen Z is consciously selecting to not use alcohol to calm their nerves, and this creates an area for purposeful non-alcoholic manufacturers.
Corporations ought to spend money on elements that ship calm, whether or not that be adaptogens, as utilized by Bella Hadid’s Kin Euphorics ‘to handle stress’. Or Sentia, which claims to control the GABA area of the mind to mimic that first drink of the evening however with out consuming any alcohol.
3. Goal Gen Z with premium alcohol choices
Lastly, alcohol firms want perspective. Gen Z might spend much less on alcohol however the overwhelming majority of them do nonetheless drink alcohol. As Gen Z’s buying energy will increase, firms can goal them with ‘high quality over amount’ messaging, and with thrilling innovation which triggers their FOMO, akin to a visible ‘wow issue’ (eg an alcoholic drink with glitter or altering color).
For extra ideas on Gen Z, Mintel purchasers can learn my five-part collection on Gen Z and what they imply for food and drinks. For non-clients, please go to the Mintel Retailer.
