Alcohol & Spirits Influencer Marketing

Alcohol and spirits brands once spoke to the masses with glossy TV ads and billboards, but now new growing alcohol marketing strategies are sweeping the industry in the form of influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing pulls in big business for brands, explaining why the global influencer marketing spend hit $7 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $8.08 billion by 2024.

Alcohol and Spirits businesses have discovered they can collaborate with content creators to create impactful and memorable campaigns affordably.

The result?

Better niche targeting, engaged followings, and brand humanization, just to name a few fantastic benefits.

But despite the rewards to be had from influencer marketing, many brands shy away from working with content creators, citing unfamiliarity with the regulations and best practices. Yet, with the right strategy and expert help, you can avoid pitfalls and thrive with influencer marketing, whether you’re selling alcohol, spirits, or anything in between. So, join as we share some reasons why influencer liquor marketing is crucial for achieving champagne popping success in today’s alcohol and spirits markets, some key trends to watch, and some top tips for victory. Let’s dive in!

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Why Influencer Marketing Is a Must for Alcohol and Spirit brands

Cash in on the online alcohol buying trend

Online alcohol sales have been growing over the years and spiked by 33% globally during the pandemic. However, as the world reopens, the upward trend shows no signs of slowing down. Markets like the US are tipped to see a six-fold increase in eCommerce alcohol sales from 2021-2024, accounting for 7% of total alcohol purchases (up from 1% in 2019). Get your brand in early on this profitable trend by blending influencer marketing, social commerce, and eCommerce.

Give your brand identity beyond the shelves

For years, consumers have weighed up one brand over another by how they looked on the shelf and in commercials. So, brands have sought to stand out with elaborate packaging and ads, causing fierce competition. Influencer marketing allows your brand to differentiate your brand from the rest by displaying your products in numerous natural settings that your target customers can relate to and engage with influencers they trust.

Reach your target audience and discover profitable sub-niches

When you partner with an influencer marketing agency, you open a floodgate of opportunity. Not only can you pursue your dream audience, but your targeting can be more granular to test sub-niches than you could with other marketing methods. These groups can end up being ultra-profitable and largely untapped due to alcohol and spirits still being relatively new to the influencer marketing world.

Educate to differentiate

Influencer marketing gives you the chance to show your products in action. Let prospects and customers know how your products are made, how they mix, and what makes them special from the rest. This approach will help prospects and customers build greater affinity with your brand. Plus, you can even create a thriving community around your products where your customers become your advocates, sharing tips, recipes, and recommendations.

Trends to Watch in the Alcohol and Spirits Industries

At home drinking

Drinking in the comfort of our own homes was accelerated by the pandemic, with 40% of US consumers actively looking for cocktail kits at the end of 2020. And the best part is it isn't going away any time soon. A combination of affordable alcohol, convenience, easy online purchasing, and caution around re-entering public spaces will keep this revenue stream alive. Consumers are also experimenting with newer alcohol types like ready-made cocktails, causing the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails consumption to grow by 43% in 2020. The RTD market continues to scale by 3% annually and is forecasted to reach around $32 billion by 2024's close.

The rise of brand values

Consumers are starting to pay closer attention to every alcohol brand mission and values. It's no longer enough to provide high-quality drinks. Consumers now want to know the impact brands are having on society and the environment. They're also keen to learn about the steps they're taking to make the world a better place. Some consumers feel so strongly about having aligning values with a brand that they make purchase decisions based on them.

Pushing boundaries in Tequila

There's a rise in female liquor masters from different ethnicities who prove alcohol distilling isn't a man's game but instead for passionate and driven entrepreneurs from all genders and walks of life. Trailblazers like Nayana Ferguson of Teeq Tequila, founded the first black-woman-owned tequila brand, and Kumiko Zimmerman's Don Sueños, launched the first Japanese woman-owned Tequila. Also, sisters and best friends Kat Hantas, Nicole Emanuel, and Sarika Singh teamed up to shake up the tequila industry with all-natural, fruit-infused Tequila under their brand 21Seeds. These female entrepreneurs turn social norms upside down by making big, bold moves in a male-dominated industry. There's no doubt their progress will only continue as the Tequila market is booming. Tequila sales have grown by 22% since 2014 and are set to hit $14.7 billion by 2028, thanks to strategies like premiumization. Brands are riding the Tequila wave by bringing out new flavors, blends, and distilling techniques. Plus, this alcohol type has become social media famous, with #tequila gaining 4 billion views and counting on TikTok.

Premiumization

Over the past few years, there's been an increase in premium alcohol launches. With the pandemic giving consumers more disposable income coupled with consumers' desire to experiment, shoppers have begun to spend elsewhere like home activities and indulgences. Brands are capitalizing on this opportunity through premiumization, whether that's offering an upgraded version of an existing product or a new offering entirely like flavored Tequila and sustainable beer.

Alcohol alternatives

Non-alcoholic and low alcohol drinks are on the rise as some consumers pursue healthier lifestyles. This market's sales grew by 32.7% in 2020. Healthier drinking options are causing a stir because they give shoppers the best of both worlds. For example, health-conscious consumers can now enjoy alcohol-free cider, beer, wine, and cocktails. They can enjoy the taste of alcohol while maintaining their health goals. Plus, alcohol alternatives have a great mental impact on teetotal individuals since they won't feel excluded from the fun when socializing as they'll have drinking options.

Tips for influencer marketing success

Know your customers inside out

When it comes to influencer marketing companies and how to reach the right audience, the best thing you can do to improve your success is research, research, research. Learn about your customers' behaviors at every customer journey stage. Study things like your customer's:

State of mind
Wants and needs
Concerns and frustrations

Then work to inform and guide prospects through dedicated influencer campaigns for each customer journey stage. For example, if you sell a premium wine, you could have influencer campaigns that walkthrough:

How and where your products are made, including fun visits to factories and offices.
The ingredients you incorporate with trips to farms and vineyards.
Charitable and sustainability-linked initiatives your company is involved in.
What makes your products the best blended with user-generated content and testimonials.
Inspirational campaigns are highlighting different settings people drink in.
Where customers can find your products, including trips to key distributors.

Target the right audiences and choose the right platform

It's crucial you pinpoint who you want to speak to and go where they hang out most online. This approach will give you the best chance at driving engagement and conversions. However, note some platforms like TikTok don't allow alcohol marketing. So, to be on the safe side, ensure you promote to audiences where at least over 71.6% of people are 25 years old and above and follow any regulations in your country. This is where an experienced influencer marketing agency like Open Influence helps you meet your legal obligations while creating impactful influencer campaigns).

Create campaigns around memories and experiences

Aim to make your campaigns memorable and relatable by using hobbies and experiences your target audience does in their daily lives. This tactic will help your target customers see how and where they would use your product. It'll also spark positive emotions and allow consumers to connect your brand with the "good days," making it more likely they'll click through to your brand and kickstart their customer journey. For example, people tend to drink at social gatherings like weddings, on vacation, and dinner with friends. Again, knowing your target audience will help you pick out the best experiences and hobbies to feature in your campaigns.

Choose influencers that fit your brand style and personality

Dedicate time to find influencers that align with your brand's style, voice, and mission. Working with lifestyle influencers can work well here to help portray a lifestyle your target customers want to live. Be experimental in your content formats to up your viewership and engagement and reach your target customers in the ways they like to consume content. It may seem like a lot of effort to diversify your content, but it pays dividends. Here are a few statistics that show why mixing different content formats is a wise investment:

500 million people use Instagram Stories daily
8% of Americans consume online video content
68% of surveyed consumers liked to engage with image content the most

Also, the setting of your influencer campaign should be suitable to ensure you promote responsible drinking. For example, avoid campaigns promoting drinking in a car, pool, or during a sporting activity.

Make integrity and compliance a priority

To stay in line with your chosen social media platforms' terms of service, be sure to state your influencer campaigns are brand partnerships clearly. Being transparent will also show your target audience that you run an honest and respectable company which goes a long way in building trust. Also, ensure the influencers you work with are of legal drinking and permitted to consume alcohol in the country you are promoting in. Stay informed on the regulations surrounding alcohol promotion in that territory and update your strategies as needed to stay compliant. Finally, offer your influencer guidance on the rules surrounding alcohol promotion so they create complaint campaigns the first time around.

Top-Knotch Influencer Campaigns and Challenges to Inspire Your Own

Yuengling (Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter draft)

America’s oldest brewery, Yuengling worked with Open Influence to raise awareness and create excitement around their relaunch for the Christmas blend, Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter draft. Using 6 food and drink influencers from around the US who have a passion for entertaining at home. Yuengling created posts introducing the collaboration to capitalize on its existing 22-state footprint.

Yuengling (FLIGHT by Yuengling)

Yuengling also worked with Open Influence to promote its low calorie and carb beer range, FLIGHT by Yuengling. This innovative brewery worked with lifestyle, fitness, travel, wellness, and entrepreneurial US-based influencers from around the globe that have raised the bar in aspects of their lives to emulate their cutting-edge drinks. The influencers created Instagram posts and Stories, which pulled in a whopping 1M+ impressions and tons of positive sentiment.

Stella Rose Wines

Working with Open Influence, Stella Rose Wines launched a summer campaign targeting Gen Z (above 21 years old) and Millenials to generate awareness and sales for its wine collection. The influencers came from verticals like art, fashion, food, travel, and lifestyle and produced engaging content in line with monthly product focuses. Consequently, Stella Rose Wines were able to capture and maintain their target audience's attention, making their campaign a resounding hit.

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