Member-only story
How To Ethically Market Alcohol Products
It’s not about politics, it’s about who you talk to and how
There are laws for marketing alcohol products. Many are implied in western countries but are becoming more well-known around the globe. Given alcohol abuse and alcohol-related health issues, it’s difficult to develop an attractive marketing campaign for alcohol — especially when there are so many restrictions and for good reasons. In this market, there are three different types of consumers.
1. Abusers
These are the consumers who abuse this class D drug for its euphoric effects. They generate the most profit, but at the same time, are the ones the world is trying to eradicate for their own good. An abuser doesn’t pay much attention to the look, taste, or quality of the product, but cares about the volume of alcohol per liter and price. Price is the most important and decisive factor for this type of consumer — they're motivated by the effects of alcohol. For them, the consumption of alcohol is a vice that leaves them wanting more and more to feed the need.
2. Users
These are the consumers motivated by the taste and quality of alcohol. This value of quality over quantity leads this group to spend more than other types of alcohol consumers. Having a glass or two of a good bottle of wine brings them joy. This group is also more influenced by marketing campaigns. Some prefer a certain type of alcohol because of its branding or the way it's marketed. Back in the 80s and 90s, celebrity endorsements were a common marketing tactic (especially for beer).
3. Tasters
Last but not least, we have a group of consumers (or should I say users) that purchase alcohol for cooking and cleaning, not drinking. Many desserts require a small amount of alcohol to provide a distinguished taste. These are the consumers that rarely use these types of products, and therefore, require the most attention from marketing campaigns. As marketers, we don’t intend to turn this group into abusers, but small level users.
Having classified alcohol consumers into three groups, we can better develop marketing campaigns based on their behavior.
