Dive Brief:
- Alcoholic beverage manufacturers may be able to capitalize on consumers' increased use of mobile apps that demonstrate how to pair food and alcoholic drinks, including beverages other than wine, according to new research from Canadean.
- More than one-third (35%) of global consumers say food pairing is a driving factor when selecting alcoholic beverages. That behavior is more common among older adults, increasing to 43% of consumers aged 55 and over, compared to younger adults, at 26% of 18 to 24 year olds.
- Manufacturers can use mobile apps and visual-based social media platforms, such as Snapchat and Instagram, to reach those younger consumers and encourage food and alcohol pairings as a way to boost volume sales for wine, beer and spirits, according to Canadean.
Dive Insight:
Food and beverage pairing is becoming more common as consumers demand more exotic and adventurous flavors from food and beverage manufacturers. Alcoholic beverage producers could innovate with flavors for their own products, or they could use mobile apps and social media to show consumers how they can explore flavors by pairing alcoholic products with other foods.
This strategy could lead to partnerships between food and alcoholic beverage brands, in which they feature one another in pairing promotions. It could also be a way to increase engagement by enabling the consumer to have a voice in what food and beverage pairings they enjoy most.
Canadean also recommends manufacturers tap into high-tech innovations like near-field communication (NFC) and augmented reality to use target functionality in their food and alcohol pairing efforts. Diageo's Johnny Walker brand features an intelligent NFC-enabled label that sends food and drink pairing suggestions to consumers' phones.
Alcoholic beverage brands have often been leaders in high-tech marketing promotions, such as virtual reality utilized by brands like Patron tequila or Beam Suntory's Jim Beam. Anheuser-Busch InBev released limited edition bottles of its Oculto tequila-flavored beer that featured illuminated labels using smart label technology and LED lights. Consumers could also scan the Oculto bottles to access a geotargeted web app that promoted digital interaction with the brand, such as awarding prizes for sharing photos.