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Your dry January best intentions have inevitably failed and New Year habits are falling away. Now is the time for drink brands to decide which resolutions to keep.
We believe every brand needs a challenger mindset and 2017 is the time to stop responding to trends and start building better habits.
If there’s one habit to build this year it’s innovation, specifically in your serves. That means more than just a headline drink at London Cocktail week.
Consumers and customers have made their needs clear.
2016 was such an interesting year, not just because of the obvious trends, but their confluence and its opportunity. We are health conscious people, far more interested in drinking experiences than drinking excessively and because of this; paying a little more is worthwhile. The hunt for quality over quantity is on.
Demands for discovery have led to experimentation in traditional drinks. Craft beers, the accelerating rise of cocktail culture and the appearance of avocado in bar menus. Perfect serves aren’t enough anymore.
Experience is the new luxury. Whether for a selfie or private indulgence, the on-trade is lifting their game. Meanwhile, Ryan Chetiyawardana (AKA Mr Lyan) might just have cracked premium premix for the off-trade, catering for those homebound millennials who’ve just become mum and dad. Drinks are the new rituals.
So what does this mean for you?
If your plan involves another year of pushing a dusty perfect serve, here’s a five-point plan to get you started.
- Are your tools creating experiences for consumers that your customers can deliver?
- How are you empowering your consumers and customers to innovate with your brands?
- Have you challenged yourself and your agency to look at more than just trends, but the confluence of trends?
- Can you delve into the archives, pull out a classic and give it a reboot?
- Iteration is key. Build a strategic plan yes, but have you considered how to change tactically to meet changing consumer needs?