strategist
Problem: Gen Z doesn't think alcohol replacement drinks are worth paying for​
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Insight: Real substance is found in life’s little moments
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Strategy: Zero proof doesn’t mean zero substance
**Ghia is a non-alcoholic aperitif made with high-quality ingredients so that you can enjoy the taste without the negative effects of drinking alcohol. It's an independently owned, woman-founded brand. Their products include "Le Spritz", "Aperitif", and "Le Fizz". To learn more about them, check out their website!
The Research
40% of US adults say they're trying to drink less, and Gen Z is leading this charge - people born after 1997 are drinking around 20% less than Millennials did at the same age.
So naturally, "big alcohol" is taking advantage of this. There is a major influx in the number of non-alcohol beverage brands and offerings.
Most (83%) consumers of non-alcoholic drinks are drawn to products that share branding with an alcoholic brand
(ex: Heineken 0.0)
The industry has taken Gen Z's sober curiosity and created a new product out of it, but is this what they really want? To win in this industry, Ghia needs to win with the leaders of the sober curiosity revolution (Gen Z). So, I sought out to find what they saying about Ghia and other NA alternatives.
The Main Takeaway:
Gen Z is skeptical about non-alcoholic alternatives.
They're not sure that they should be spending their money on drinks without alcohol. They don't need something that looks like alcohol to hold at the party because they don't feel that societal pressure to "fit in", and they don't want to spend money on something that costs that much when they can just get a soda or juice that'll do the same job.
PROBLEM: If Gen Z doesn't want to spend money on non-alcoholic beverages in the first place, they're not going to choose a lesser known brand like Ghia when they do.
So what can Ghia do?
The phrase, "Gen Z isn't drinking anymore!" gets thrown around so often, but what do we really know about this phenomenon? I wanted to understand the real reason why Gen Z doesn't drink and how members of the sobriety community feel about their choice. I found that sober/sober-curious Gen Z...
Is genuinely happy without drinking.
70% reported being satisfied with their decision to reduce or cut out alcohol.
Don't need a drink to have fun.
77% say drinking non-alcoholic options doesn't stop them from having a good time when they go out.
Find happiness in other ways.
"I've learned that the happiest I am is in the small, everyday moments with friends." -survey respondent
INSIGHT: Real substance is found in life's little moments
Which is great news for Ghia, because one of their core values is celebrating life's moments, big and small.
"Ghia was made for people who want to drink less but still experience the moment" - Melanie, Ghia's founder
Little moments like...
When it was raining all day but cleared up just in time for us to watch the sunset over the river.
-Interview Participant
Running a marathon when I used to think I'd never be able to finish a 10k
-Interview Participant
Waking up early at the beach to read my book with the perfect view.
-Interview Participant
STRATEGY: Zero proof doesn't mean zero substance
Just because Ghia doesn't contain alcohol, doesn't mean it can't elevate the special moments in life. Let's show Gen Z that Ghia is worth it.
CREATIVE CONCEPT: Great things start with Zero
You may think that zero is a bad thing - it literally means the absence of quantity, or nothingness. But there's more to zero than you think. A lot of great, necessary things that we've come to take for granted actually started with zero. Started with this "nothingness".
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"Great things start with Zero" is a social first campaign to remind consumers of the benefits that Ghia's "0" proof drink provides.