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Sober Curiosity

*live client: The Martin agency through the Brandcenter
*research report


Team: Ben Butler (ST), Jordan Bryant (ST), Dillon Key (ST), Kennedy Thompson (ST)



Background

The Sober Curious movement is centered around cutting back on alcohol for physical or mental health reasons (rather than alcoholism). This trend is fast growing, even if not all its proponents are aware of the term ‘Sober Curious’.


The Ask

Explore the Sober Curious movement. Then, determine how Bud Light Seltzer should reposition its brand in response.


Our Methodology

  • Reading of the book, Sober Curious
  • Secondary Deep Dive
  • 10 IDIs
  • 1 Survey [82 responses]
  • 2 Focus Groups
  • 1 Expert’s Perspective
  • Social Listening
  • A “Clock Exercise”

Our Objectives



 
    1.  Identify the strongest drivers of sober curiosity (1. The Pandemic, 2. The Wellness Movement, 3. Marijuana Use, 4. Changing Generational Perspectives)


  2.  Determine where Bud Light Seltzer is today in the mind of the consumer (casual party drink)


  3.  Give recommendations for how Bud Light Seltzer can use this information to better position themselves in relation to the movement

The Pandemic Increased Sober Interest


23% of Americans reported drinking more to cope with the stress of the Pandemic, but in reaction to the negative effects of increased drinking there has been a sharp reversal.

Individuals Reconsidered Their Relationship with Alcohol

“I’ve been thinking about cutting back on drinking for a while now. The pandemic was the real trigger for me, though. I started drinking too much and then realized I really need to cut back”.
    —  Ian T., 40 (Interviewee)


“I started drinking a lot more during the pandemic and became dependent on it due to my deteriorating mental health… yesterday was my very first day of not drinking in those 2.5 years that I can remember drinking every single day… I plan to stay sober for a while, maybe forever – we’ll see where this newfound mindfulness and confidence takes me”.
    — May (Reddit user)

Online Sober Communities Became More Popular

The use of paid online sober communities has increased rapidly since the onset of the Pandemic. Tempest, charging $41 a month, has seen usership quintuple since 2020.
Informal communities are also on the rise. #SoberTikTok, for instance, has over 944M views while #SoberTok has 866M.

“Wellness” is Connected to Sober Curiosity


The Wellness Movement is a $4.4 trillion gobal industry (as of 2020) and continues to grow. Alcohol is often cast as a villain against physical, mental, and spiritual growth within the movement.


Among the top sobriety influencers, there is a stronger correlation to wellness topics than any other influencer category.

Example posts from 3 of the 5 top Instagram sobriety influencers.

When looking into individual followers of these influencers or members of sober groups, we see a similar correlation to wellness.

Marijuana is Seen as a Favorable Alternative





Weed and alcohol share many use-cases and some consumers are starting to see weed as less risky, and more beneficial, than alcohol.


But Weed’s Effect on Alcohol Usage and Sales is Inconsistent


Research shows that roughly...
  • 1/3 of weed users use it to replace alcohol
  • 1/3 of weed users use it to complement alcohol
  • 1/3 of weed users use it on seperate occassions


Additionally, while some states saw decreased alcohol sales after marijuana legalizations, such as Colorado, others saw increases.
  • Washington was associated with a 24% increase in the purchase of spirits, but a 12% decrease in wine purchases.
  • Colorado was associated with a 13% decrease in purchasing for all alcohol products combined.