There’s a lot going on for consumers these days and we are now seeing the impact of not only the pandemic but also the current economic uncertainty driven by inflation and high interest rates. Consumers are fatigued and feeling overwhelmed as the multi-crisis environment takes its toll…these feelings are sadly becoming the normal state of mind.
They’re tired, heck, we’re all tired, which is why consumers are desperate for a connection and this connection to brands is vital and more important than ever. There is safety in the familiar. The fear of missing out or FOMO, is also no longer relevant as consumers actively and purposely look to miss out, or as it’s termed now, JOMO, where they find joy in missing out.
We have heard a lot about what’s old is new again and this is partly driven by this trend, whereby old favourites can provide much needed comfort and some reassurance. Craft beer plays beautifully in this space as the familiar and somewhat safe option amongst a sea of innovation and high-voltage messaging within the RTD and Spirit categories particularly.
Creating a warm, welcoming and familiar space within your taproom absolutely supports this need from consumers. Could you look at creating some quiet and relaxing spaces within your taproom, even to the extent of promoting quiet hours, as opposed to happy hours, where consumers will be guaranteed a wonderfully relaxed space where they can happily tap out for a period of time.
As consumers are also on high alert for the next thing that may be thrown their way, they are preparing for change, particularly when it comes to financial preparation. Leveraging an oldie but goodie promotion technique the supermarkets have employed for years, the EDLP (Every Day Low Pricing) strategy, by selecting a couple of your beers that are promoted as Inflation beers with an EDLP price locked could be a really effective way to demonstrate support and understanding of exactly what your consumers are going through.
Whatever you do, it’s noisy out there and consumers are begging for some peace and quiet!