People’s drinking habits evolve over the course of their lives, and this isn’t just due to their changing taste buds. I asked Rod Gillies, marketing specialist at The Borders Distillery, why people’s taste in whiskies evolve throughout their lives, and how alcohol is marketed differently to different age groups. He also explains how alcohol marketers strategically position their brands to target specific age groups of whiskey drinkers.
The College Drinker (Aged 18-21)
Let’s look at a key demographic of whisky drinkers, Caucasian males. When men reach the age of 18 (the legal age for alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom), they’re just starting to legally drink alcohol. They might be in college, where they’ll let loose, go to college parties, and buy cheap beer. Vodka is the spirit of choice as it is flavourless and mixes well with juice, soda, and lemonade. Their drink choices at this stage revolve around easy-drinking sweeter tastes or party drinks that suit higher-energy occasions. Examples include Desperados Tequila Beer or vodka which can be easily mixed with sweet tasting mixers. Drinking is more about fitting in with the mood or occasion rather than the functionality of getting drunk.
The Young Professional Drinker (Aged 22-29)
At the age of 22, men are just entering the professional workforce. At this stage in life they’re more likely to be out late, in a large group, and in places where the music is loud. Drinks are about being easy-to-drink and fitting the mood. Drinks are much less likely to be the focus of attention. Ready-to-drink beverages such as WKD Blue and VK Blue are the drinks of choice at this age.
However, as men grow older they’ll subconsciously move away from bright neon coloured beverages packed with sugars and artificial flavours. It’s during their early to late twenties that they’ll embark on their whiskey journeys. One of the whiskey brands positioned for this age group is Jack Daniel’s. This isn’t surprising since the Jack Daniel’s brand embodies cool, southern, all American charm. Jack Daniel’s has a strong social media presence where they highlight the production process of their Tennessee whiskey. This strategy draws in a more youthful crowd of drinkers who want to feel engaged with their drink brands. Jack Daniel’s branded shirts, hats, and other merchandise are also popular with younger generations.
The Cool Dad Drinker (Aged 30-45)
Going into their thirties, men will have often established their careers and families. Believe it or not, these changes will be reflected in their drinking habits too. Instead of going out on weekends, men in this age group are more likely to entertain a small group of friends at home.
Whereas the whiskey of choice was previously Jack Daniel’s, men will start expanding their whisky range with more mature choices such as bourbon whiskies. Bourbon whiskies are made with at least 51% corn. The high corn content, makes bourbons sweeter and easier to drink compared to other whiskey styles like scotch.
Challenges of Marketing Whisky to Younger Drinkers
Marketing Scotch whiskey to younger drinkers is particularly difficult for alcohol marketing teams. The first issue is flavour. Scotch is often peated, which gives it a smoky leathery quality that is an acquired taste for many.
The second issue is price. Scotch is generally more expensive than bourbon, which is why it is not commonly used in cocktails. Since Scotch whisky is more expensive and has more history and tradition attached to it, consumers often feel that it is a drink that “cannot be mixed” or “is too strong”. This gives the impression that Scotch has less mixability than bourbon.
The last issue is perception. Scotch whisky is viewed as an old man’s drink. It is something one might have with their grandfather on special occasions like Christmas. Affluence plays a role in drinking habits as well. Many younger adults may enjoy exploring the whiskey category, but they might only get to the stage where they can afford to explore and discover new expensive whiskies when they are older and have more pocket money.
The Middle-Aged Drinker (Aged 46-65)
As men age into their late forties and beyond, their whisky choices will reflect their maturity. They will have expanded their whisky ranges over the last few years with blended whiskies and Irish whiskies. They might still find Single Malt Scotch to be a bit too pretentious to drink regularly, but will have it from time to time. Try as alcohol marketers might, Single Malt Scotch may never be able to entirely shake off its reputation as an old man’s drink.
Marketing Push for Blended Whisky Cocktails
Alcohol advertisers are trying to appeal to younger drinkers by positioning their blended Scotch whiskies as being more similar to bourbons. Advertisers want to show that blended Scotch whiskies are highly mixable. If people use whiskey more often to make cocktails such as highballs, then they are drinking more whiskey. This of course means that distilleries are selling more whiskey and making more money. For example, if we go to the Borders Distillery website and look at their product page for Lower Eastside whisky (a blended scotch whisky), the first two lines in the description are:
“Made in Scotland. At home in a Manhattan.”
“Lower East Side mixes effortlessly, wherever it finds itself.”
The first two lines emphasize the mixability of the Lower Eastside as it is “at home in a Manhattan [cocktail]” and “mixes effortlessly wherever it finds itself.”
Similarly, in the product description for Johnny Walker Black Label we again see an emphasis on its mixability.
“This Scotch is great when enjoyed on its own and bursts into life in Highball cocktails. Johnnie Walker Black Label is an iconic whisky that is great to share on any occasion, whether you’re mixing up whisky cocktails at home or out celebrating with friends.”
On their homepage you will also find a section dedicated to “Whisky Cocktails”, which suggests that Scotch whisky distilleries are keen to have people start using their Scotch in cocktails.
The Silver Fox Drinker (Aged 65+)
Men over 65 may be retired at this stage in their lives. Their taste buds are not what they used to be, and they enjoy flavours that they didn’t enjoy as young men. One of these flavours being Single Malt Scotch Whisky. They may have acquired a taste for it, and it is regularly included in their drinking lineup.
As our target consumers mature, they tend to socialize in smaller groups of closer friends and family. They are more often at home or in the homes of others. Food becomes increasingly important as the event around which everyone gathers. This means there is more opportunity for conversation. The flavour and experience of food and drink became one of the key things people talk about. In this context, it is easy to understand how smaller groups and more conversational occasions will naturally lead towards drinks which have a unique taste, a good story, or “something worth talking about”. This explains why whisky, especially Single Malt Whisky, tends to be enjoyed by older drinkers.
While whisky, particularly Single Malt Whisky, is traditionally viewed as a pretentious old man’s drink, increasingly we see younger people drinking Single Malt Whiskies. The picture I’ve painted here is by no means static or true for every person. More so than age, the types of socializing occasions each age group tends to have is the key driver in drink choices, and how brands position themselves in the alcohol market. Again, I’d like to thank Rod Gillies, whose knowledge and marketing experience formed the basis of this post.
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