Brew feminised packs to profit from drinking trend

Fuelled by a generation of thirsty young women, Britain is set to continue hosting the biggest ‘drinking out’ party in Europe, says a report out this week. If brands are to profit, designers need to respond to this increasing femininity of the market.

According to the Datamonitor report, spending on drinks in bars, cafés and restaurants around the country is set to increase by almost 10 per cent in the next five years to £29.1 billion, or £625 per Briton.

British women aged between 18 and 24 are the largest group of drinkers in Europe, downing an annual 203 litres each, compared to the 63 litres each that Italian women of the same age sip (see box). And female consumption of alcohol is set to increase by almost 27 per cent over the next five years.

‘The feminisation of alcohol has had the single biggest impact on the trade,’ claims Datamonitor consumer market analyst Danielle Rebelo, author of the report.

She highlights the trend for more diversified drinking establishments, including eateries and Mediterranean-style cafés and points to the success of ‘feminised’ drinks such as Archers and Kronenburg Blanc.

Design Bridge group creative director Graham Shearsby says the industry is beginning to ‘get in touch with its feminine side’.

He points to the launch of Green King’s Beer To Dine For (DW 22 July, pictured), which has been designed for a gastro pub environment and features a ‘lighter, elegant style’ and carafe-style bottle.

The consultancy also designed packaging for Remy Martin’s premium liqueur sub-brand RemyRed (pictured), which targets a female African American audience and took its cues from premium cosmetic packaging rather than packaging created by its competitors.

‘It was inspired by Chanel lipstick and the factors that make it glamorous,’ says Shearsby. But, he says, you need to be subtle. ‘You need a lightness of touch. A little bit of gold goes a long way.’

Lewis Moberly strategic planning director Hilary Boys also counsels against solutions where ‘the brief shows through rather than the personality of the brand ‘.

Boys points to Veuve Clicquot’s handbag-style outer packaging, lined with a Pucci-style fabric, as an ‘acceptable way of appealing to a female audience’.

‘You can take more liberties with the outer packaging. [Veuve Clicquot] hasn’t touched the core essence of the brand, but it has successfully recognised the female consumer,’ she says.

Consumption of alcoholic drinks per capita by 18- to 24-year-old women, 2003

Source: Datamonitor