Proving Alcohol Advertising Effectiveness

Prove the ROI of media investments in a highly competitive market

The alcohol market is in flux. The rise of “sober curiosity” and non-alcoholic alternatives has introduced greater competition and market saturation. Our Alcohol Advertising report found that, in 2023, one-fifth of consumers drink non-alcoholic beverages monthly. Consumers are inundated with new choices frequently.

Brands looking to stand out in an increasingly crowded and diversifying marketplace must innovate their messaging and media strategies or risk falling behind competitors. Influencer marketing, experiential activations, and innovations in targeting and personalization have introduced new ways for alcohol advertisers to reach their audience. These shifts, coupled with the importance of cross-channel media mixes, have placed more importance on ad measurement. Brands need to understand campaign impacts at different stages of the marketing funnel to fuel growth.

DISQO’s 2024 Normative Ad Measurement Benchmarks showcase how food and beverage campaigns typically perform on specific metrics, from awareness down to e-commerce activity. Download the report to see full-funnel normative performance for alcohol advertisers. In this article, we’ll provide a sneak peek at how understanding alcohol advertising performance can influence campaign success.

A high bar for alcohol advertising

Alcohol advertising remains a challenge for several reasons, detailed below. Brands looking to move the needle with campaigns need to consider how they can tackle these hurdles in advertising to resonate with their target audience.

• Market Saturation: The alcohol market is inundated with a range of products, ranging from established global brands to emerging local craft options. New product offerings arise all the time - from the explosive growth of hard seltzers, to non-alcoholic alternatives, to ready-to-drink beverages. This saturation makes it challenging for any single brand to stand out. 

• Differentiation: In such a crowded market, brand differentiation is a challenge. Alcohol brands need to develop a unique selling proposition that sets them apart from competitors. Craft breweries, for example, emphasize unique flavors and local ingredients.

• Loyalty: With so many options available, consumers can easily switch brands if they feel it offers better value or aligns more closely with their preferences. Younger demographics are more likely to experiment with new brands and products, so identifying new pathways to loyalty is a must.

Going beyond awareness to understand alcohol advertising campaign performance

Given the challenges we outlined in the previous section, alcohol advertisers need a strong approach to campaign measurement. This includes looking beyond mere brand awareness toward mid-funnel metrics like favorability and purchase intent to gauge where your alcohol brand stands in relation to other options in the market.

Understanding lower-funnel metrics, such as search and site visits, is equally as valuable. They provide a more complete, compelling, and actionable view of campaign performance by delivering insight into the actions consumers take post-exposure.

DISQO normative data on alcohol advertising

DISQO’s 2024 Normative Ad Measurement Benchmarks are based on an increasingly robust set of campaigns across linear, CTV, digital, and social media we’ve measured for our clients. They provide powerful views of brand and outcomes lift that facilitate cross-platform ad effectiveness insights.The breadth and depth of our client base of leading brands, agencies, and media platforms allows us to go even deeper on specific categories and industries. 

For alcohol advertisers, there are some valuable insights to take away: 

• Consumables campaigns drive above-average brand metrics. In the Food & Beverage category specifically, campaigns pack a particular punch on brand consideration with a multiplier of 3.5 compared to overall norms. This is good news given that ads driving top-of-funnel metrics are critical for getting consumers to the store (IRL or online) and spending.
• Down-funnel activities are struggling to keep pace with overall norms. This is likely due to a more competitive landscape. Alcohol advertisers will need to work harder to move the needle down the funnel, whether that’s through more clear calls-to-action around particular products or an easily accessible purchase path through both owned and third-party shopping sites.

Get more insights to prove the effectiveness of alcohol advertising campaigns!

For more insights on how food & beverage campaigns perform on specific metrics across the funnel and how they compare to other industries, download DISQO’s 2024 Normative Ad Measurement Benchmarks. To see how DISQO's ad measurement tools showcase campaign success, check out our case study with Havas Media Network and a major wine brand on how they broke through the crowded alcohol category with messaging and strategy.