Future-Proofing Beverage Sales

The case for rethinking your alcohol strategy

• Sales volume saw its steepest plunge since 1949, dropping 3.8%. A resilient category no more—this decline signals a fundamental shift in how consumers relate to alcohol.
• An emerging sober-curious movement is driving more people to cut back or opt out of alcohol entirely, not from necessity, but by choice

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What’s Inside

1. Who are the sober-learning vs. drink-leaning consumers?
2. Activations and Content: What is resonating?
3. How Can UX Drive Stronger Brand Connection and Conversion?

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Audience Personas

Who are the sober-learning vs. drink-leaning consumers?

Older drinkers are no longer a sure bet, the54+ age group is defying assumptions about loyalty and consumption

• Younger adults (18–34) are leading the shift toward lower alcohol consumption—but it’s not just a youth trend.
• Older adults are changing too. While it's often assumed that boomers drink more regularly, data shows a rise in non-drinking among those 65+, and for the first time, the 54+ age group has dropped below 20% for those consuming 3–7 drinks per week. This signals that this is not just a trend -it’s taking hold 
across generations.

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Defining audience personas

The alcohol market is now divided between two distinct mindsets

• Sober-Learning: Individuals who abstain or drinkin frequently (0–2 drinks per week)
• Drink-Learning: Individuals who consume alcohol regularly (more than 2 drinks perweek)_‍

‍_{Note: Consumption data reflects Canadian sources. Persona and interest data were pulled globally toensure a sufficient audience sample size.}

Personas by gender

For brand innovation,there's whitespace incrafting non-alcoholic products that appeal to men.

• Women are leading the shift toward lower alcohol consumption. 68% of sober-leaning individuals are female, compared to 51% in the drink-leaning group. This highlights women's key role in driving demand for non-alcoholic, low-ABV, and wellness-oriented beverages.
• At the same time, men make up 32% of the sober-leaning segment. With fewer brands targeting this group, there is a clear opportunity to reach an underserved  audience and fill this market.

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Personas interests affinity

Sober-leaning individuals are shaping their identities through informed choices and lifestyle curation.

• Sober-leaning individuals align strongly with fitness, wellness, and cultural awareness. They show heightened interest in fashion, beauty, fitness, 
and pop culture.
• Alcohol isn’t the only thing they’re stepping away from—many are turning to cannabis as a preferred alternative.
• Brands must lead with values like wellness, style, and conscious living. Products and experiences should reflect self-care, intention, and informed choices.

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Drink-leaning individuals are shaping their experiences around sociability, entertainment, and shared moments.

• Drink-leaning individuals gravitate toward dining out, interactive entertainment, and leisure activities. Alcohol for them is more than a beverage—it’s part of socializing, escapism, and shared experiences.
• High interest in coffee suggests they're open to drink-led moments that 
go beyond alcohol
• Marketing to this group should lean into fun, sociability, and lifestyle integration. Think restaurant activations and gaming or sports campaigns that embed alcohol into entertainment-driven experiences.

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Lifestyle matters more than the product

Drink-leaning individuals are shaping their experiences around sociability, entertainment, and shared moments.

• Drink-leaning individuals gravitate toward dining out, interactive entertainment, and leisure activities. Alcohol for them is more than a beverage—it’s part of socializing, escapism, and shared experiences.
• High interest in coffee suggests they're open to drink-led moments that 
go beyond alcohol
• Marketing to this group should lean into fun, sociability, and lifestyle integration. Think restaurant activations and gaming or sports campaigns that embed alcohol into entertainment-driven experiences.

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Activations & Content

What is resonating?

Beverage brands can align with the growing wave of fashion houses launching branded cafés.

• In times of economic strain, consumers are redefining luxury—shifting from materialism to “petite luxury”: smaller, more meaningful indulgences.
• Enjoying a $12 zero-proof cocktail in a couture café is seen as aspirational, with fashion cafés like Marchesi by Prada and Le Café Louis Vuitton already offering refined no-alcohol options.

Rapid Rise in Couture Cafe: Louis Vuitton – Le Café V , Dior – Café Dior ,Gucci Osteria, Emporio Armani Caffè, Prada – Marchesi

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Telling a story content that converts

Content that combines education with spectacle or humor consistently drives the highest organic reach—averaging over 36K views.

• Audiences are drawn to content that feels useful, surprising, or visually captivating, including:
  
  • Vintage or rare wine openings (e.g. 1900 Tzar Nicholas II wine)
  • Tips and tricks (Glass storage hacks)
  • Behind-the-scenes or processing (e.g. wax dipping wine bottles)
  • Useful at home tips (how to store wine after opening, crafting cocktails with non alcoholic wine)
• Bring your product to life by showcasing the process, history, and practical tips that turn everyday moments into engaging, high-performing content.

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Content that blends aesthetics with experiential storytelling consistently drives the highest engagement rate—averaging over 6% per post.

• The most engaging content today pairs aesthetic appeal with slice-of-life moments and useful takeaways audiences can apply. This includes:
  
  • Romantic or aspirational wine moments (Travel, sunset & deep talks)
  • Life hacks (straightener as a bottle opener)
  • Sensory or vibe-driven clips (decanting wine, ASMR sounds)
  • Food pairings with gourmet flair (sous vide steak with wine)
• Bring your product to life by combining craft, context, and clever hacks that transform everyday moments into high-impact, scroll

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Telling a story messaging

There is a shift in how moderation is defined. It’s not just about cutting back, but about drinking with purpose.

• Social media sentiment leans slightly positive (+0.12), with a balanced mix of facts and personal views (0.48 on a subjectivity scale).
• While some users express caution, many support occasional, mindful drinking, with positive sentiment tied to themes like joy, social connection, and 
self-awareness.
• Brands should align with this evolving mindset by positioning products within lifestyle frameworks that value intention, transparency, and holistic wellness.

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Website Analysis

How Can UX Drive Stronger Brand Connection and Conversion?

For digital wine retailers, a clear homepage and seamless navigation to product categories—especially non-alcoholic options—are critical to driving conversion.

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Telling a story UX rules that convert

Navigation is key to a great user journey . Good UX strategy should guide discovery 
of new categories while making it easy for users to engage with what they’re 
already seeking..

Breaking Hick’s Law: More Choices mean slower decisions, keep it simple

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Want to Dive Deeper Into LinkedIn?

The insights in this report are just the start. We can help you:

• Activate audience personas: We’ll help you go deeper into sober-leaning vs. drink-leaning audiences, uncovering what drives them and where they’re most active online, so you can meet them where they already are.
• Craft content that connects: We’ll help you develop content strategies built around educational, humorous, and experiential storytelling—the formats driving the most engagement for both sober-leaning and drink-leaning audiences.
• Find the right influencers: We’ll help you source creators who align with your audience’s values—whether it’s wellness, nightlife, or lifestyle—and guide your influencer content strategy
• Turn storytelling into sales: Great content builds interest, but great UX converts. We’ll guide you on optimizing your content journey—think smarter search, shoppable layouts, and frictionless navigation.

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Who is RightMetric?

A strategic insights partner combining audience, content, and channel research to provide mission-critical intelligence to marketing strategists.

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APPENDIX

Our Data Sources.

We’ve partnered with 25+ of the world’s best marketing data sources, some of which are shown to the right.
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Why this matters:
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To accurately identify and understand trends, we need holistic data sources that cover all relevant channels on the internet. Observation isn’t enough to come to robust conclusions. Empirical data must be part of the process. For a deeper dive into our source data—which underpins the findings of this report— check out RightMetric’s “Our Data” page.

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How the Audience Profile™ Methodology Works