Beverage brand owners across the board are being advised to consider their tropical-flavoured options in the US as the Summer kicks off.
In the latest trends report from online alcohol deliverer Drizly, the growing popularity of tropical flavours in the country has made the headlines. “A slew” of recently-released alcohol products from both major brand owners and start-ups is occurring on the company’s website, with established and new entrants proving popular.
Drizly’s ‘BevAlc Insights Team’ warned, however, that companies should steer clear of accusations of appropriating Polynesian culture, by avoiding the use of the term ‘tiki’ in their tropical endeavours.
“The trend we’re seeing is the transition from using the word ‘tiki’ to using the term ‘tropical’,” Campari Group’s portfolio brand ambassador Anne Marie Louise told the company. “We’re seeing that there’s a lot more awareness, respect, and allyship toward the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.”
Elsewhere in the report, Drizly noted that spirits-based RTDs have malt-based hard seltzers in their sights in the country. “RTD cocktails have continued to gain share in 2022, with share expanding 0.6 percentage points year-to-date over the same time period in 2021,” the report states. “Simultaneously, hard seltzers have dropped to 2.9% share year-to-date from 3.3% over the same time period last year.
“The summer season is traditionally the peak sales time for RTDs, as consumers reach for convenient single-serve beverages at gatherings and outdoor events. This season, RTDs may overtake hard seltzers in popularity for the first time.”
Earlier this year, Drizly saw spirits-based RTDs overtake the hard seltzer segment over the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.
For more forecasts from Drizly’s BevAlc Insights Team, click here.
Consumer experience will be the focus for alcohol e-commerce in 2022 – Drizly
