At Spearhead, we continue to grow not only in innovation but also in our knowledge of the growth in industry. Over the course of the last few weeks, Lana Toler, Marketing and Innovation Manager, has had the opportunity to attend some top-line RTD-focused webinars with BevAlc Insights/Drizly and Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
On March 24, Drizly hosted BevAlc Insights’ One Year Post Lockdown: What We’ve Learned and What’s Next for Retailers webinar. This webinar took a deeper dive into the lasting impact of the pandemic on the alcohol industry with featured speakers from Lewenberg, along with leaders from Constellation Brands and Georgio’s Liquors. Kristin TerHorst from Constellation Brandsprovided some resonating notes about the “Cross Category Blur” during the course of the webinar. She stated that brands need to use clear messaging to illustrate what sets products apart. Also, as we continue to discuss new ways for gifting (such as eCommerce), Drizly is reporting higher delivery gifting by more than 54%. That alcohol eCommerce boom is also driven by new consumers entering the space (up by 167%). Read more from BevAlc Insights recent article.
On March 25, The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States presented a live webinar: ABC’s of RTDs – How Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Are Changing the Marketplace. As we all know, everyone is entering the RTD business… the three major consumer motivations when selecting their RTD are flavor, cocktail and alcohol base per the IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. RTD Cocktails have expanded in international markets and are an emerging category for the U.S. This webinar focused on how the U.S. can apply lessons learned from overseas to further develop RTD cocktails into a stronger category in the coming years. DISCUS and a panel of industry partners, discussed the past, present and the future of RTD cocktails. One top insight that Lana took away from the segment was from Heather Boyd from Beam Suntory. She shared that an RTD’s are beginning to move “beyond the backyard”, they are an emerging dynamic.
The RTD category is expected to benefit from continued ‘strong performance’ in the U.S. The Spearhead Group looks forward to being a part of this growing market.