The growth of online grocery shopping throughout the pandemic reminded brands that it’s time to invest in online customer experiences. Read Jeff Snyder’s article in Food Dive on how to reintroduce sampling to the post-pandemic consumer. Read the full article here.

Did you know that Inspira creates compelling custom content for our clients? To kick off St. Patrick's Day, Inspira's Diageo Beer Company team developed this internal video to rally Diageo's Guinness crew and remind them how they - and the brand - persevered over the past two years.  

Alcohol can be part of a balanced lifestyle and play a positive role in social gatherings and celebrations. Misuse of alcohol, on the other hand, can cause serious problems for people, their communities, and society.

When Alcohol Change UK created the Dry January campaign in 2013 to raise money for alcohol abuse and treatment, it likely had no idea of what was to come. Now a global phenomenon, Dry January invites consumers from across the globe to abstain from alcohol for the duration of the month for the sake of their health and their wallets.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the hospitality industry in 2020, consumers are still itching to jet off for a vacation. In fact, according to a recent survey by Nielsen CGA, 77% of U.S. respondents say they will stay at or visit a hotel for a vacation in the coming year. While that is certainly welcome news for hotels, it remains true that the pandemic will have a lasting impact on the ways in which guests choose their destinations and spend time during their stays.

According to research from Silicon Valley Bank, short-term expectations for wine industry growth were tempered prior to the pandemic. An oversupply coupled with diminishing demand is expected to lead to a discounting of wines and grapes alike. Though that's negative news for sellers, at face value, the availability of great wines at great prices could create opportunity when it comes to the historically thrifty Millennial demographic. However, to win over these consumers, wine producers will need to better understand their mindsets and engage with them accordingly. Our research uncovered the Experience Enhancer mindset as a prime opportunity for growth. Below, we explore this consumer to better understand their lifestyle and how wine brands can most effectively engage them.

The past few years have marked a time of major change in the alcoholic beverage industry. From the summertime explosion of hard seltzers to increased focus on sustainability in the on and off premise, it's clear that consumers' priorities are ever-changing. But who is it that is driving these changes? Social listening tells us that women are leading the way when it comes to the alcohol industry's shift towards health-conscious beverages and an eco-friendly focus.

According to analysis from UBS, the hard seltzer category is currently a $550 million business, and it could be worth up to $2.5 billion by 2021. Likewise, Nielsen tells us that the category has grown 200% over the past year, with 164.3% of that coming from the month of July alone. Added together, these numbers seem to confirm what we’ve already seen with our eyes this summer: hard seltzer is here to stay.

No matter what category your brand operates in, it’s likely that one thing rings true: consumers are more interested than ever in trying the “new thing.” Earlier this summer, we highlighted some of the new and exciting beverages that are popular with consumers this season. However, as trends are wont to do, many of these beverages will recede into the background as seasons change.

Recent years have brought us constant innovation in the adult beverage category, offering consumers with a litany of options to choose from outside of the tried-and-true favorites. While that’s great news for those of us looking to test out tasty, new beverages, it presents an issue for brands: how do you stand out in a sea of clutter?