News! News that may confirm fears! News that may present new opportunities! A report, published by KAM Insights, has found that, when out at the pub with friends, 50% of UK consumers would rather have two so-called “mid-strength” drinks than one full-strength one. The report, entitled The Mid Strength Opportunity, also finds that 13% of consumers are “coasting”, meaning they’re drinking more mid-strength drinks throughout the evening, so they can stay out for longer and keep tabs on how much alcohol they’re consuming.
There’s talk that this presents an “opportunity” to develop the mid-strength category to meet this demand, but what defines a “mid-strength” drink? Well, there’s no legal definition, and the report doesn’t land on an official ABV range, either. It focuses on drinks that are two-thirds the strength of a full-strength beer (let’s say 2-3% ABV) and around half the strength of full-strength wine and spirits (6-7% ABV and around 20% ABV, respectively). Not to mention the fact that this report is brought to us by the Mid Strength Collective, a group of 12 businesses that produce and sell mid-strength drinks. I always feel a little cynical towards brand-funded reports whose findings seem to promote – surprise, surprise – a demand for the very brands that funded it.
