Consumer Behaviour: Nielson Poll on Craft Purchasing Habits

We’ve spoken a lot on the topic of craft beer over the last few months, especially since the government announced their plans to increase exposure of craft brews in the LCBO. Over the last few years in particular, craft beer sales have surged in the province, and beer-drinkers are, now more than ever, opting more often for smaller local breweries for a taste of something different. 

Back in July, Nielsen released the results of a poll that examined consumer behaviour and purchasing habits with regard to craft beer. The results are pretty impressive. Here are just a few highlights from the poll, which surveyed more than 1,000 drinkers:

-         How many drink craft beer, and how often? 58% percent of those surveyed drink craft beer at least once per week. More than 25% drink craft beer several times per week, whereas the other 42% were identified as ‘less-than-weekly’ drinkers.

-         Does ‘craft’ matter? 30 percent of craft beer drinkers associate the word ‘quality’ with ‘craft.’

-          52% of respondents who drink beer said local production is at least ‘somewhat important’ when deciding which craft beers to purchase. This is compared to only 23% of those respondents who said being locally made mattered when they purchased spirits.

-         44% of regular craft beer drinkers reported drinking more craft beer than they did last year.

-         What prompts their purchasing decision? When choosing which craft beer to buy, 99% of respondents said flavour was important; 94% said freshness was important and 79% said aroma was a factor.

-         What to drink: When making a purchasing decision on-premise, 73% of craft beer drinkers surveyed said getting the beer on draft was important. 71% of drinkers said price was a factor; 67% cited local production as being important and 64% said product familiarity was important.

-         On average, craft beer drinkers purchase 3.6 brands per month, according to the survey. 15% of respondents also said they purchase 10 or more brands per month.

You can read more about the poll here: http://www.brewbound.com/news/2015/nielsen-poll-examines-craft-purchasing-habits?utm_source=Brewbound&utm_campaign=4baadd9b26-mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6026cb3473-4baadd9b26-168857761.

So, when it comes to craft beer and consumer behaviour, what do these results mean? Firstly, competition is rising, and with more breweries opening up and more craft brew being purchased and consumed, buyers are becoming more selective. They know what they like and why they like it, but they are also willing to try new brands.

How to compete: aside from taste, your brand packaging is one of the most important things to consider when it comes to influencing consumer behaviour. As mentioned, drinkers are willing to try something new, and if your packaging is unique, engaging and eye-catching, people will be more likely to pick your brand over your competitor’s.  Your packaging carries your distinct message that sets you apart from your competition.

At PTI, we have experience designing and manufacturing custom packing for craft beer - packaging that grabs attention and influences consumer behaviour. We can help you compete. Call us today at 1-800-303-5883. 

Cracking the Code to Consumer Behaviour

It is a constant struggle - a balancing act - trying to determine the reasons behind consumer behaviour and why an individual buys what they buy and building a marketing strategy to match. The truth is, many consumers are not always aware of their reasons for certain purchases. Sure, some purchases are made for logical reasons, price as an example, but other times these actions are unconscious and the result of more base instincts and subconscious cues. Sometimes, what a customer says they want and what they really want can differ dramatically - and therein lies the challenge. Figuring out the behaviour and influencing factors is the key to cracking the code to consumer behaviour.

Ok, so where do you start, and how can you then work on those subconscious cues as well as the conscious ones? The answer lies in our frontal lobe - the part of the brain that deals with making logical decisions and higher mental processes. Emotional response, problem solving, and planning are all managed here. But wait - the subconscious comes from the limbic system - so how do we target both? And when did packaging become about biology?

Emotion is key in the marketing game. When you can create an emotional connection for the customer, their behaviour will be impacted. Take this great WestJet advertisement - think about how it impacted the company’s brand image: 

By pulling on the heart strings, a deeper level of connection is made and customers remember that connection.

Another increasingly popular method for explaining consumer behaviour is through neuromarketing, a new field of marketing research that is making waves as far as exploring and understanding why people purchase what they do. Things like eye tracking (to measure eye activity) and facial coding (measuring facial expressions) are just two of the neuromarketing methods being utilized.

Want to know more about the psychology of the supermarket? Check out this great article from Nunwood: http://www.nunwood.com/the-psychology-of-the-supermarket/.  In it, the author goes into great detail about what impacts and influences consumer behaviour, looking at everything discussed here and more. It is really worth a look if you are looking for further clarification on any of the above mentioned points.

Mastering consumer behaviour is becoming increasingly difficult, but our knowledge of the psychology of the supermarket has also grown. Harnessing the power of colour psychology or neuromarketing is a great way to keep that competitive edge.

For more about consumer behaviour and how to target with your packaging, please call Packaging Technologies Inc. today at 1-800-303-5883.