According to research from CGA by NielsenIQ, more than three-in-five of Australian consumers are ‘more likely’ to experiment with drink choices in bars, restaurants and pubs.
Thirty-eight per cent of Australian consumers also stated that they like to experiment and enjoy trying new drinks while visiting the on-premise.
And this analysis is also telling for the retail sector – as half of these consumers also said that if they had enjoyed a new drink in the on-premise, they were likely to buy the same drink in a supermarket or bottle shop.
Sixty-two per cent of this group of respondents said that they’d be more likely to repeat purchase in the on-premise too.
The data was presented in CGA’s Australia On Premise Consumer Pulse report, which examines behaviours and motivations of 750 consumers each month, to determine sentiment, past and planned visits and purchasing habits.
For drinks brands, there’s evidence that new product launches are resonating with drinkers, as over half of those surveyed said that they had noticed a new product or branded event in on-premise venues in the previous quarter. In particular, CGA found that NPDs were more noticeable in in the RTD, NOLO and beer categories.
For James Phillips, CGA’s Director of Client Solutions: Asia Pacific, this is evidence that drinks brand should continue to value the on-premise as an arena for activations and events.
“Drinks brands need to work hard to optimise product launches and enhance brand experiences in venue to cut through the noise, particularly in the RTD and beer categories,” Phillips said.
“Brand activations in this channel can be a great promotional tool for drinks suppliers to leverage consumer engagement and build positive positioning, but brands need to explore during which occasions consumers are more likely to engage with branded events and which factors will help to drive positive experiences.
“CGA’s solutions across On Premise data and insights can help suppliers understand how to both optimise branding activations, promotions and marketing materials – and how to measure the effectiveness of these activities,” Phillips continued.
Indeed, CGA found that some 60 per cent of consumers trialling a new product did so after exposure to them in the on-premise channel – a high conversion rate from NPD, and branded or merchandised events.
The Australia On Premise Consumer Pulse report also detailed that visits to the on-premise remain stable, with two-in-five consumers going out the same amount as usual. Those consumers who are going out more often than normal saying they were doing so to ‘treat themselves’, ‘try new places’ or because ‘they are less concerned about COVID-19’.
The full report can be accessed here.