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to 2024) for still wine in the US. This trend is pandemic has amplified the trend towards he-
prompting brand owners to pivot their pro- alth and wellness. Together, these issues have
duct offerings. We will see an evolution of acted as major drivers of the organic, biody-
wine, with brand owners leaning towards namic, and low-intervention wine movement.
more casual offerings that bring the catego- “With the pandemic highlighting the fragility
ry closer to younger LDA consumers (Latent and vulnerability of our place within the natu-
Dirichlet Allocation is a generative statistical ral world, the focus on ingredients, authenticity,
model that allows sets of observations to be proximity, wellness, and taking care of yourself,
explained by unobserved groups that explain society and the planet, are all climbing fast,” says
why some parts of the data are similar. LDA is Mettyear.
an example of a topic model and belongs to the Now more than ever, alignment with en-
machine learning toolbox and in wider sense vironmental and social issues is a badge of
to the artificial intelligence toolbox) – recent honour for brands, particularly in the minds
findings from Wine Intelligence show that US of younger LDA millennials and Gen Z. The in-
consumers are simplifying their engagement dustry is gradually catching up with consumer
with wine. need, creating the necessary certifications to
With millennial LDA drinkers shifting the instill trust in such products.
dynamics of wine, more accessible pac- Flavour, awareness, and acceptance current-
kaging, and brand messaging, as well as clo- ly hold the no/low category back, but brands
ser alignment with current consumer trends, are increasingly investing in de-alcoholisation
such as health and wellness, moderation, and processes and campaigns to increase consu-
sustainability cues, will drive category rele- mer awareness.
vance.
SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND
A DEMAND FOR TRANSPARENCY ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE
The health and wellness movement has IN THE COURSE
fuelled the no/low alcohol category, but it is Protests against racial inequality this year
also making consumers more conscious of have inspired many of us to change our own
what they drink. We will see a growing need behaviour, as well as adjust our content mar-
for brands to offer more transparency – eve- keting strategies. It is likely that companies
rything from what’s in the liquid and where will make significant efforts to upgrade their
the ingredients are from, to how the liquid is business practices to reach enlightened custo-
made and who makes it. The trend for trans- mers who care about companies‘ attitudes to
parency caters well to the US craft industry in social and environmental sustainability. The-
particular, but it also resonates with adult soft re is no doubt that ethical companies will be
drinks and cannabis beverages that focus on more successful in the long run, which is why
functional benefits. The demand for transpa- significantly more companies will join the mo-
rency feeds into consumers’ growing focus vement next year than before.
on ethical consumption as well, which will How did this trend manifest itself this year?
see brand owners take more accountability More and more brands are taking an anti-con-
for their environmental footprint and social sumer approach and are avoiding, for exam-
responsibility. ple, holiday marketing, a trend that has been
As a result of the pandemic, the importan- going on for several years (remember Black
ce of sustainability has been reinforced in the Friday, for example). Instead, they encourage
minds of consumers. In tandem with increa- customers to spend time on healthier and
sing the focus on environmental concerns, the more fun practices than online shopping.
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