Hard seltzers may well be the ‘next big thing’ to hit the off-trade, but drinks marketing watchdog the Portman Group has released new guidance on the alcoholic sparkling water drinks after consumer research found just 7% of UK consumers had heard of them.
The drinks are traditionally popular in the US, where ‘hard’ is commonly associated with alcohol, particularly cider. On this side of the Atlantic however, this meaning isn’t currently translating.
In November 2020, the Portman Group commissioned YouGov to carry out consumer polling on perceptions and understanding of the terms ‘hard’ and ‘hard seltzers’. Highlighting their relatively new arrival to the market, 93% of UK consumers had not heard of hard seltzers. In total, less than a quarter (21%) had heard of at least one of ‘hard water’, ‘alcoholic sparkling water’ or ‘hard seltzer’. Polling showed that understanding of the terms associated with alcoholic seltzers was highest in younger consumers aged 18 to 24, perhaps because hard seltzers are specifically targeted at this market.
Over two-thirds (68%) of British consumers didn’t understand whether ‘hard’ was being used to convey either the alcoholic content, alcoholic strength, or both. Additionally, nearly two-thirds (64%) did not feel the term was useful when used to indicate alcoholic content on soft drinks or alcoholic drinks.
In response to these results, the Portman Group has issued specific Hard Seltzer Guidance stipulating that products must communicate their alcoholic nature with absolute clarity. For best practice purposes, producers are encouraged to include alcohol volume and references to ‘alcohol’ on the front of packaging and ensure that these elements are given more emphasis than other design features. Caution is advised when using fruit images and descriptors, a popular feature for the category. Full guidance can be accessed here.
Portman Group CEO Matt Lambert commented: “Our research shows there is consumer confusion on the use of the various hard seltzer terms. This is perhaps unsurprising given the relative newness of the category in the UK; however we expect it to grow rapidly. As such the guidance has been issued in anticipation of the growth in order to help producers avoid potential pitfalls as they innovate and launch. The Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) is the final arbiter of the Code and will assess complaints about products on a case-by-case basis, accounting for all relevant information.”
