Ever wondered how breweries deal with a global abstinence from their product?

Each year, throughout the month of January, people vow to give up booze as a way to “detox” and look after their health.

But suppose you’re the one selling the booze. Probably a bit annoying isn’t it.

As a brewery you’re forced to accept this annual tradition and have your profits slashed for an entire month. Bastards.

Or… you do what these clever cookies over at Heineken, Carlsberg, and Brewdog did instead. Embrace the knowledge that your consumers will be drinking less and pivot your product to accommodate that audience too.

Obviously I’m talking about alcohol-free beer here. A 0% alcohol alternative that offers the taste and delight of a cold one but without the risk of black-outs or regrettable outbursts.

So now what could have been a devastating month for business year-on-year, has now become an opportunity to bring not only existing consumers onboard your new product but also, tempt the permanent non-drinkers on occasion too.

It’s genius when you really think about it. And since 2017 sales have risen 317% for 0% offerings.

Dry January is great for marketing departments too. They know exactly when and what to promote. So expect lots of alcohol-free beer ads on your feeds this month.

Companies like Heineken, Budweiser and Brewdog lead the pack with intelligent ad campaigns to combat health-conscious-consumers.

In another stroke of swift genius brewers Signature Brew decided to boost sales by offering a sensational deal: Buy 12 cans of their Lo Fi alcohol-free beer you can nominate a friend to receive 12 cans for FREE!

How You Can Use This Strategy

You might be thinking this is all well and good but how does that help my walking cane business? (Is that a thing?!)

Well, if you apply the same strategy to your own service/product you too can turn a perceived negative into a proud positive.

For example, let’s say you’re a fitness coach.

January is a fantastic time with hordes of “new year, new me” champions flooding your classes. But what happens a few weeks later? A lot of them likely drop off or scale back their enthusiasm.

In the health/fitness world, this is a known quantity.

But the key is to not resign to this fact. Embrace it.

Preempt the inevitable and create ways to keep people onboard and bums on seats!

Things like reward programmes, competitions, merch giveaways, expanding classes, and buddy referrals are proactive strategies to keep memberships up but what hitting the problem head on?

You could literally introduce a New Year Resolution package that offers a long-term training regime with personal coaching to make sure people stick at it.

Other examples of industries flipping the script are:

Car manufacturers – Diesel cars are killing us! = Check out our scrappage schemes and get a truck load of money for your banger.

Coffee – Too much caffeine is bad! = We have caffeine-free options too!

Meat industry – Burgers are the devil! = Enjoy our plant-based range instead! (Veganuary is even a thing now)

High-ticket items – That’s too expensive! = Don’t worry, you can pay in instalments!

In short, identify the pitfalls and the slower months in your industry and attack them with a strategy to flip it on its head.

A problem only persists if you choose not to solve it.

Tackle The Challenge Head-On

Have a think about the known challenges you face in your own industry. Is there a way to capitalise on them? Are your competitors doing the same?

Don’t be afraid to break the mould and try new things. They may not always work but they just might and at the very worst, you’ll be one step closer to finding magic.

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