Ask the Collective

How should spirits brands approach the mid-strength trend that's already established in beer and other categories?

The mid-strength beverage trend is proven in adjacent categories—Guinness released a mid-strength variant, and 2–3% beers are well-established in the US market—making it a replicable model for spirits brands. Members suggest that capturing this opportunity requires clear positioning and visual communication: - **Visual positioning** — Create side-by-side graphics comparing traditional vs. mid-strength spirit bottles to help consumers immediately understand the proposition and differentiation - **Proven reference points** — Use existing successful models (mid-strength beer category, Guinness's mid-strength release) as evidence that the category can work and as templates for execution The core challenge is education: consumers need to understand what mid-strength spirits are and why they'd choose them, so design and messaging should make this clear from the outset.