Yep, Gen Z’ers are drinking wine. 

It’s time to ring the alarms – and break out our prescription-strength retinoids. 

For years we’ve been chatting about how to effectively capture Millenial’s attention and gain a new group of avid wine enthusiasts. Emojis and low price-points were all the rage for a generation that entered into adulthood during an economic crisis and social media boom.

But now? The tide is shifting. 

Millennials have largely been secured in the wine market, and it’s time to shift our attention. While some Gen Z’ers are only “grape juice” age the oldest segment of the group is 21 to 25! Seriously.

As a wine brand, you can’t afford to not reach out to this growing part of the drinking-age population. Despite the social media rhetoric, they’re grown-ups and ready for the “big” stuff.

Social Media

Where are the Gen Z’ers?

This isn’t a surprise at this point, but still worth mentioning. This age group is at home in front of their phones and hanging out on highly interactive, short, and quippy content social media platforms, like Tik Tok.

If your brand hasn’t started marketing on TikTok, through engaging and fun reels, you’re missing out on an audience eager to find the next trendy thing. 

Not only should your marketing content reflect these trends through the use of entertaining video, but you should keep it in mind with your copy, sales process, and overall online availability too. The large U.S. Market Research study by Snap, Inc. (the owners of Snapchat), found that 1 in 3 US consumers prefer using mobile devices when shopping for products. 

60% of millennials report they never shop without their cell phones– even in person, at a store! They use their phones to look up reviews, compare prices, and check out the competition. 

This is even more true for the ever-connected Gen Z’er. Forbes reported 80% of Gen Z’ers research products online before they buy— including looking at the brand’s website, social media, and reviews.

Your online presence is more important than ever. 

Why? According to the 2022 State of the Wine Industry Report, it’s imperative that the wine industry starts attracting younger audiences like Generation Z and Millennials in order to drive sustainable growth. 

It’s critical your wine brand is effectively showing up on social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube through paid ads, partnerships with trusted influencers, and original creative content.

Equally important is your website

The days of a poor (or cookie cutter) design, difficult user experience, and product-only (or impersonal) sites being effective are over. Having a mobile-friendly website is also a trend we’re seeing reflected in our client’s Google Analytics accounts. 

Cheers

Do Gen Z’ers care about wine?

The good news is Gen Z seems to have a pretty positive outlook on wine for a younger audience and consumes it at around the same rate as millennials. A study conducted by the Institue at Sonoma State University found that instead of “snooty” or “confusing”, Gen Z labeled wine as 

  • Pleasurable (90%)
  • Delicious (83%)
  • Fun (81%)

The short answer: 

It’s worth it to create targeted marketed campaigns where Gen Z is already spending their time!!

Wine Shopping

What matters to the Gen Z consumer when buying wine?

Gen Z has huge purchasing power and has used it to demand that companies do more than catchy slogans or obtuse marketing campaigns to gain customers. 

More than those before them, Gen Z’ers put their money where their mouth is and buy from brands that reflect their values. Gen Z values the story behind a company, the “why”. 

They value individuality and creativity. 

To connect with this group of new alcohol consumers, you need more than brand recognition, you need to appeal to their desire for genuine connection and environmental responsibility. 

Gen Z shares their “finds” on social media and judge each other for what they share… this high level of visibility and open commentary on their product choices pushes this generation to be more cautious about what they choose to buy and promote.

The 3 things that ultimately matter:

  • Type of wine – Currently slight preference for sweet whites and rosė
  • Pricing – trends indicate that premium wine is more popular with this group. They splurge on higher quality and consume less compared to millennials (and older groups) at the same age
  • Environment/Aesthetics – sustainability, impact on the community, and looking “cool” are all equally important

White label

It’s time to thrive with Gen Z

There’s a lot to do. If your wine business needs some refreshing, we wouldn’t be surprised! Bauerhaus Design specializes in helping wine businesses– just like yours– to authentically connect with your audience and grow sales. Reach out to our Creative Director, Rebecca, to set up a free 30-minute discovery call (and crush it with Gen Z) today.

P.S. Check out part two of our Gen-Z series: Top 4 Tricks For Your Wine Brand To Win Over The TikTok Generation