Fast-food restaurants enter collaborations with breweries to tap novelty
Trend - Quick serve restaurants are partnering up with alcohol brands to entice adult consumers. Available both in restaurants and for takeout, these co-branded drinks are mostly offered as limited-time releases.
Insight - The experience economy has become a very dominant and inseparable part of today's market and as a result, many contemporary consumers are seeking out forms of entertainment in this space. This, in turn, creates a demand for more engaging and surprising initiatives. Individuals are emphasizing the importance of novelty as they seek out new experiences to pass the time in a pleasurable way and satisfy an existing curiosity.
Insight - The experience economy has become a very dominant and inseparable part of today's market and as a result, many contemporary consumers are seeking out forms of entertainment in this space. This, in turn, creates a demand for more engaging and surprising initiatives. Individuals are emphasizing the importance of novelty as they seek out new experiences to pass the time in a pleasurable way and satisfy an existing curiosity.
Workshop Question - How can your brand engage consumer curiosity through collaboration?
Trend Themes
1. Co-branding - With quick-serve restaurants tapping into the novelty of alcohol, there's a significant trend emerging of co-branding and collaborations in the food and beverage industry that could extend to highlight new ventures.
2. Flavored Drinks - Incorporating familiar flavors such as syrup, bourbon, and rosé into drinks is a product strategy that is growing in popularity to satisfy consumers' diverse palates and increase their engagement with restaurant brands, particularly on a seasonal or limited-time basis.
3. Cultural References - By incorporating cultural references or trends that resonate and delight consumers, food and drink brands can develop a wider audience and strike a deeper emotional chord with the market, which can be leveraged to drive better sales in the future.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - These trends are occurring within the food and beverage categories, leading the way towards innovation in new products and collaborations among brands.
2. Alcoholic Beverages - With quick-serve restaurants opting to team with alcohol brands, major rebellions in the Alcohol and spirits industry could be on the horizon.
3. Fast Food - This group of trends is happening across many fast food chains and represents a new path for the industry that could lead to further partnerships, culinary inspirations and brand alliances.
