Now more than ever, people are looking for no-alcohol choices to enjoy on more occasions. One of the biggest reasons for this shift is an increased focus on moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle, especially among younger people of legal drinking age. Another is the availability of great tasting options, many of them from familiar brands.
Within the last four years, the number of no-alcohol beverages coming to market has more than tripled globally and last year no-alcohol beer volumes alone grew by 30 percent in the US.
As the world’s leading brewer and the largest no-alcohol beer maker in our top markets, we’re always creating innovative new choices to be enjoyed responsibly on more occasions. At the same time, we make it a priority to champion positive behaviors when drinking, with Global Beer Responsible Day as our biggest annual celebration of moderation. This year we mobilized thousands of colleagues in our communities to promote responsible drinking to consumers and more than 138,000 retailers and trade partners that sell our products.
From neighborhood bodegas and pubs to national sporting events, social media takeovers and more, we educated consumers on no-alcohol beers and highlighted responsible beverage service with tips like alternating with no-alcohol beer, never drinking and driving, and eating before or while drinking. At our offices, colleagues celebrated with no-alcohol beer happy hours, tastings, town halls and photo contests.
“Beer is part of Mexican culture; it’s about celebration and bringing people together,” said Daniel Cocenzo, President of Grupo Modelo. “That's why, with beer as the drink for moderation, we create the brands our consumers love and encourage responsible choices with our portfolio of no-alcohol beverages. Every day, we’re committed to promoting moderation alongside our communities, customers, partners and consumers.”
Around the world, Global Beer Responsible Day was brought to life through local brands, occasions and sports, such as:
Brazil: More than 100,000 retailers and trade partners featured no-alcohol beer options in stores, pubs, restaurants and in online promotions from BEES, our digital business-to-business platform, and our on-demand delivery service, Zé Delivery.
US: Together with Team Coalition, we encouraged fans at a New York Rangers hockey game at Madison Square Garden to pledge their safe ride plans and offered discounts on Uber rides home and vouchers for no-alcohol products, as part of Anheuser-Busch's partnership with MADD and Uber.
Mexico: Our iconic Mexican lager, Corona, partnered with some of the country’s most popular soccer teams and players to share tips for responsible enjoyment with fans nationwide.
Colombia: A ‘gym’ experience from our Poker brand taught consumers moderation behaviors while playing classic Colombian games and offered discounted rides home from Cabify.
“Beer is the drink for moderation because of the variety of traditional and no-alcohol options. It’s consumed in social occasions where moderation is increasingly being embraced,” said Catalina Garcia, Global Director of Corporate Affairs. “Global Beer Responsible Day is our time to remind consumers and retailers of responsible drinking behaviors and the positive choices they can make to enjoy more memorable moments with friends and loved ones.”
AB InBev has a number of programs and initiatives that promote moderation. We’re continually expanding our portfolio of no-alcohol choices, and more than half of AB InBev products are below beer’s typical 5% ABV (alcohol by volume). We’re also improving our brewing processes to create nearly identical-tasting, no-alcohol versions of some of our most popular brands such as Corona Cero, the first-ever global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games, as well as Budweiser Zero, Stella Artois Liberté and coming next year to the US, Michelob Ultra Zero. In the third quarter, our global no-alcohol beer portfolio delivered mid-thirties revenue growth.
At AB InBev, championing moderation is a long-term commitment to our consumers and communities. And there’s more to come as we dream of a future with ‘more cheers’ - with more choices and more responsible ways to enjoy life’s moments together.
