The Wall Street Journal is noting that a “sober curious movement” is building online. The story posted on WSJ.com Sunday morning and will, we suspect, run either Monday or Tuesday.
“Sober curious, or gray-area, drinkers suspect they drink too much but say the term ‘alcoholic’ doesn’t accurately describe them,” The Journal explains. So they don’t join Alcoholic Anonymous, which is free, opting instead to pay anywhere from $14 a month to $197 a month for an online service.
Women make up the majority of the users of the services, which say many members have joined to curb pandemic drinking.
Do these services pose a threat to alcohol beverage marketers? Maybe. But we don’t think it’s a particularly serious threat, since the users of such services typically are people who suspect (or know) they drink not in moderation but to excess. Also, unlike AA which advocates for a strict never-touch-a-drink policy, the new services concede that a drink now and then is not necessarily a bad thing.
Nonetheless, these services are something marketers should keep an eye on. And if they find the services are hurting sales, consider offering a nonalcoholic or dealcoholized version of their product.