Lessons Learned During The Summer Of White Claw

After a 2016 launch and a meteoric rise, White Claw has come to dominate the rapidly growing market for hard seltzer. According to CNN and Nielsen data, the drink accounts for some 60% of sales in the space. So far, White Claw remains peerless, and the brand has the success of summer 2019 to thank for its current position.

While it may seem as though the brand popped on the scene overnight, it was actually an effort that was years in the making. The good news is that the formula can be tweaked to apply to lots of different brands. 

The Claw Is the Law

So how did White Claw drive a 320% surge in sales over the course of a year, as reported by the Chicago Tribune? Catchphrases like “White Claw Wednesday” and “White Claw Weekend” created less of a trend and more of a tidal wave on social media. No self-respecting Millennial wanted to be left out of the tongue-in-cheek humor of the drink’s unofficial mantra: “Ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws.”

Demand for the beverage was actually so high that it created a shortage — which only made thirsty consumers crave the product more. According to Numerator, a market intelligence and consumer insights provider, White Claw’s market penetration rate jumped from 2.9% of households in 2018 to 8.1% in 2019. It was a bubbly beverage bonanza that proved White Claw was more than a niche group’s trendy drink. 

How did the brand do it, and how can your brand do the same? Consider these strategies to create a bandwagon everyone will be looking to join. 

1. Keep it simple.

All those carefully crafted cocktail photos you’ve scrolled past on Instagram? You’re not the only one who’s getting tired of them. “When it comes to fashionable foods and beverages, interest in laborious traditional methods usually lasts 10 to 15 years before people revive their curiosity in the quick-and-easy virtues of culinary technology,” Amanda Mull notes in The Atlantic, based on her conversations with food historian Ken Albala. Instead of spending the time and money to acquire a master’s in mixology, people are reaching for an easier alternative. That means pre-crafted cocktails or even spiked water in a can.

In addition to meeting demands for simplicity, White Claw also managed to skirt gender norms and appeal to “bros” as much as it did to calorie-conscious women. Thank the somewhat utilitarian label, which keeps things minimalist without going too chic. Compared to the twin mermaids on Bon & Viv’s Spiked Seltzer beverage, it’s a no-brainer choice for frat boys. How can your brand adopt simplicity and spark mass appeal in its packaging and messaging? 

2. Appeal to wellness trends and fan tastes.

Bloomberg reports that since 2015, the demand for beer in America has slowed by 2.8%. That’s at least partly due to the ample sugars and carbohydrates the tasty beverages deliver, which proved unfriendly to the average consumer’s waistline. Now, younger, wellness-focused consumers are turning to alternatives in food and drink. Health consciousness is on the rise, as evidenced by lower-carb spiked seltzers and comparable trends, like nondairy milk and plant-based meats. 

While White Claw devotees appreciate that the product contains less sugar, that doesn’t mean they’re any less opinionated about taste. In fact, CNN reports, the brand allowed fans to help guide its direction by fielding more than 70,000 requests for new flavors on social media. The newcomers — lemon, watermelon, and tangerine — are virtually guaranteed to fly off the shelves. The lesson for brands? Take requests, then give the people what they want. They’ll be excited to feel like part of the process. 

3. Embrace meme culture. 

A huge element of White Claw’s success is the brand’s percolation into the cultural zeitgeist. User-generated content about the brand, such as the video by comedian Trevor Wallace, is everywhere. Now viewed more than 4 million times, Wallace’s video is a parody, but the brand has embraced it. White Claw’s policy has been largely to let consumers drive awareness and define the brand. As Sanjiv Gajiwala, White Claw’s senior vice president of marketing, explains, “I’m not interested in forcing myself into a conversation they’re already having about me. I’m grateful they’re having that conversation.”

The brand’s marketing efforts back up Gajiwala’s claim. It actually cut media spend 30% to ride the wave of word-of-mouth marketing (and restock its in-demand products). You can do the same by setting up your own brand for meme success. Leaving models out of advertising, for instance, will help your product appeal across demographics, and product shots with blank backgrounds serve as the perfect raw material for meme makers everywhere. No matter where meme culture takes your brand, you’ll likely benefit from the buzz.

Though its popularity is a cultural sensation, White Claw’s ownership of the spiked seltzer category isn’t an accident. Instead, it’s the result of a campaign by Mark Anthony Brands to create a beverage that consumers would crave and give them reasons to share that craving.

By embracing simplicity, hopping on an existing wellness trend, and encouraging fans to tell their own jokes and stories, the White Claw brand is experiencing unparalleled success that has far outpaced its competitors. Chart the same basic path for your brand, and you may just enjoy similar results.