Roxie Case Study by Ragan Harrington

Roxie Zero-Proof Cocktail
Branding Blueprint

Role: Brand Manager, Researcher, and Designer
Timeline: January - May 2023
Case Study by: Ragan Harrington, Ashlyn Thrift, Christian Meguiar,
Julia Steinmetz, and Rachel Hertel

Problem Statement

For our semester-long project in the advertising class on branding, we were tasked with creating a branding blueprint for Molson Coors's latest product, Roxie zero-proof cocktails. Roxie is a non-alcoholic beverage that mimics a traditional seltzer with carbonation and three fruity flavors. Our task was to create a strategic media plan for 2023 that strives to increase overall case sales by increasing brand awareness and engagement with the target market with a 5 million dollar budget.

Background

Roxie was created to align with the growing health movement among millennials and Gen-Z age groups. Roxie is a non-alcoholic beverage that mimics a traditional seltzer with carbonation and three fruity flavors. With the Roxie beverage, Molson Coors is targeting 21-35 year-olds who are seeking a substitute for alcoholic beverages when socializing with friends and family.

Molson Coors was founded in 1786, and is known for its high-quality beer. The company now produces a variety of alcoholic beverages in addition to beer. Recently Molson Coors introduced Roxie, their first line of non-alcoholic beverages.

Objectives

Increase Awareness

By the end of 2023, Roxie aims to have 30% of the target market aware of the new product.

01
Increase Sales

By the end of 2023, Roxie aims to increase overall case sales by 10%.

02
Increase Engagement

Roxie aims to increase engagement with the brand via social media by 50% by the end of 2023 by creating and publishing relevant and shareable content.

03
Retain Buyers

Roxie aims to retain 65% of its buyers in the first year.

04

Industry Analysis

$22.5 Billion

The mocktail industry was valued at $22.5 billion dollars in 2023.
$68.9 Billion

The industry is projected to be worth $68.9 billion by 2030.
Health Benefits

The primary increase in demand is due to health benefits.
Low Alcohol Value

The secondary reason in higher demand is low alcohol value.

Timeline of Recent Industry Developments

May 2019

Lowlander brews alcohol-free beer in
the United Kingdom and Germany.

February 2021

Big Drop enters the market with Chicago-Brew
Non-Alcoholic Beers.

March 2022

Athletic Brewing Company introduces
a non-alcoholic beer, Athletic Lite.

2022

70 new non-alcoholic beer companies
have circulated since the beginning of 2022.

Health Concerns

Concerns with health have raised the demand for such products, most notably obesity. Negative outcomes of overdrinking are also a key factor for people switching to the non-alcoholic industry.

Consumer Appeal

Several alcoholic beverage companies are making investments in non-alcoholic drinks to attract new and younger consumers. Many non-alcoholic drinks have attracted consumers because they are more natural and organic.

Finally, government regulations would not have to regulate the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages like they would for typical beers, wines, and spirits. North America has been the second largest market for this industry only behind Europe, which has the top and most established distribution channels in the world (InsightAce Analytic, 2022).

Company Analysis

Molson Coors produces a variety of alcoholic beverages, such as Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet,etc. along with nonalcoholic drinks such as La Colombe Coffee and Roxie.

Molson Coors has been around since the 1700s and has followed along the journey of several famous brewers such as William Worthington, John Molson, and Adolph Coors.

They value bettering their company and the world around them and have set goals such as reducing carbon emissions by 50% and achieving zero waste to landfill at 100% of their operations.

They are developing to be more inclusive towards those who aren't fans of beer and are adopting brands such as Vizzy Hard Seltzer, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, along with their new brand Roxie.

Competitor Analysis

Roxie's Direct Competitors

Other companies have created non-alcoholic beverages that mimic traditional cocktails and provide similar experiences.
Feature healthy ingredients: botanicals, fruit juices, no artificial ingredients, low in sugar or sugar-free
Minimalistic branding and design and sleek bottles - conveys clean, earthy, elegant, chic tones
Sold at higher price point

Roxie's Indirect Competitors

Non-alcoholic beer designed to mimic the flavor of a traditional beer with primary ingredients malted barley, yeast, and grains
Promote a similar experience as Roxie, making them an indirect competitor
Average price is less expensive than Roxie, yet more expensive than traditional beer (Average base price of $10.47 (Bernot, 2022)).

Product Analysis

Goal is to attract 21-25 year olds who want a substitute for alcohol.
20% of the population doesn’t consume alcohol
Non-alcoholic drinks are expected to increase in popularity over the next few years by 27.6%.
Molson Coors shows how willing they are to expand their product line beyond alcoholic beverages.
The brand aims to create a tasty and refreshing non-alcoholic product that will make individuals feel comfortable not drinking in social situations.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis shows all of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the company or product. The graphic below outlines the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for Roxie.

Consumer Insight

Primary Consumer Persona:
Health-conscious Gen-z/Millennial

This persona is a health and fitness enthusiast who values a healthy lifestyle and watches what they eat and drink. They are likely to be aged between 21-35 years and may not want to consume alcohol for various reasons like losing weight, avoiding hangovers, or just living a healthier life. However, they are still interested in engaging in nightlife and other exhilarating social gatherings. They may be interested in Roxie's zero-proof mocktails because they offer the same taste and experience as cocktails without the harmful effects of alcohol and appeal to their thrill-seeking personality. They would appreciate the fact that Roxie is made with all-natural ingredients and has low sugar content, making it a healthier alternative to typical cocktails. This allows them to be immersed in a typical nightlife environment without compromising their health goals.

Roxie Zero-Proof Mocktail would be an ideal solution for Bella’s frustrations. It offers her a healthy and refreshing drink option that she can enjoy during social gatherings without feeling left out. The variety of flavors available makes it easy for her to find her preferred taste. Roxie Zero Proof Mocktail also aligns with her health-conscious lifestyle, making it a perfect fit for her.

Secondary Consumer Persona:
Recovering Alcoholics

This persona is 30-35 years old and has been a recovering alcoholic for three years. They have reintroduced themself to social situations where alcohol is involved, but often feels excluded without an alcoholic beverage. There is a large market of people who struggle with alcohol, “About 15 million American adults struggle with an alcohol use disorder” (Caron Treatment Center, 2023). Roxie can be an option to help that significant percentage of the United States population. They have been going out to dinner with their friends and struggle to have self-control when seeing all their friends drinking and they can’t participate. They want to find a substitute that feels like they are still drinking with others, but does not require them to do so. They may be interested in Roxie’s Zero-Proof Mocktail because it allows them to feel involved by participating in typical social situations, but with a non-alcoholic beverage. This will allow recovering alcoholics to feel like they have a substitution for alcohol and will also relieve the discomfort of feeling left out and make them feel as if they are still participating in the events.

Roxie is the perfect solution for Garret’s frustrations. Roxie offers Garret a tasty non-alcoholic beverage that mimics many of the drinks his friends are consuming. Roxie allows Garret to ease into social situations with alcohol and helps him stay engaged in his previous bar life.

Roxie's Current Branding Strategy

Roxie positions its brand as a fun, innovative, and high-quality non-alcoholic beverage.
The brand appeals to individuals who are seeking “fun” and “daring” aspects of alcoholic beverages but are zero-proof
Roxie’s Instagram page features similar content to contribute to brand message: “Only 21+." “Don’t share w/ under 21,” & “Drink Responsibly”
Phrases mimic alcoholic beverage companies, positions Roxie among these companies

Improving Roxie's Branding Strategy

Roxie should continue to position its brand among other popular alcoholic brands to emphasize it is the perfect substitute for alcoholic beverages

Roxie should communicate the “bold” and “daring” aspects of their brand while maintaining its stance as a healthy and delicious alternative to alcoholic beverages

Roxie should gear advertising efforts toward younger generation with trendy content that will appeal to them and use platforms that can reach them

Roxie’s advertising outreach has been limited to website advertisements and a few Instagram posts, both having received limited consumer interaction.

Locations

Roxie would thrive in large urban cities such as Chicago, Denver, San Diego, etc.

There are more opportunities to advertise a product within a large city, while smaller towns tend to stick to their usual brands and are less likely to branch out.

Billboards, posters, large TV ads, and even pop-up events can spread the word about a new product.
Cities also host larger events.
Some past events that support non-alcoholic drinks were the Sober Curious Summit in New York, and “The Healthy Zone” in Taste of London

Demographics

21-34 years old
Female or male
Any individuals with a stable income, typically the middle to the upper class
Generation Z
or
Millennials

PESO Model

The PESO model is one way to understand how different marketing channels work together to reach consumers during their shopping journey. The acronym stands for paid, earned, shared, and owned media. Each channel is unique and has its own set of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. We created a PESO model to show our recommendations on how to best utilize each type of media.

Paid Media

Paid media is any media placements you pay for, e.g., paid search, display ads, paid social marketing, TV ads, etc. When developing a media plan, paid media is important because it allows for specific, controlled messages to be distributed that amplify, reach and generate brand exposure and credibility. Below is our suggested breakdown of the $5 million budget and what areas that money should be distributed.

Social media channels include Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter

Billboard ads located at large sporting events or concerts to mimic traditional beverage companies

Partner with restaurants Eleven Madison Park in NYC and The Aviary in Chicago

Earned Media

Earned media is comprised of press coverage you get without direct payment, e.g., mentions in media, blog posts, etc. As Roxie gains popularity and knowledge of the brand is increased, customer engagement with Roxie will rise. As more people try Roxie, the beverage will gain more publicized reviews and will build credibility. Overall, gaining credibility through earned media will help attract other potential customers to the brand. The reviews that will create the most impact are blog reviews, organic mentions of Roxie, and unpaid influencer reviews.

Shared Media

Social media is any content that is posted on social media channels that isn’t promoted or boosted. It is the most important tool for marketing, advertising, and communicating for a company.

Roxie will Increase Shared media with:

Customer testimonials
Influencer Partnerships: TikTok, Instagram

Influencers Roxie should partner with:

Sarah Lewin

Loryn Powell

I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long.
Samuel Willson

Rico Soto AKA:
DrinkoWithRico

Before incorporating visual aids into speeches, the speaker should understand that if used incorrectly, the visual will not be an aid, but a distraction.
Alex Larkins

John Rondi

You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.

Owned Media

Owned media is the content that is posted on channels the company owns and controls, e.g., websites, blogs, apps, etc. Roxie’s website serves primarily as experimentation for the brand currently, so the key would be to follow up with thoroughly published blogs and ads for social media. Maintaining a balanced use of major social media platforms is critical for Roxie to succeed which seems to be lacking presently.

Roxie Website

Expansion/update vital
Search Engine Optimization

Social Media Videos

Instagram
TikTok

Budget Breakdown (In Millions)

We should budget $1 million towards the creation of the video, photography, and graphic design content, and then $1 million towards the distribution of the content on social media platforms. Of this, $200,000 should be allocated toward Twitter advertisements, $300,000 toward Instagram advertisements, and the remaining $500,000 toward TikTok advertisements.

There should also be a $500,000 budget for display advertisements that will be published on Roxie’s website and other websites in the form of paid ads, with Google Ads being our sole use for display advertising.

Roxie should allocate $1 million toward billboard advertisements and should place these advertisements at large sporting events or stadiums for concert events to mimic the advertisements of traditional alcoholic beverage companies.

Roxie should also administer $500,000 towards giveaways of their beverages. Giveaways are beneficial to increase engagement on social media platforms and websites and expand brand reach.

Lastly, Roxie should allocate $1 million toward event participation and outside partnerships to further build brand awareness and directly connect with consumers. Roxie should partner with restaurants and bars in larger cities that offer non-alcoholic beverages.

Schedule of Media

Quarter 2: April - June

April:

Production of video advertisements and design of social media content
Begin Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

May:

Continued production of video and design content for summer campaign

June:

Begin summer campaigns, including rolling out videos and content. This would align with the increase in social gatherings and celebrations during the summer.

Quarter 3: July - Sept.

July:

Continue to release videos in time for the summer season.

August:

Begin with customer testimonials on social media during the end of the summer promotional campaigns.
Start production of holiday promotional content.

September:

Continue posting customer testimonials across media channels.
Launch of billboard campaigns in and around popular football stadiums will start.

Quarter 4: Oct. - Jan.

October:

Finish production of holiday content.

November:

Start rollout for holiday campaigns.

December:

Continue holiday promotional content for Christmas and New Year.
Begin awareness and launch a Dry January promotional campaign.

January:

Promote a promotional campaign for Dry January, to encourage consumers to participate in the challenge not to drink and have a Roxie instead.

Tracking and Measurement

Engagement Rates

Monitor interactions on social media platforms (likes, shares, comments)
Click-Through Rates

The percentage of people who clicked on a link or button in our promotional campaign.
Conversions

The conversion rate determines how many people purchased Roxie after clicking on our website from a promotional campaign.

Conclusion

The proposed plan, will guarantee that Roxie Zero-proof mocktails are well-received by our intended audience of gen-z and millennials.

Once the target market is receptive, consumers will be easily influenced to make the transition into choosing Roxie over alcoholic beverages.

The objectives we have set will be met and will optimistically increase sales, along with brand awareness by 30% in 2023.

Check out the full report and references here!