Young Women in China : The Next Great Beer Market?

It’s a general myth in China that women can drink much more than men. We do not have any medical evidence to support this, however we’ve seen some Chinese women who can definitely hold their Baijiu. We often see young Chinese women drinking Chivas or Vodka, but rarely beer. Some young women think that the beer is a litter bitter, so they prefer juicier drinks.

Japan’s Suntory is hoping to change this mindset. This past summer, Suntory rolled out their new Fruit Beer beverage, MIX in three fruitastic flavors, Grape, Lemon, and Peach. MIX cuts down the bitter taste and adds fruit juices and flavors to Suntory’s classic brew. The resulting flavor is a light, fruity and highly carbonated beer.

Suntory’s marketing campaigns have also left subtleties by the wayside. Fruity alcoholic beverages often have higher resonance with female consumers, and the loud, cartoony adverts for MIX would please any young child.

enoVate team member Sunnie noticed a series of MIX promotions along Shanghai’s popular eating and shopping district Wujiang Road this summer. One of her friends tested the freezing Suntory MIX beer and noted that it was, “less bitter, and made her feel happy”. Suntory will also be the sponsor for the “方大同 Shanghai Music Concert” being held this November.

Young women in China definitely like to drink alcohol in China, evidenced by the 2000+ members of the “女酒鬼 – Female Alcoholics” group on douban.com. Suntory may have an edge in this new market, and look for other brands to follow.

(This post was researched and compiled by enoVate team member Sunnie Qin)