Best Social Media Marketing Strategies for Alcoholic Beverages

The alcoholic beverages market is bubbling up, set to surge from $1.85 trillion in 2024 to a jaw-dropping $2.88 trillion by 2033. That’s one heck of a pour! As the industry grows, so does the need for brands to shift their focus. Gone are the days of traditional ads—now it’s all about community-driven content, influencer partnerships, and real-time engagement to connect with today’s savvy, digital-first drinkers.

And if you think navigating this shift is easy, think again. But some brands are nailing it, like Budweiser’s #RuleTheNew campaign. During the pandemic, Budweiser 0.0 turned uncertainty into opportunity by encouraging fans to share creative "hacks" for adapting to the new normal.

The result? Over 100 million impressions, tons of influencer collaborations (including with the fabulous Zoya Akhtar), and a whole lot of love from the community.

Keep reading to dive into the strategy behind this campaign’s success—and uncover the best social media marketing strategies that will take your alcohol brand to the next level. Cheers to that!

1. Harnessing the Power of User-Generated Content (UGC) to Drive Social Media Engagement

When it comes to alcohol brands, social media isn't just a place to show off your product—it's an opportunity to create a community and inspire your audience. One of the most effective strategies for achieving this is by leveraging User-Generated Content (UGC). UGC isn’t just about reposting customer reviews or photos (though those are cool too), it's about actively encouraging your followers to create and share content around your brand.

This approach brings authenticity and relatability, two crucial ingredients for alcohol brands trying to connect with today's socially conscious, experience-driven consumer.

Budweiser’s #RuleTheNew campaign is the textbook example of how alcohol brands can use crowdsourced UGC to fuel engagement. In response to the pandemic, Budweiser 0.0 launched an initiative that invited users to submit short videos featuring creative "hacks" to adapt to the new, socially distanced world. Participants shared their hacks on Instagram, covering five main categories: Hangouts, Sports, Romance, Party, and Holidays.

The campaign was open to everyone—filmmakers, influencers, consumers, even casual Instagram users—and it offered an incredible opportunity to showcase creative problem-solving while promoting safety during a time of crisis. By involving both influencers and everyday users in creating content, Budweiser’s campaign felt less like a traditional ad and more like a digital community event.

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A post shared by Zoya Akhtar (@zoieakhtar)

But what made this strategy so effective? It wasn’t just the idea of sharing hacks; it was the way Budweiser tapped into existing communities and brought in major cultural figures. The brand partnered with popular creators like filmmaker Zoya Akhtar and photographer Jay Oza to judge the hacks, which encouraged more high-quality content.

To keep the momentum going, they also seeded the campaign across meme pages and Twitter, ensuring that the conversation didn’t just stay confined to Instagram.

The results were nothing short of impressive. The campaign amassed 100 million+ impressions, a massive audience reach that solidified Budweiser 0.0’s place as a culturally relevant and community-driven brand. And the engagement wasn’t just superficial—5,000+ registrations and over 168,000 visits during the campaign period prove that the audience was genuinely interested in contributing to the brand’s story. The hashtag even climbed to the second spot on Twitter’s trending charts, generating over 25 million impressions.

Key Takeaway

Want to replicate this success? Here’s your action plan: Involve your audience early. Don’t just ask for likes or shares—encourage them to create something meaningful for your brand. Set up a UGC campaign that taps into your customers’ creativity, offer a prize or incentive, and make sure your brand’s personality shines through every step of the process.

2. Engaging Fans with Interactive Creativity on Instagram

For alcohol brands looking to spark deeper engagement with their audiences, one of the most impactful approaches is interactive, creator-driven content that invites fans to actively participate in the creative process.

Instead of merely consuming brand content, consumers want to feel like they’re a part of something. They’re craving experiences that allow them to influence, shape, or co-create. This strategy takes the concept of fan involvement to new heights by blending the authenticity of creators with the passion of the brand’s community.

For alcohol brands, this could mean tapping into the world of art, music, or fashion—fields where creativity runs wild—and opening up the process to fans. By pairing creators with your product, and giving your audience the power to contribute and engage directly, you can create a truly immersive experience that leaves fans feeling like they helped craft the final outcome.

Think of it as blending your brand with a touch of collective creativity—the results are sure to be a hit.

Jameson Whiskey’s “Call to Craft” campaign by Social Chain exemplifies how this strategy can generate massive engagement. The campaign kicked off in support of their collaboration with workwear brand Dickies, but instead of merely showcasing the collection, Jameson turned the focus to creativity and craftsmanship—values deeply embedded in their brand ethos.

To execute this, Jameson enlisted four artists from different countries: D’ana (US), Armah (Germany), Doddz (UK), and Mamimozi (Japan), each of whom customized a piece from the Jameson x Dickies collection.

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A post shared by Jo Vynn (@itsjovynn)

These creators, dubbed “modern makers,” shared their creative journey with their Instagram followers, taking fans behind the scenes as they crafted unique pieces. What made this particularly powerful was how Instagram Stories were used to not only showcase the process but also allow fans to influence it in real-time.

Fans could vote on designs, suggest tweaks, or share their thoughts via Polls and Slider Stickers, making them feel like they were part of the creation process.

This wasn’t just a case of influencers promoting a product—it was a global, interactive celebration of craftsmanship. By using Instagram Stories in a way that fostered a two-way conversation, Jameson created an experience that felt both personal and immersive.

The campaign wasn’t just creative in concept; it delivered measurable results. With 5.6 million views, a 3.8 million reach, and 62,000+ engagements, the campaign generated significant buzz. Beyond just likes and shares, the interactive nature of the campaign led to 700+ comments, showing real, ongoing engagement with the brand and the creative process.

What’s more, paid media amplified the campaign’s reach by targeting lookalike audiences, ensuring that the right people were being reached with content they were likely to enjoy.

Key Takeaway

If you want to create an experience that truly resonates with your audience, start by offering them a chance to influence the narrative. Consider launching a campaign that invites your fans to shape the outcome—whether through voting, co-creating content, or guiding a creative process.

3. Using Social Strategy to Resonate with Gen Z

When it comes to social media, staying relevant is everything. While loyal customers keep the brand alive, attracting new, younger audiences is essential for long-term growth. For alcohol brands, a relevant, consumer-first social strategy is key to cutting through the noise and engaging a new generation of fans.

The challenge? Appealing to younger demographics like Gen Z without alienating older consumers or diluting the brand’s identity.

The secret is in the tone of voice (ToV) and how you position your brand’s message. For many alcohol brands, leaning into boldness, humor, and a little bit of rebellion can go a long way, especially when trying to capture the attention of younger audiences who crave authenticity and edge.

But this isn’t just about throwing out some viral memes—it’s about completely refreshing the brand narrative and positioning it in a way that resonates with the people you want to connect with. The goal is to feel like you’re on the pulse of culture—not just selling a product.

Angry Orchard faced a bit of an identity crisis—while it was once the rebellious darling of the hard cider world, its voice had dulled over time. As craft ciders gained traction, Angry Orchard needed to reassert its dominance, but with a twist. Enter a fresh social strategy designed to re-establish the brand’s unique, bold character and align it with the younger, trend-hungry Gen Z audience.

Instead of just focusing on product features, Angry Orchard’s campaign leaned into lifestyle-driven content and partnered with influencers who had the power to amplify the brand’s message to a new generation.

The campaign mixed product photography with real, authentic moments that felt like something you’d see posted on your friend’s Instagram feed, not an ad. Trendjacking—essentially jumping on viral trends and incorporating them into branded content—was also a key part of the strategy, allowing the brand to stay ahead of the cultural curve.

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A post shared by Betches Media (@betches)

The new voice was edgy, playful, and most importantly, spoke directly to the audience Angry Orchard wanted to reach. The campaign aimed to resonate with LDA (Legal Drinking Age) Gen Z, giving them content they could share and engage with, all while maintaining that rebellious spirit that made the brand famous.

The numbers are proof that the strategy worked. Since the campaign’s launch in June 2023, Angry Orchard’s organic Instagram impressions increased by 32%, while engagements grew by 27%. The audience expanded by 11%, proving that the brand was successfully reaching and resonating with a younger demographic.

Even more impressive, the influencer program generated a staggering 6.3M+ impressions and 638K+ engagements, showing the significant role influencer partnerships played in amplifying the brand’s reach. With 436K+ engagements and 20.9M+ impressions, Angry Orchard proved that authenticity, a refreshed tone, and strategic content partnerships could reinvigorate an established brand.

Key Takeaway

Want to capture the attention of Gen Z or other younger demographics? Start by refreshing your brand’s voice and injecting some personality into your content. Consider partnering with influencers who authentically align with your brand and create content that feels native to the platform and relevant to your audience.

4. Leveraging Social Media to Amplify Live Experiences

It’s one thing to host a gathering; it’s another to amplify that gathering across social media platforms to create lasting conversations. Social media-first events are all about ensuring that your real-world happenings don’t just stay in the moment—they extend beyond it, keeping your brand top of mind for days (or even weeks) afterward.

The strategy here is real-time content creation and community building, where you keep the online community involved and invested every step of the way. The magic lies in making sure your social media content is just as exciting as the event itself, turning ordinary moments into shareable, clickable, and unmissable experiences.

The key? Creating a seamless integration between offline events and online engagement—a strategy that turns every live event into a social media spectacle.

Aperol Spritz understood this perfectly when they launched Aperol Spritz Live—a social media-driven event series aimed at increasing the popularity of Aperol Spritz across Italy. The campaign wasn’t just about throwing parties; it was about creating a real-time, dynamic, and highly shareable experience that would captivate the audience both offline and online.

The event series featured international artists and DJ sets, turning every night into a happening that was as much about the music and ambiance as it was about community engagement.

Here’s where the magic happened: before, during, and after each event, the Aperol team worked tirelessly to fuel the buzz on social media. It all started with a pre-event buildup across Facebook, website content, and promotional posts. The goal? To get people talking and excited long before the event took place.

As the events were happening, live video clips, photos, and behind-the-scenes moments kept the energy up and pushed real-time interaction. By the next morning, the photos from the event were live, and a recap video was up and running by noon, ensuring that the buzz didn't die down the moment the last DJ track played.

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'n Plasing gedeel deur SYNTHONY - DANCE MUSIC REIMAGINED (@synthony)

As part of the event, hostesses handed out cards with an invitation for guests to tag themselves in photos on Aperol Spritz's Facebook page. This spontaneous sharing was incentivized with the promise that guests would find their pictures uploaded just a few hours later, ensuring that everyone had a reason to engage after the event. The key to the campaign was that the social experience continued long after the last cocktail was poured, keeping the brand alive in conversations across Facebook, Instagram, and beyond.

Impact and Results: A Social Success Story

The results speak for themselves. By integrating real-time content creation with a strong social media strategy, Aperol successfully created a social buzz that lasted long after the event. The event series generated significant organic engagement, with fans eagerly sharing their photos and moments from the event, turning the brand’s offline presence into an online community-driven event. But the impact wasn’t just on social platforms—it also created brand awareness for the Aperol Spritz Now! app, engaging guests directly to download and interact with the brand in new ways.

From an engagement standpoint, the spontaneous sharing element proved a major win. By motivating guests to tag themselves and share, Aperol got real, user-generated content that amplified the reach of the events far beyond the physical venue. Additionally, having photos and videos uploaded in real-time kept the brand in the social conversation for days after the event, ensuring that Aperol Spritz wasn't just a memory but a continuously evolving conversation on social media.

Key Takeaway

If you want to create memorable events that live beyond the night, it’s all about seamless integration between offline experiences and online interaction. Build excitement for your events ahead of time, and keep the momentum going with live content, photos, and videos that drive real-time engagement.

5. Winning Social Moments with In-Stream Sponsorships and Real-Time Relevance

Once you’ve got the visuals, the vibes, and the voice locked in, the next social media marketing power move for alcohol brands is owning cultural moments in real-time—especially the ones your audience already cares about.

Enter: In-Stream Sponsorships. This strategy goes far beyond simply “showing up” during trending events. It’s about strategically embedding your brand into the live action, aligning with premium content, and becoming part of the conversation while emotions and attention are at their peak.

For alcoholic beverage brands, this approach is pure gold. Why? Because drinks are inherently social. They're tied to celebrations, watch parties, sports fandom, and every “cheers-worthy” occasion in between. So, when you align your brand with a major event and wrap it in timely, branded content, you’re not just selling a drink, you’re showing up for the moment.

The goal is simple: own the buzz while it’s happening and become the brand people think of when the action unfolds.

Let’s serve up a brilliant example. Stella Artois, as the official beer sponsor of Wimbledon, saw an opportunity to raise a glass (or several million) to a summer of tennis. But instead of relying on traditional ads or sporadic social posts, they executed a multi-pronged, Twitter-first strategy that turned passive viewers into active engagers—and Stella into the most talked-about beer of the season.

Now serving...@StellaArtoisUK returns to #Wimbledon as the Official Beer Partner of The Championships

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2023

First, Stella Artois tapped into Twitter’s In-Stream Sponsorships, placing short branded content clips at the start of @Wimbledon’s live streams and highlight videos. Think of it like scoring a courtside seat for your ad—front and center, before every major point, set, and match. This ensured that viewers consistently associated the excitement of Wimbledon with a cold Stella in hand.

But they didn’t stop there.

To boost engagement, they deployed Conversational Cards—Twitter’s interactive tweet format that invites users to click, vote, and retweet their opinions. Stella used these cards to dive into iconic fan debates like #MurrayMound vs. #HenmanHill (because who doesn’t love a bit of civilised tennis drama?). It was an easy, clever way to get fans involved while amplifying Stella’s presence.

Ahh The Championships, Wimbledon conundrum - only one name can claim the most prestigious patch of grass, but which is your preference? #JoieDeBière

— StellaArtoisUK (@StellaArtoisUK) June 28, 2019

To top it off, Stella introduced a custom clinking beer emoji tied to the #StellaWimbledon hashtag—a small but powerful touch that made every tweet more branded, more fun, and more shareable. Paired with their evergreen #JoieDeBière hashtag, the campaign maintained that signature continental charm Stella is known for, while still feeling right at home in the world of British tennis.

The Scoreboard: Brand Lift + Social Buzz

This wasn’t just a “cute moment” campaign—it delivered serious results. Stella Artois saw a 13% lift in ad recall, a 7% increase in brand consideration, and a 9% boost in favourability among video viewers. Meanwhile, the #StellaWimbledon Conversational Cards saw a 2.55% engagement rate, showing that fans weren’t just watching—they were talking, clicking, and aligning the brand with the energy of Wimbledon itself.

In short? Stella didn’t just ride the wave of a popular event. They became part of it—weaving themselves into the social dialogue and making sure that every ace, volley, and victory came with a refreshing Stella mention.

Key Takeaway

Don’t just wait for your audience to come to you—meet them in the moments they care about. Use In-Stream Sponsorships to embed your brand into high-impact live content, and amplify the experience with interactive tools like Conversational Cards or custom emojis.

6. Using AR to Gamify Brand Engagement

By now, we’ve seen how alcoholic beverage brands can tap into everything from fan-generated content to live event integration—but what happens when you want to go beyond the scroll and pull your audience into the experience? That’s where Augmented Reality (AR) comes in—not just as a buzzword, but as a powerful mid-funnel tool to boost dwell time, brand favorability, and that ever-elusive “fun factor.”

Unlike traditional ad formats that fight for a half-second of attention, AR gives users a reason to stick around. And in a world of thumb-stopping content, getting someone to engage for more than a minute is the equivalent of digital alchemy. For alcohol brands, AR offers a unique way to blend storytelling, gamification, and product interaction—all in one immersive moment. Think of it as pouring your brand into a digital pint glass and letting users drink it in their own way.

Let’s raise a virtual glass to Miller Lite’s clever use of AR during their St. Patrick’s Day campaign. Knowing they weren’t the default beer of the day, Miller Lite decided to win attention (and hearts) with a campaign that merged gamified AR, immersive storytelling, and can-triggered animation, all served up across social media.

The campaign launched in two phases:

• An AR Portal Experience, built using Unity, allowed users to step into an Irish-themed, beer-splashed virtual world—complete with a “Bearded Man” mascot and charming St. Paddy’s visuals. This wasn’t just a passive animation; users could explore the environment, engaging with different touchpoints and lingering in the experience for longer than your average Instagram Reel.

• A Coin Toss AR Game, which invited fans to play an interactive drinking game that had a staggering 75% re-engagement rate. That’s a replay value few mobile games can brag about, let alone a seasonal beer campaign.

And it didn’t stop there. On the big weekend itself, Miller Lite activated web-based AR using 8th Wall tech—fans could point their phones at Miller Lite cans to unlock animated scenes featuring the “Bearded Man” causing mischief. It was beer marketing meets Pixar, only with less family-friendly hijinks and more hops.

Social media acted as the distribution engine. The brand amplified the campaign with teaser clips, shareable stories, and platform-native content, letting Snapchat and Instagram do what they do best: make immersive content feel viral, not forced.

The numbers brewed up some serious proof of concept:

• 28% engagement rate for the AR portal (versus the 20% industry benchmark for non-branded AR).

• 93% completion rate—nearly every person who stepped into the virtual pub stayed for the full experience.

• 3+ minutes of average dwell time with the Bearded Man animations.

• 25% favorability lift for Miller Lite compared to other typical St. Patrick’s Day beverage options.

Key Takeaway

If you’re looking to stand out—especially during competitive cultural moments—AR could be your secret ingredient. Start small: design an immersive story around your product, tie it to a shareable social moment, and make it easily accessible via web-based AR.

Raising the Bar Around Social Media Success

From UGC campaigns to AR-driven experiences, alcohol brands are mastering the art of connection through smart, immersive, and culturally relevant social strategies. These six proven tactics show how bold creativity and timely execution can build brand love, boost engagement, and spark conversations.

To thrive, brands must think beyond the bottle—lean into interactive content, creator collabs, and tech-forward moments to keep audiences pouring in. The future? It's social—and it’s always on.

About the Author

Kalin Anastasov

Writer

Kalin Anastasov plays a pivotal role as an content manager and editor at Influencer Marketing Hub. He expertly applies his SEO and content writing experience to enhance each piece, ensuring it aligns with our guidelines and delivers unmatched quality to our readers.