When Big Brands Falter, Craft Must Reframe the Game
The alcohol industry is shifting underfoot—and it’s not just a wobble.
On July 16, Diageo’s CEO stepped down (following a gentle nudge from the board. A 40% share price slump. A profit warning. Inventory hangovers. Sector-wide softness.
But behind the headlines is a bigger truth: consumers are drinking differently.
They’re trading down. Swapping out. Saying no - sometimes for health, sometimes for cost, often because legacy just doesn’t mean loyalty anymore.
Enter Toast Ale: beer brewed from surplus bread. A B Corp since 2018, Toast has:
Saved over 3 million slices from waste
Built a circular economy from grain to glass
Created a profit-for-purpose model that fuels charities, not just margins
They’re not just brewing beer, they’re baking in change. And they’re not alone. What Tony's Chocolonely have done for cacao, other brands are replicating for other supply chains. And they are selling a lot more as a result.
Purpose-led, values-driven, and behaviourally sharp craft brands are holding their own, even as economic headwinds batter the shelves, and we seem to head ever more quickly towards recession.
What They’re Doing Right:
Mission-Led Branding
A clear “why” acts like emotional ballast. It anchors the brand and earns consumer trust, especially when spend is under scrutiny.
Nudge-Based Design
From defaulting to sustainable packaging to framing taproom menus around low-ABV flights, behavioural nudges help brands guide choice without pushing harder.
Collaborative Ecosystems
Brands like Toast are scaling not through acquisition, but through open innovation—Companion® lets other brewers upcycle too.
This isn’t just about sustainability, it’s a systems change.
At BH&P, we helped Sea Change Wines build storytelling strategies rooted in lifestyle, purpose, and product—and activated it through nudges in loyalty, CRM, and UX. We repositioned Urban Rhino Gin to own a new territory "good, bottled" in event and in the glass, to raise awareness of the plight of the rhino in a way that really speaks to consumers. And we’re now supporting an e-commerce healthcare brand launch using AI-powered product journeys, UGC, and influencer collabs that blend aspiration with authenticity.
Behavioural science underpins it all.
This is about designing for real people. In real contexts. With real emotions.
So What’s the Strategic Play for Craft & F&B Brands?
1. Don’t just market. Nudge.
Design every touchpoint—from pack to path-to-purchase—to support the choice you want people to make.
2. Build community, not campaigns.
Taprooms, Discords, TikToks, Thursdays at the brewery, all of it builds belonging. And belonging builds brands.
3. Scale together, not apart.
Purpose-to-purpose partnerships can do what paid ads can’t: generate relevance, reach, and trust at once.
Final Pour
When mass-market models strain under their own weight, the answer isn’t to run leaner—it’s to think sharper.
Craft and F&B brands with a purpose-led spine and a nudge-informed brain won’t just survive this reset. They’ll lead it.
And if you’re still clinging to legacy playbooks?
Well, cheers to courage.
You’ll need it.
If you're looking for some strategic insight or creative thought, our inside-out thinking framework is based on the UCL behaviour wheel - get in touch to find out more, and write a new playbook for your brand, and your customers.