When we heard about #rethinkcider last year, we thought it is a great idea to raise awareness of cider. However, this hashtag was only appropriate for the British market – English people know cider and they drink cider a lot, but in Poland, we need something different.
That’s why Rita made up a Polish hashtag #odkryjcydr which means #discovercider. Craft cider is becoming more popular in Poland, but it is still confused with commercial cider and there is a misunderstanding among consumers. When you say “cydr” in Poland, many people think of one brand which dominated the market. Thus Polish consumers think that cider is sweet and fizzy drink and they may turn away from this category.
This summer we went to Poland to explore more the market. We talked with our friends and family and we want to share with you some insights.
First of all, we see a need for “early adopters” who can do grassroots work and encourage their friends to try cider and create a “fashion for a cider” among consumers. We just need people talking about cider.
The other thing is, as you may know, we have a ban on advertising alcohol in Poland. You can only advertise beer, nothing more. It is ridiculous and an obstacle in reaching potential customers. But it is not so bad as you may think. Big commercial brands have money for advertising, they can easily buy an ad on TV or press. But the law says: Advertising of alcoholic beverages shall be prohibited in Poland, so it is harder for big companies to introduce their brands and cider of inferior quality made from concentrate or beer mixed with apple juice.
Craft cider makers say they don’t need ads, their cider is so good that they sell almost everything what they made. And their ciders are not cheap at all.
Then, we can talk about the price – people in Poland think cider is an expensive drink, however, there are potential customers who can pay a higher price for a bottle but they don’t know where to look for. That’s why we need influencers and early adopters to reach those consumers. We see that there is a lack of readily available knowledge about cider and it is very scattered. Many people go to the supermarket, they can only see a few brands of commercial cider. As a result, they perceive a category only through the small range in the supermarket.
But we can see a change – there are more cider tastings, food festivals, there is also a campaign which promotes Polish apples. We had Polish Cider Festival Online this year and we hope it will be repeated next year in real life. Hashtag #cydr is getting more popular. People start talking about cider and they ask for more – more cider, more knowledge, more festivals. We finally discover cider. 🙂
