The low carb movement spread to the beer category in 2006, and nine years on, it is now consumed by 8.5 per cent of Aussies aged 18 and over, and almost one quarter of beer drinkers.
At the end of last year, however, Australia's original low carb beer brand, Pure Blonde, lost its lead to rival Carlton Dry.
Both brands are made by Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), however Angela Smith, group account director at Roy Morgan Research said that the range of low-carb beers on the market has exploded in the past few years.
“Until recent months, Pure Blonde was able to maintain top spot in this increasingly crowded field, but was overtaken by close rival Carlton Dry in December 2014.”
Smith notes that surprisingly, the category is not dominated by calorie-conscious women, or older men battling middle-aged spread – men aged under 35 years outnumber both groups to account for 33 per cent of sales.
Moreover, although one might expect low-carb beers to appeal to dieters and calorie-counters, the people drinking it are less concerned than the average Australian with such issues, says Smith.
“In fact, men aged between 18 and 24 (not generally a weight-conscious bunch) are the most likely age group of either gender to drink low-carb beer, with 20 per cent consuming it in an average four weeks.
“As men in this age range are less likely than men of any other age to drink beer in general, this is quite noteworthy - and category leader Carlton Dry has clearly recognised the opportunity it presents, aiming their playful ‘Hello Beer’ advertising campaign squarely at this demographic.”
