Cheers! Examining Message Congruency Effects for No/low-Alcohol Beer

Given consumers desire to prioritize their physical health, there has been a marked growth in the alcohol beverage industry toward the production of no and low-alcohol beer (NLAB). While NLAB offerings have attracted a lot of attention on the store shelves, little academic research has been given to exploring consumer perceptions of appeals used in product messaging. Utilizing a between-subjects experimental design, results from 287 participants suggest that congruent advertising appeals can play a meaningful role in influencing certain consumer response behavior to NLAB products. Specifically, consumers exposed to messaging that is congruent with their value-expressive or social adjustive attributes of self-concept had higher NLAB purchase/trial intentions. Practical implications for beverage manufacturers and directions for future research are provided.