It comes as no surprise that drink brands have such strong associations to summer and winter, especially given they are the peak times of year for generating maximum volume and impact. But how do brands open up their market to customers who only see their drink as just a summer tipple or a winter warmer?

With such a focus by so many drinks brands on associating summer fun and festivals, finding new ways for consumers to engage can be a challenge. Event effectiveness can be clearly seen during the summer months; drinks brands have a natural synergy with music events as they create an environment to showcase a lifestyle and culture allowing brands the chance to connect with their audience’s interests.

However, while working on summer events, it’s important for brands to look ahead to sustaining the relationship after the summer season gives way to autumn and winter, and a different, yet still exhilarating season of events come round.

Continuing these positive associations through to autumn and winter involves maintaining regular contact through creative and exciting campaigns, offering new promotions as well as ensuring your drink stays relevant.

Take for example, cider. Apples and pears are traditionally an autumn fruit. They are natural bedfellows of wintry flavours like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, so why continue to view cider as solely a summer tipple?

Some brands have caught onto this trend and are now beginning to focus more on the opportunities for cider in the colder months in order to keep a large proportion of their customers happy. During the winter months, people often turn to ciders that are fuller in flavour, richer and bolder.

Strongbow, for example, is trying a change of tack introducing new flavours like Dark Fruit in order to associate with the changing seasons. Magners also managed to keep themselves relevant through creative marketing by putting its own twist on the classic toffee apple with a Halloween tutorial showing revelers how to make their own seasoned fruit concoctions. The campaign shows apples dunked in litres of the new berry-flavoured cider before being dunked in deep purple toffee. The campaign was shaped to drive awareness and sales of the brand as a themed-Halloween tipple.

As the busy Christmas period rolls around, brands have even more opportunities to engage with consumers in new and interesting ways through themed events and parties.

In terms of trends, mulled cider for example, has grown to become hugely popular in the last few years, while cider cocktails are a fantastic way to add theatre to the bar and offer customers something extra special during the festive season. Or the ubiquitous gin and tonic which is also seen as a summertime staple is looking to be the spirit of choice this Christmas with gin-filled baubles, gin-flavoured mince pies, and even Christmas crackers with shots of gin inside.

Through some creative marketing, the brand is broadening its appeal but at the same time maintaining its core brand values that will build upon the loyalty of its existing customer base. Standing out in the festive season can be difficult, but innovative approaches and inspirational new drinks recipes can pay dividends with some audiences seeking fresh festive ideas.

Additionally, the festive season in particular, provides more opportunity for brands to do integrated work that supports both the on and off trade.

For brands seeking to bridge the seasonal gap, careful planning is imperative. Factoring in time to bolster established fans and potential new audience anticipation is crucial in getting your name spread.

The best measure of an initiative’s success is not the immediate return; it is post-event brand engagement. Additionally, stay relevant by ‘checking up’ on the customer base via emails and interacting with them via engaging social posts and competitions to inspire new opportunities and occasions for a drink to be relevant.

No matter the season, one thing to always remember is maintaining core brand identity. Drinks brands need to be aware how consumers view their product in every marketing decision - it’s good to create a different experience as long as it doesn’t become too far removed from your essential brand equities.

For example, there are clear differences between what typical and dedicated cider consumers choose in the summer months compared to those in the winter, meaning that limited edition variants provide a great way for brewers to refresh their range without expanding too far.

While the summer season brings amazing occasions of prestige, heritage, and sheer excitement; autumn and winter are all about creativity and hospitality. Whatever the season, the most important aspect of any campaign is the customer and their experience.

Not only does a drink need to taste good, it needs to look amazing and above all tell a story, a story that they can instantly share across social channels. Consumers will always rely on brands for entertainment, but it’s the brands that react quickly to the changing trends that will thrive in this spontaneous, immersive and shareable world.