Why Nigerian Alcohol Brands May Need to Rethink Gen Z, According to X3M Intelligence

Mary Nnah

For years, many alcohol brands in Nigeria have approached Gen Z consumers with inherited assumptions: louder parties, bigger influencers, trend-heavy campaigns, and the belief that younger audiences simply want to “turn up.”

But according to a new cultural intelligence report unveiled by X3M Intelligence, the reality may be far more nuanced.

At a recently-hosted industry session in Lagos Marriott, the research and insight division of X3M Ideas presented findings from a new study titled “Gen Zs Are Rewriting the Party Rules,” a report exploring how Nigeria’s youngest legal drinking generation is redefining social culture, identity, and alcohol consumption.

The event drew marketers, brand leaders, strategists, creatives, and researchers interested in understanding one of the country’s most culturally-influential demographics.

Rather than focusing only on what Gen Z drinks, the report explored why they drink, how social rituals are evolving around alcohol, and how identity, wellness, taste, occasions, and digital culture increasingly shape their decisions.

Speaking during the unveiling, Strategy & Intelligence Lead at X3M Ideas, Ayoade Omolola, said the project emerged from a growing frustration with how casually Gen Z conversations are often handled within marketing circles.

“Everybody talks about Gen Z, but very few people slow down enough to actually listen to them,” he said. “A lot of brand strategy today is still built on stereotypes. We wanted to move away from internet caricatures and understand the real emotional and cultural drivers shaping this generation.”

The report also highlighted shifting preferences within the market, including a surprising leaning toward wine consumption and more curated social experiences among younger consumers.

For Chief Executive Officer of X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko, the findings reinforce the importance of grounding creativity in research rather than assumptions.

“There are too many myths around Gen Z. Every week there is a new opinion about what they supposedly care about,” Babaeko said. “But culture is changing quickly, and brands cannot afford to build communication on guesswork.”

He added that intelligence-led creativity would become increasingly important as audiences become more fragmented and culturally fluid.

“The era of one-dimensional marketing is fading. Today’s consumers are more self-aware, more expressive, and more complex. Brands have to evolve from broadcasting messages to genuinely understanding people,” he stated.

Beyond alcohol marketing, discussions at the session also touched on broader cultural shifts among Nigerian youth, including changing attitudes toward status, socialising, relationships, and self-expression.

The agency noted that the report forms part of a wider effort by X3M Intelligence to build more African-centred cultural research capable of helping brands navigate changing consumer realities across the continent.

According to Babaeko, the long-term ambition is to create intelligence platforms that allow African stories, behaviours, and market shifts to be documented with greater depth and accuracy.

“Africa is changing fast, and culture is evolving in real time. If brands want to remain relevant, they have to pay closer attention to what people are becoming, not just who they used to be,” he said.