Trends in alcohol marketing
How the alcohol industry reacts on political pressure:
Objectives of EUCAM:1. Promoting the Monitoring of Alcohol Marketing2. Promoting and disseminating impact research
See for more information: www.eucam.info
EUCAM trend reports Informative overview of
new trends in alcohol marketing.
Collected by non-systematic search in business reports and on the web and information of EUCAM contact persons.
Trend reports of 2008:
EUCAM trend reports 2008:
Virtual environment is the most common cross-border platform for tobacco advertising and the biggest challenge for the effective implementation of the EU advertising ban. (p.7, COM (2008) 330 final)
One of the remaining common marketing practices is to advertise the tobacco manufacturer with a positive image as a responsible market operator (p.9, COM (2008) 330 final)
DG Sanco on regulating tobacco advertising:
Alcohol in the news (last week):
Alcohol puts under-10s in hospital09 November 2008, Press Association
Raising alcohol taxes reduces deaths
13-Nov-2008, by EurekAlert
MPs call for pub happy hours ban BBC News, Published: 2008/11/10
SENEGAL: "Worrying” rise in alcohol abuse
11 November 2008 (IRIN)
Act now to fight growing scourge of alcohol
13 November 2008 The Scotsman newspaper.
Rise in alcohol-related A&Eadmissions among childrenPublished: 10 November 2008, HSJ
Doctors Call For Alcohol Advertising Ban
Friday, 7th November 2008
Bismarck Tribune
Other news last week:
Wine sellers win reduces alcohol campaign06 November 2008
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has won its campaign
to get more low-alcohol wines on the shelves of stores.
Community Alcohol Partnerships win retail awardWednesday, 12 November 2008
The Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP)
approach to combating underage drinking has won
an award for best initiative in this year's
Responsible Drinks Retailing Awards.
Response alcohol industry: Increase self-regulation to prevent legislation of to limit
further statutary regulations.
Increasing involvement in marketing practices that are not (or rarely) restricted yet.
Creating a positive image of the brand and producer by Corporating Social Resposibility and marketing the product as responsible.
Alcohol marketing in the virtual world
Majority of alcohol marketing can still be found in traditional media (TV, bill boards, etc).
But increasing use of marketing in the virtual world.
Some examples:
Already from 1983 market Anheuser-Busch its product in computer games.
Alcohol marketing: in Games
“Tapper”, 1983
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In social networks such as MySpace, Facebook, Hyves. Advertisement often initiated by alcohol producer.
Alcohol marketing: on-line social networks
Carlsberg commercial at Facebook 2008 for Norwegian adolescents
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Absolut Vodka banner on MSN for Dutch and Belgian adolescents
Usergenerated advertisement: For example on YouTube. Often initiated by consumers but sometimes marketers use this platform for their own means.
Alcohol marketing: online Grassroot initiatives
Movie on YouTube initiated by Heineken.
Tenessee Teen Stop Drinking Campaign: At first sight seems initiated by concerned parents. But is initiated by wine industry in Tennessee to activate
public support to avoid new law.
Alcohol marketing: Online Grassroot initiatives
To consumers to strengthen loyalty of customer.
Alcohol marketing: Direct mail
Direct mail by Grolsch Breweries.
Huge amount of websites of alcohol producers. A small amount of websites in NL:
www.heineken.nl www.wieckse.nl www.amstelsuperpingels.nl www.grolsch.nl www.grolschmusic.nl www.grolschgroteprijs.nl/home www.bavaria.nl www.dommelsch.nl www.dommelschlivebookings.nl www.bacardi.nl www.bacardinederland.nl/razz/ www.bacardicorto.nl www.twistedshots.nl www.monnik-dranken.nl www.dekuyper.com www.bolsbartendingacademy.com www.jagermeister.nl www.dommelsch.nl www.pisangambon.nl (www.clipcaster.tv) www.malibu.nl www.passoagaatvreemd.nl
Alcohol marketing: websites alcohol industry
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Other websites of which initator is more unclear:
Alcohol marketing: blogs and websites by ‘fans’
In small letters: financed by retailers and wine producers.
Alcohol marketing: blogs and websites by ‘fans’
www.twis.info
Alcohol marketing in the virtual world
Volume is mostly restricted by voluntary codes. Restrictions on the volume of alcohol marketing on the web are almost non existing in Europe.
Alcohol Marketing on the internet is difficult to ‘catch’ with national legislation.
Not always easy to identify initiator. Age check not sufficient to protect young people. Difficult to monitor independently, especially on volume. Alcohol marketing on the web is often interactive which
may increase its harmful effects.
Marketing alcohol as responsible and healthy:
Market alcohol as a healthy product:
The Power of Vitamins: The company claims that Stampede Light’s reduces a hangover.
Antioxidants in drinks: Green tea and blue berries in beer reduces stress and increases short-term memory
Light beers
Diet product?
Natural ingredients
Alcoholic drinks with fresh spring water.
Marketing the product as green
Recyclable bottle by Anheuser-Busch
Market the company as green
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Stakeholder / Cause-related Marketing
Includes also other forms of social marketing by the industry (eg responsible drinking campaigns).
Business as usual: The benefits of CSR: Enhanced reputation; Better staff recruitment; Avoidance of heavy handed government regulation (Hastings,
2008).
Hastings & Angus (2008): Tobacco industry corporate social responsibility is a form of marketing, and as such it should be prohibited under the terms of the tobacco advertising ban”.
Thank you for your attention!
Points for discussion: What can we do with this information?
Should we emphasize the importance of regulating exposure to traditional marketing tools or (also) to new trends (which are more difficult to regulate)?
Do we expect a shift to these new marketing tools if we sharpen existing regulations? If yes, how can effective regulation deal with this?
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