Trends in alcohol marketing

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How the alcohol industry reacts on political
pressure

• Trends in alcohol marketing

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• Objectives of EUCAM
• Promoting the Monitoring of Alcohol Marketing
• Promoting and disseminating impact research
• See for more information www.eucam.info

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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

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EUCAM trend reports 2008
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DG Sanco on regulating tobacco advertising

• 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)

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Alcohol in the news (last week)
Raising alcohol taxes reduces deaths 13-Nov-2008,
by EurekAlert
Rise in alcohol-related AE admissions among
children Published 10 November 2008, HSJ
Alcohol puts under-10s in hospital 09 November
2008, Press Association
Doctors Call For Alcohol Advertising Ban
Friday, 7th November 2008 Bismarck Tribune
MPs call for pub happy hours ban BBC News,
Published 2008/11/10
Act now to fight growing scourge of alcohol 13
November 2008 The Scotsman newspaper.
SENEGAL "Worrying rise in alcohol abuse 11
November 2008 (IRIN)
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Other news last week
Wine sellers win reduces alcohol campaign 06
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
award Wednesday, 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.
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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.

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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

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Alcohol marketing in Games

• Already from 1983 market Anheuser-Busch its
  product in computer games.

Invoegen plaatje second life!
Tapper, 1983
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Alcohol marketing on-line social networks

• In social networks such as MySpace, Facebook,
  Hyves. Advertisement often initiated by alcohol
  producer.

Invoegen plaatje msn Belgie
Carlsberg commercial at Facebook 2008 for
Norwegian adolescents
Absolut Vodka banner on MSN for Dutch and Belgian
adolescents
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(No Transcript)
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Alcohol marketing online Grassroot initiatives

• Usergenerated advertisement For example on
  YouTube. Often initiated by consumers but
  sometimes marketers use this platform for their
  own means.

Movie on YouTube initiated by Heineken.
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Alcohol marketing Online Grassroot initiatives

• 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.

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Alcohol marketing Direct mail

• To consumers to strengthen loyalty of customer.

Direct mail by Grolsch Breweries.
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Alcohol marketing websites alcohol industry

• 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

Invoegen plaatje Cult
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Alcohol marketing blogs and websites by fans

• Other websites of which initator is more unclear

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Alcohol marketing blogs and websites by fans

• In small letters financed by retailers and wine
  producers.

www.twis.info
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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.

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Marketing alcohol as responsible and healthy

• Market alcohol as a healthy product
• The Power of Vitamins The company claims that
  Stampede Lights reduces a hangover.
• Antioxidants in drinks Green tea and blue
  berries in beer reduces stress and increases
  short-term memory

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Light beers
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Diet product?
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Natural ingredients

• Alcoholic drinks with fresh spring water.

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Marketing the product as green

• Recyclable bottle by Anheuser-Busch

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Market the company as green
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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.

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Thank you for your attention!
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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?