Trends in alcohol marketing How the alcohol industry reacts on political pressure:

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 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.

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

Invoegen plaatje second life!

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

Invoegen plaatje msn Belgie

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

Invoegen plaatje Cult

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?