How the alcohol industry
reacts on political pressure:
Trends in alcohol marketing
2.
Objectives of EUCAM:
Promoting the Monitoring of Alcohol Marketing
Promoting and disseminating impact research
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See for more information: www.eucam.info
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1.
EUCAM trend reports
Informative overview of
new trends in alcohol
marketing.
 Collected by nonsystematic 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:
DG Sanco on regulating tobacco advertising:
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Virtual environment is the most common crossborder platform for tobacco advertising and the
biggest challenge for the effective
implementation of the EU advertising ban. (p.7,
COM (2008) 330 final)
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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)
Alcohol in the news (last week):
Alcohol puts under-10s in hospital
09 November 2008, Press Association
Act now to fight
growing scourge of alcohol
13 November 2008
The Scotsman newspaper.
Other news last week:
Response alcohol industry:
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Increase self-regulation to prevent legislation of to limit
further statutary regulations.
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Increasing involvement in marketing practices that are not
(or rarely) restricted yet.
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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
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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:
Alcohol marketing: in Games

Already from 1983 market Anheuser-Busch its product in
computer games.
Invoegen
plaatje second
life!
“Tapper”, 1983
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
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.
Alcohol marketing: Online Grassroot initiatives
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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: Direct mail
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To consumers to strengthen loyalty of customer.
Direct mail by Grolsch
Breweries.
Alcohol marketing: websites alcohol industry
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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
Invoegen
plaatje Cult
Alcohol marketing: blogs and websites by ‘fans’
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Other websites of which initator is more
unclear:
Alcohol marketing: blogs and websites by ‘fans’
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In small letters: financed by retailers and wine
producers.
www.twis.info
Alcohol marketing in the virtual world
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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:
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Market alcohol as a healthy product:
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The Power of Vitamins: The company claims that Stampede Light’s
reduces a hangover.
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Antioxidants in drinks: Green tea and blue berries in beer reduces stress
and increases short-term memory
Light beers
Diet product?
Natural ingredients
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Alcoholic drinks with fresh
spring water.
Marketing the product as green
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Recyclable bottle by Anheuser-Busch
Market the company as green
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
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or Stakeholder / Cause-related Marketing
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Includes also other forms of social marketing by the
industry (eg responsible drinking campaigns).
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Business as usual: The benefits of CSR:
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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)?
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Do we expect a shift to these new marketing
tools if we sharpen existing regulations? If yes,
how can effective regulation deal with this?