CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Alcohol Policies Project Fact Sheet
Putting Anheuser-Busch’s Consumer Responsibility
Campaign into Perspective
Anheuser-Busch’s website, as of 2007, claims that they are “the global industry leader in promoting
responsibility” and “have invested more than $675 million in alcohol awareness and education programs and
partnerships” since 1982. 1 This amounts to an average of $27 million per year.
Between 2001 and 2005, Nielsen Media Research reported that Anheuser-Busch spent a total of $19.9
million on “Responsibility” television advertising, or 12% of the total television advertising budget for the same
time period.
Put into perspective, awareness and education spending pales in comparison to advertising and
promotional expenditures:
ƒ For 2001-2005, Nielsen Media Research reported that Anheuser-Busch spent $1.6 billion on
television product advertising and $52 million on other television advertising.
ƒ In 2004, Anheuser-Busch was the 3rd biggest ad spender on NBC’s telecasts of the summer
Olympics, spending $54 million. 2
ƒ In 2006 alone, Anheuser-Busch spent $22.5 million for Super Bowl advertisements (just for the
airtime; not for production).
ƒ Adams Beer Handbook reports that in 2006, Anheuser-Busch accounted for
ƒ 43% of all measured media advertising expenditures within the beer industry,
ƒ 41% of all TV beer advertising ($324 million),
ƒ 29% of all print beer advertising ($62 million).
ƒ According to Impact magazine, Anheuser-Busch had a total of $607 million for its 2006 media
budget. In comparison, the total 2008 budget of National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism (NIAAA) is only $436.2 million. 3
Anheuser-Busch Measured Media Advertising Expenditures, 2000-2006 ($2.87 Billion Total)
($$ in Thousands)
Total
Total
Total TV
TV
% of TV
Total
Print*
Broadcast**
Product
Responsibility*** Ad Total
Expenditures
(Print + Broadcast)
Advertising
41,060.3
314,236.5
312,660.0
n.a
-355,296.8
2000
67,041.4
264,675.3
240,574.8
4,281.5
1.7%
331,716.7
2001
82,876.2
339,831.8
337,722.8
5,741.3
1.6%
422,708.0
2002
92,163.7
321,622.0
317,296.4
921.6
0.3%
413,785.7
2003
90,668.0
368,008.6
357,613.7
8.948.9
2.3%
458,676.6
2004
110,485.5
398,602.3
362,327.8
8.948.9
2.3%
509,087.8
2005
70,867.7
339,969.5
339,470.1
n.a
-387,473.4
2006
88,319.1
291,230.3
290,613.5
n.a
-379,549.4
2007
+115.1
-7.32
-7.05
+109.01****
-+6.83
% Change
2000-2007
* Print Advertising includes magazine, newspaper, and outdoor ads
** Broadcast Advertising includes Net TV, Spot TV, Cable TV, and Radio ads
*** TV Responsibility expenditures not available for 2000 and 2006
**** % Change for 2001-2005 only
NOTE: The values given do not include point of purchase displays, fairs, festivals, sponsorships, internet or other unmeasured
marketing expenditures.
Source: Adams Business Media, Beer Handbook and Neilsen Media Research
Beer Industry Advertising Expenditures, 2000-2006 ($7.53 Billion Total)
($$ in Thousands)
Magazine
Newspaper
Outdoor
TV
Radio
Total
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
% Change
2000-2006
34,328.1
44,133.5
55,841.5
72,314.9
102,105.3
109,410.7
103,852.1
6,631.6
9,763.5
14,462.0
18,173.1
26,704.9
29,206.2
8,252.3
84,405.1
96,795.2
108,944.1
110,057.0
113,595.3
123,361.7
106,311.4
770,071.8
815,378.1
972,225.5
865,251.8
916,561.3
897,076.8
793,913.0
15,005.4
19,286.6
18,327.8
17,683.1
16,116.0
15,915.9
14,832.1
910,442.0
985,356.9
1,169,800.9
1,083,479.9
1,175,082.8
1,174,971.3
1,027,160.9
+202.53
+24.44
+25.95
+3.10
-1.15
+12.82
NOTE: The values given do not include point of purchase displays, fairs, festivals, sponsorships, internet or other unmeasured
marketing expenditures.
Source: Adams Business Media, Beer Handbook
Bottom Line: Anheuser-Busch’s marketing practices overwhelm their “responsibility” messages.
December 2008
1
2
3
http://www.anheuser-busch.com/ResponsibilityMatters.html
TNS Media Intelligence/CMR
NIAAA Director’s Report on Institute Activities to 117th Meeting of the National Advisory Council-February 7, 2008. Online at:
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/AboutNIAAA/AdvisoryCouncil/DirectorsReports/DirectorReport_2_08.htm