1. Alcohol Marketing: from the horse’s mouth ISM Institute for Social Marketing Professor Gerard Hastings Dublin September 15 th 2010

2. Structure 1.What is marketing? 2.Alcohol marketing works 3.The regulations do not 4.Conclusion: reduce exposure

3. What is marketing? The processes business uses to encourage consumption of its products: –Multifaceted –Strategic and long term – relationships not just transactions: the who as well as the what –Seeking to influence the behaviour of customers and stakeholders

4. What is marketing? mass media advertising television pressbillboards

5. What is marketing mass media advertising pressbillboards other marketing communications point of sale packaging internet sponsor- ship product placement brand stretching free samples television

6. What is marketing mass media advertising pressbillboards other marketing communications point of sale packaging internet sponsor- ship product placement brand stretching free samples television This is what we tend to focus on

7. mass media advertising cinemapress billboards other marketing communications point of sale pack design internet sponsor- ship branding merchandising price promotions What is marketing Cumulative impact: these communications are designed to reinforce and support one another

8. What is marketing mass media advertising televisionpress billboards other marketing communications point of sale packaging internet sponsor- ship product placement brand stretching free samples consumer marketing product design distribution price

9. What is marketing mass media advertising televisionpress billboards other marketing communications point of sale packaging internet sponsor- ship product placement brand stretching free samples consumer marketing product design distribution price stakeholder marketing corporate social responsibility Comp analysis media know- how corporate affairs social marketing

10. DAT Out of Hell? (Steinman 1977)

11. Structure 1.What is marketing? 2.Alcohol marketing works 3.The regulations do not 4.Conclusion: reduce exposure

12. We know marketing influences young people This is clear for tobacco √ (Cochrane Collab, 2005) unhealthy food √ (WHO, 2006) and alcohol …. (BMA, 2009)

13. “Longitudinal studies consistently suggest that exposure to media and commercial communications on alcohol is associated with the likelihood that adolescents will start to drink alcohol, and with increased drinking amongst baseline drinkers.” Alcohol and Alcoholism 2009 “alcohol advertising increases both the uptake of drinking and consumption in young people” (Science Committee of the EU Commission Alcohol Forum 2009) “it is undeniable that alcohol advertising acts as an encouragement to consumption” (European Court of Justice ruling – C152/78 (2002) Evidence statement 5: There is conclusive evidence of a small but consistent association of advertising with consumption at a population level. There is also evidence of small but consistent effects of advertising on consumption of alcohol by young people at an individual level. (UK Gvt Review (2008)

14. Structure 1.What is marketing? 2.Alcohol marketing works 3.The regulations do not 4.Conclusion: reduce exposure

15. Regulations (UK and Ireland) Control the content of ads, but do not limit exposure This is very difficult to do; ads are sophisticated, covert and carefully targeted No Ordinary Commodity confirms that there is little evidence to support such regulation The recent Health Select Committee enquiry shows why and confirms that reductions in exposure are the only effective option

16. The Sources of the Documents PRODUCERSBRANDSCOMMS AGENCIES Beverage Brands WKD (an alcopop) Big Communications Bray Leino PR Five by Five (digital) Diageo Smirnoff vodka AKQA JWT Halewood International Lambrini (a perry) Sidekick shots BJL Cheethambell JWT Molson Coors Brewing Company CarlingBeattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) Internal marketing planning documents: Client/Agency Contact Reports; Client, Creative and Media Briefs; Media Schedules; Advertising Budgets; Market research reports Health Select Committee Enquiry

17. The Sources of the Documents PRODUCERSBRANDSCOMMS AGENCIES Beverage Brands WKD (an alcopop) Big Communications Bray Leino PR Five by Five (digital) Diageo Smirnoff vodka AKQA JWT Halewood International Lambrini (a perry) Sidekick shots BJL Cheethambell JWT Molson Coors Brewing Company CarlingBeattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) Internal marketing planning documents: Client/Agency Contact Reports; Client, Creative and Media Briefs; Media Schedules; Advertising Budgets; Market research reports Health Select Committee Enquiry HEALTH WARNING This is just a glimpse inside alcohol promotion This promotion is very extensive: one of the companies pleaded that the documents for just one brand would amount to one million pages The chosen producers and comms agencies are not especially at fault: they are just typical

18. The intentions, thinking, strategising that underpins alcohol marketing in the UK Exploiting drunkenness, potency and excess Linking drinking to sociability / social success Appealing to masculinity and femininity Problematic themes all are outlawed by the regulatory codes

19. drunkenness, potency and excess The self-regulatory codes state that advertising must not link alcohol with brave, tough, unruly or daring people or behaviour; nor should it encourage irresponsible, anti-social or immoderate drinking (whether in terms of style or amount). References to, or suggestions of, buying repeat rounds of drinks are not acceptable – including any suggestion that other members of the group will buy any further rounds. Ads must not suggest that a drink is to be preferred because of its alcohol content or place undue emphasis on alcoholic strength

20. drunkenness, potency and excess advertisers must not imply that alcohol can enhance attractiveness, masculinity or femininity – nor use daringness, toughness, bravado, challenge, seduction, sexual activity or sexual success. Promoting sociability and social success Appealing to masculinity and femininity

21. Drunkenness, potency and excess “quick female gags based on sex and drunkenness” and “aligning itself’” with concepts such as “being naughty, rude, outrageous or badly behaved”: Lambrini went on to make ads called “Thong” and “Tit tape” Lambrini: market research

22. Drunkenness, potency and excess

23. Promoting sociability and social success

25. Appealing to masculinity and femininity

26. The intentions, thinking, strategising that underpins alcohol marketing in the UK Drunkenness, potency and excess Promoting sociability and social success Appealing to masculinity and femininity Sponsorship New media Emerging Problems

27. Sponsorship In the UK there is no formal regulation of sponsorship by alcohol companies (which is a major gap)

28. Sponsorship In the UK there is no formal regulation of sponsorship by alcohol companies (which is a major gap) But linking alcohol consumption with sporting success and youth culture is explicitly prohibitted

29. Sponsorship Youth Culture “Football and beer are perfect partners. Football’s not the same without beer and beer’s not the same without football. Together let’s change the word ‘beer’ in the above sentence to Carling” “More people are attending live music than ever before. FACT. Which is great for Carling as beer and live music go hand in hand. FACT”

30. Sponsorship Carling defines the purpose of its music sponsorship as to: “Build the image of the brand and recruit young male drinkers” “Ultimately, the band are the heroes at the venue and Carling should use them to ‘piggy back’ and engage customers [sic] emotions” “They [young men] think about 4 things, we brew 1 and sponsor 2 of them”

31. New media

32. Everything X 2

33. Structure 1.What is marketing? 2.Alcohol marketing works 3.The regulations do not 4.Conclusion: reduce exposure

34. Conclusion 1.Marketing is a multifaceted, strategic and very effective approach to encouraging consumption 2.In the hands of the alcohol companies it influences drinking behaviour (onset and extent) 3.Current controls do nothing to constrain it; only limits on the amount of marketing will do this 4.Tobacco has shown us the way….

35. Conclusion We need a major reduction in the amount of alcohol marketing