New online marketing standards launched
The 11 (who’ve formed the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to reducing harmful drinking and promoting understanding of responsible drinking) have joined forces with prominent digital platforms facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat to set and deliver new and robust standards of responsibility for their wider industries.
The IARD-led initiative involves drinks companies such as Diageo, Heineken, Bacardí, Carlsberg, Molson Coors, Pernod-Ricard, ABInBev, Brown-Forman, Beam Suntory and Asahi, many of whom have a strong presence in Ireland.
“By working together and leveraging the innovative and pioneering mindsets that drive our businesses, we know we can achieve more to deliver new standards of responsibility in the advertising of beer, wine and spirits across social media,” stated the IARD, “We believe our partnership has the potential to go beyond our individual companies and could create change across a range of platforms and advertisers, ultimately benefiting the thousands of businesses who want to advertise responsibly and the billions of people who use digital platforms every day. “
According to IARD, the initiative will:
- ensure the most-up-to-date safeguards are used so that marketing communications relating to beer, wine and spirits are directed to those adults who can lawfully buy these products
- explore what changes can be made to further diminish the chances of those underage seeing this advertising
- explore ways people can have greater control over whether they see alcohol advertising and opt out of receiving advertisements for alcohol products.
“In Ireland, we adhere to some of the strictest advertising codes in the world for both content and volume of alcohol advertising and we’re committed to maintaining those high standards,” said ABFI Director Patricia Callan, “These codes have existed since 2003 and mean that no alcohol advertising can appeal directly to young people or feature anyone who is, or appears to be, under the age of 25.
“ABFI is totally opposed to underage drinking and we very much welcome this new initiative which further diminishes the chances of those that are underage seeing alcohol advertising in a digital age.”
