The Impact of Alcohol Marketing on Young People s Drinking

Transcription

1 The Impact of Alcohol Marketing on Young People s Drinking Gerard Hastings Luxemburg 19 th April 2012 ISM Institute for Social Marketing

2 Structure 1. The nature of marketing 2. The influence on young people 3. Bailing with a sieve: why content controls don t work 4. Conclusion: the need control the amount of alcohol advertising

3 What is marketing? mass media advertising billboards press television

4 What is marketing point of sale internet sponsorship other marketing communications mass media advertising billboards press television packaging free samples brand stretching product placement

5 What is marketing consumer marketing product design point of sale internet sponsorship other marketing communications mass media advertising television press billboards packaging free samples brand stretching product placement price distribution

6 corporate affairs stakeholder marketing consumer marketing What is marketing health warnings product design Comp analysis point of sale internet sponsorship other marketing communications mass media advertising television press billboards packaging distribution corporate social responsibility free samples brand stretching product placement price media knowhow

7 What is marketing? The processes business uses to encourage consumption of its products Multifaceted Driven by consumer research: exchange; targeting Strategic and long term relationships not just transactions Seeking to influence the behaviour of customers, stakeholders even competitors

8 Structure 1. The nature of marketing 2. The influence on young people 3. Bailing with a sieve: why content controls don t work 4. Conclusion: the need control the amount of alcohol advertising

9 The effects of alcohol marketing Snyder et al (2005) Saffer& Dave (2006) Pasch et al (2007) mass media advertising billboards press television Ellickson et al (2005) Collins et al (2007) Stacey et al (2004)

10 The effects of alcohol marketing Collins et al (2007) Ellickson et al (2004) Hurtz et al (2007) point of sale other marketing communications mass media advertising pack design internet cinema press billboards sponsor- branding ship merchandising price promotions Henriksen et al (2008) McClure et al (2006)

11 The effects of alcohol marketing point of sale other marketing communications mass media advertising pack design internet cinema press billboards sponsor- branding ship merchandising price promotions Cumulative impact: these communications are designed to reinforce and support one another

12 ISM Institute for Social Marketing Longitudinal research study Used a cohort design to investigate the impact of alcohol marketing Random sample of year olds followed up at 15; asked about drinking and marketing In-home interviews, plus self completion for the sensitive information (eg on drinking) Funded under the National Prevention Research Initiative (consortium funding led by the Medical Research Council)

13 Study results a. Alcohol promotion is astonishingly ubiquitous b. It is influencing young people s drinking behaviour

14 Types of advertising seen 13 year olds (2006) Sample size 920 % 15 year olds (2008) TV/Cinema Sports Sponsorship Clothing (sports tops) Music Sponsorship Sponsorship of TV & Film Social networking sites 12 *34 Mobile communications 24 *21 Websites 14 *7 Any channel % Number of channels * Note: question wording varied between stages

15 Types of advertising seen 13 year olds (2006) Sample size 920 % 15 year olds (2008) TV/Cinema Sports Sponsorship Clothing (sports tops) Music Sponsorship Sponsorship of TV & Film Social networking sites 12 *34 Mobile communications 24 *21 Websites 14 *7 Any channel Number of channels % * Note: question wording varied between stages

16 Football Sponsorship Electronic Gig Guide Merchandise Venues Mass Media Advertising Festival Sponsorship Texting Electronic Gadgets Young person Social Networking Sites POS Competitions Websites

17 Effects After controlling for confounding variables significant associations emerged between awareness, appreciation and involvement with alcohol marketing at Stage 1 (aged 13) with drinking behaviour at Stage 2 (aged 15): - earlier age of uptake of drinking - amount consumed Gordon, MacKintosh and Moodie (2010) The impact of alcohol marketing on youth drinking behaviour: A two-stage cohort study Alcohol and Alcoholism

18 Reviews and assimilations of the total evidence base confirm these results

19 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 Government Review (2008) alcohol advertising increases both the uptake of drinking and consumption in young people (Science Committee of the EU Commission Alcohol Forum 2009) 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

20 These effects are completely predictable Marketing effects on child behaviour have also been established for: tobacco (NCI, 2009) energy dense food (WHO, 2006) Why would economic operators spend so much money on alcohol marketing* if it didn t increase sales? * e.g. 800m a year in the UK (Cabinet Office)

21 Alcohol industry denials of effects are equally predictable The tobacco industry has done the same for decades

22 Structure 1. The nature of marketing 2. The influence on young people 3. Bailing with a sieve: why content controls don t work 4. Conclusion: the need control the amount of alcohol advertising

23 Two examples Unique access to alcohol industry internal marketing documents Two examples: 1. Belong 2.Sports sponsorship

24 Carling s Belong Commercial The ad featured a flock of starlings gradually gathering initially in 1s and 2s and then in droves; at the same time the word belong slowly emerges in the style of the Carling logo

25 Carling s Belong Commercial The self-regulatory codes state that alcohol can not be linked to the social acceptance or the social success of individuals, events or occasions. Nor can ads imply that drinking can enhance an individual s popularity, confidence, mood, physical performance, personal qualities, attractiveness, sexual or social success The ASA received complaints from professionals and the public that the ad breached the code, but rejected them saying that the ad did not imply alcohol contributed to the popularity of an individual or the success of a social event The internal documents show the foolishness of this judgement...

26 Carling s Belong Commercial internal documents The pitch: Carling celebrates, initiates and promotes the togetherness of the pack, their passions and their pint because Carling understands that things are better together which splits into 3 Aspects of Belonging : Initiation: Expressions of the moment when an individual joins a group and finds a happy home in the pack - the Moment of Belonging Celebration: An expression of the sheer joy of belonging - the Joy of Belonging Contagion: An expression of the magnetic power of the group - the Power of Belonging

27 Carling s Belong Commercial internal documents Broadly speaking each piece of communication will either; celebrate Join Us, by championing the benefit of togetherness, or facilitate Join Us, by providing and enhancing experiences where togetherness is key

28 Two examples Unique access to alcohol industry internal marketing documents Two examples: 1. Belong 2.Sports sponsorship

29 How alcohol producers see music and sport sponsorship: celebrates and accentuates the camaraderie of football fans by celebrating the glorious highs and lows of being a fan Ultimately, the band are the heroes at the venue and [producer] should use them to piggy back and engage customers [sic] emotions [it will] Build the image of the brand and recruit young male drinkers They [young men] think about 4 things, we brew 1 and sponsor 2 of them

30 It is impossible to regulate the content of such subtle and insidious communications The only solution is to regulate the existence of them as with the Loi Evin in France

31 Structure 1. The nature of marketing 2. The influence on young people 3. Bailing with a sieve: why content controls don t work 4. Conclusion: the need control the amount of alcohol advertising

32 Conclusion 1. The marketing of alcohol does influence young people to drink more and sooner 2. Effects are well established and widely recognised (except by industry) 3. The question is no longer whether action is needed, but what action 4. The subtleties of marketing techniques like branding and sponsorship defy content regulation

33 Conclusion The only solution is to control the existence of such alcohol marketing

34 This paper was produced for a meeting organized by Health & Consumers DG and represents the views of its author on the subject. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission's or Health & Consumers DG's views. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.