Alcohol marketing and problem drinking. The effects of binge drinking and the starting age of consumption

Transcription

1 Concurrent session 3, Friday, Minutes from Alcohol marketing and problem drinking. The effects of binge drinking and the starting age of consumption Speakers: Dag Rekve, Ministry of Social Affairs, Norway Matthias Meyer, Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and other Drug Problems (SIPA), Switzerland Monique Kuunders, STAP (National Foundation of Alcohol Prevention), the Netherlands 32 Participants: from Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Poland, Lathvia, France, Finland, Ireland, Italia, Sweden, and some European organisations located in Brussels. In short: The workshop focused on experiences from different countries with the regulation of alcoholmarketing: 1. Participants summed up arguments from their own country opposing the regulation of alcohol marketing. Matthias Meyer puts the question to the participants which arguments they can come up with opposing regulation of alcohol marketing. 2. An overview was given of the practice of alcohol marketing young people are confronted with (from Dutch point of view) and of the known effects of alcohol marketing. Focusing on experiences from the Netherlands and on results from international research Monique Kuunders clarifies that arguments opposing the regulation of alcohol marketing are not valid if we talk about children who do not drink yet of if we talk about binge drinking. 3. The hazels and means of regulating alcohol marketing were explained and illustrated. Dag Rekve clarifies that there are a lot of different strategies one can choose in regulating alcohol marketing. But he also illustrates there are a lot of possible difficulties and loopholes to take into account. 4. Experiences with the practice of regulation or no regulation of alcohol marketing were exchanged. From Norwegian experience one could say that a total ban is the most clear and well defined regulation one could have on alcohol marketing. Since this is not in the question in most countries other options and experiences were presented by all participants. A few messages form the different experiences One has to be very alert on new strategies in alcohol marketing if one wants to regulate. Local authorities are sometimes motivated to regulate more than is nationally required (e.g. billboard regulation or event sponsoring).

2 1 Does alcohol advertisement have effect on youth s behaviour? And what s the argument for ongoing advertisement? Two questions Matthias Meyer want to get answers on. All participants were engaged to mention arguments from their native countries: 1. To get the consumers to shift between different brands and products (DK). 2. Job killers if you reduce the ads job will get lost (SC). 3. Peer influence is more important (FI). 4. Ad s don t target young people at all (IRL). 5. Young people as well as adults are smart enough not to be influenced. Young people are so much used to commercials it does not affect them (DK). 6. Young people are more influenced by entertainment which is filled with alcohol brands and an alcohol positive lifestyle( I ). 7. Freedom of speech / commercial communication(no). 8. Youth habits already reflect existed values (FI). 9. No scientific evidence that alcohol ad do increase the alcohol consumption (NZ). 2 Alcohol marketing and problem drinking. The effects on binge-drinking and the starting age of consumption (Monique Kuunders). The drinking problem Binge drinking invades young peoples culture. Heavy drinking among young people (16-24 yrs old) has increased with 10 percent ( , The Netherlands). Young people in Europe (15-24 yrs old) are more likely to drink only when not eating. Starting age goes down The amount of young people that does not drink has been declining with 19 percent ( , the Netherlands) The age of the first drink has been continuously decreasing to just over 12 years old (Europe). Thus the main question: How do we prevent young people from being influenced to start drinking at an early age and/or a lot? Of course marketing is not the only influence on drinking. But it plays an indirect role on consumption trough influence on several intermediate factors. Economic availability Marketing Alcohol Cognitions Drinking Behavior Physical availability

3 Marketing practice Dutch children are confronted with billboard-adds on buildings and in bus stops. In Holland youth event sponsor top 20: 40% are alcohol producers 22 youth events (approximately 1.7 million visitors in total) had more than 25% visitors under 20 yrs old and were sponsored by alcohol producers. Effects of alcohol marketing on starting age and on binge drinking according to marketing and scientific literature Children are likely to receive more positive than negative messages about alcohol through mass media. Children from the age of 11 years develop brand loyalty rapidly Children from 8-16 years in product trends follow role models that are slightly older than themselves. Attitude towards alcohol advertising is linked with alcohol consumption: liking alcohol advertising is a predictor of current drinking liking alcohol advertising is linked with a more positive view on alcohol and drinking. Being exposed to alcohol advertising is linked with positive expectations about alcohol (use). Alcohol advertising is linked with the intentions of young people to drink. (Otherwise there is no recent research on the effect of alcohol marketing on starting age of consumption.) Alcohol advertising has a positive effect on whether young people drink and how much young people drink. Alcohol advertising is linked to binge drinking. Lowering alcohol advertising will lower the number of binge drinkers. The vulnerability of children for advertising, the amount of advertising they are confronted with and the fact that children are subject to a growing alcohol problem are a reason for regulation of alcohol marketing. 3 The hazels and means of regulating marketing Dag Rekve Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.

4 Integrated alcohol communication. The rationale for marketing Protect existing markets and market shares confirm drinking behavior Increase market shares in a given market Make people shift brands Increase existing markets Make people drink more and non-drinkers to drink Expand into new markets Target previously unexplored markets Influence society`s perception of alcohol Communicate how alcohol should be perceived and regulated in society The role of marketing Category need, Brand awareness, Brand attitude, Purchasing intent and Purchasing facilitation A law under attack By corporate branding, low alcohol beer, international competitions in Norway, broadcasts from other countries, etc.

5 The European regulatory framework regarding alcohol marketing to children Regulations can be divided into three categories: o statutory regulations, o non-statutory government guidelines; o self-regulations (producers, distribution chain, ad-agencies, media, etc.) The regulations can also be categorized as: o Traditional regulation; i.e. democratically elected legislature makes laws which are enforced through the civil or criminal procedure of the courts o Soft laws; i.e. any other regulation The regulation can be o An outright ban on all marketing o Concerned with the type or strength of alcoholic beverage o Directed at the place and time o Concerned with the content and can be directed towards o the producer, i.e. the drinks industry, o the creator, i.e. the advertising industry or o the carrier, i.e. the medium used for marketing Defining marketing Traditional advertising refers to advertising that appears in the traditional media (i.e. television, cinema, radio, print-press, outdoor billboards) and directly encourages consumers to buy the product being advertised. Non-traditional advertising is used to describe any form of marketing that is not traditional (e.g. sponsorship, product placement, Internet marketing) and/or that which appears in non-traditional media, such as via , direct mail and at the point of purchase. Direct advertising is advertising that directly presents the product to the target audience, such as television advertising, direct mail or Internet banner advertisements. Indirect marketing refers to the promotion of a product by associating it with another product or activity, for example, by linking the product with sports or music via sponsorship, or by using celebrity endorsement or product placement. New forms of marketing are those that are emerging with growth of new technologies, such as interactive marketing on the Internet, and virtual and split screen advertising.

6 With some exceptions, there seems to be few sanctions against alcohol marketing practices. This can be interpreted as: a sign of compliance from the industry towards the different regulations that few resources have been allocated to the surveillance and reporting of bad marketing practices a poor sanctioning system and a lack of ability or willingness to remove loopholes Principles and strategies All children and adolescents have the right to grow up in an environment protected from the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and, to the extent possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverages Implement strict controls, recognizing existing limitations or bans in some countries, on direct and indirect advertising of alcoholic beverages and ensure that no form of advertising specifically addressed to young people, for instance, through the linking of alcohol to sports 4 Questions and comments after the lectures: - New marketing activities are developed all the time and the industry always try to find new arenas to reach people. - More young people drink when they see the sign that it s just allowed to drink when you are 18. (Alcopops in Austria. Austria has also an ethic committee for all advertisement). - In Poland you will find the same brand on alcohol beverage as well on alcohol free drinks. - The industry and social aspect organisations deliver material free to schools, community based groups,etc. when they work with alcohol issues. - If you eliminate the ad s and the open marketing the social events with alcohol will increase. - It s the total sum of marketing activities which are important. NZ has nowadays self regulation. A result is that a lot of people have lost their interest for the issue and not any longer want to be the necessary watchdog of the self regulation system. - In Switzerland - there are local regulations. Some area s have a ban on alcohol advertising that can be seen from public places. There it s only allowed to have marketing inside the bars, restaurants, pubs and so on. - In NZ also authorities do not accept sponsoring of alcohol i.e in the local field with family festivals.