Alcohol Marketing: 2015 Year in Review

The eight global leaders in the beer, wine and spirits sectors were given a one year transition period to meet the new standards. Members’ compliance will be monitored for the first time and published on a dedicated platform in 2016.

As part of WFA’s collaboration with the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), the very first monitoring of the alcohol producers’ commitments to reduce harmful drinking was launched in Africa.

The so-called 70/30 rule, whereby alcohol beverage marketing communications may only be placed in media where the audience is expected to be composed of at least 70% of people above the legal purchase age, was assessed in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

WFA has also started working with IARD and media partners on the development of new methodologies to assess the implementation of the 70/30 rule online, as well as on the forthcoming monitoring of the Digital Guiding Principles, a global set of guidelines for responsible alcohol marketing in digital media, launched by IARD and WFA in 2014.

The revision in 2016 of the Audio-visual Media Services Directive (AVMS), the EU-wide regulation governing TV and online TV broadcasting, promises renewed efforts by activists to restrict alcohol marketing in Europe. The success of the Responsible Marketing Pact will be critical to making the case for effective industry standards.

Finally, the WFA represents producers’ interests in the European Alcohol and Health Forum, the EU’s platform for alcohol policy, which brings together a variety of stakeholders to develop an EU-wide strategy to fight alcohol-related harm.

What will 2016 bring?

For more information, contact Adam.