WFA response to the WHO consultation on the first draft of the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030

WFA welcomes the call in the UN Political Declaration on noncommunicable diseases inviting the private sector to contribute to the prevention, control and treatment of noncommunicable diseases by ‘taking concrete steps, where relevant, towards eliminating the marketing, advertising and sale of alcoholic products to minors.’

WFA hopes to offer its expertise in global marketing communications to provide relevant insight, data and perspectives in relation to alcohol advertising and promotional activities including cross-border and digital marketing, minors’ exposure to alcohol marketing and the role of social media.

Key Facts

1. Alcohol marketing represents roughly two percent (2%) of total global marketing expenditure, equivalent to roughly US$ 23 billion per annum worldwide.  
2. COVID 19 significantly impacted global alcohol marketing and sales. Only the transport and tourism sector was harder hit in terms of advertising spend.
3. Alcohol ads represent just 0.11% of all ads viewed online. Minors’ exposure is extremely low; a child or teenager would need to visit an average website 1,086 times before being served an alcohol ad according to figures from Nielsen. 
4. ‘Cross-border marketing’ is not a term used by business nor a strategic marketing objective. Marketing budgets, strategies, creative execution and measurement are conceived and carried out locally with a specific local target audience in mind. The idea of marketing spend leaking across borders is considered wasted marketing dollars and therefore counter-intuitive.
5. An increase in ad dollars into digital does not mean an increase in marketing across borders. Alcohol marketers use geo-blocking software to ensure their marketing communications comply with local laws and regulations, fit with local cultural norms and sensitivities and target a specific audience where the products are legal and available for purchase.
6. The alcohol industry has invested significant time and effort in working towards eliminating minors’ exposure to alcohol marketing communications. The WFA Responsible Marketing Pact reduces minors’ exposure to alcohol marketing, limits the appeal of alcohol marketing to minors and aims to ensure the online environment is free from alcohol marketing to minors. The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) has partnered with global social media platforms to put in place safeguards to prevent minors from seeing alcohol ads online, has developed standards for the responsible use of influencers and has partnered with eCommerce platforms to develop global standards for online sales and delivery.

You can find WFA's response to the WFA consultation [HERE]