Drinks body initiates online campaign for alcohol marketing

Changes could be coming to how companies advertise alcoholic beverages online, with the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) initiating a campaign to urge responsible marketing on the internet. Like many sectors, the alcoholic drinks industry has turned to social media and internet marketing as a way to increase sales. EFRD is now looking to ensure that advertisement is done in a safe way, revealing that they have produced supportive guidelines on the matter.

In September 2011, the Distilled Spirits Council of the US joined forces with the EFRD to produce a report of self-regulatory guidelines to aid online promoters market their beverages responsibly. EFRD has now announced that it has launched a new training tool on its website to offer even more guidance to agencies and marketers working with drinks companies.

Included in the guidelines are suggestions that alcohol branded pages on Facebook cannot be accessed by people under 18. In addition, the report indicates that companies should seek to remove inappropriate content generated by users from their Facebook pages in less than 48 hours.

The move is an important step in online marketing after a number of lobbying groups accused drinks brands of exploiting social media to draw young consumers into their market. With social media continuing to see increased use, especially from the younger generation, the EFRD said that it was important to ensure that marketing is carried out responsibly. In addition, for brands following the self-regulated guidelines, changes in social media use could be noted in the upcoming months.