- This Marketing Week article sheds some light on Diageo's efforts, and their motivation, to promote responsible drinking. It says:
The world's alcoholic drinks companies know their business is in the spotlight. Tobacco has been beaten and the junk food industry is fighting a futile rearguard action, so many experts predict alcohol will be the next big target. All the major players in the alcohol industry have been developing strategies to combat excessive drinking and defuse at least some of the criticism likely to be coming their way. But [Diageo GB's Head of Social Responsibilty says] Diageo's involvement in responsible drinking initiatives is not entirely altruistic: "It is important to demonstrate that the industry can effectively self regulate."
On the Drinkaware Trust:
Industry insiders say the government is likely to allow the DrinkAware Trust to pitch for the management of government-funded anti-alcohol campaigns in the future.
Erm......the Trust is supposed to fund alcohol education, not run campaigns on behalf of the government, surely? We'll keep an eye on this one.
- Supermarket firm Morrisons has admitted it sells alcohol at below cost price at times of the year such as Christmas but says it is “forced” to do so. As the trade hits out at cheap supermarket alcohol for fuelling binge drinking and turning customers away from pubs, Morrisons revealed its tactics to the Competition Commission inquiry into supermarkets. It was the only one of the four supermarkets being investigated to admit it sells alcohol below cost price. The company’s submission said: “We sell below cost only because we have to do so on certain products in order to remain competitive. It is not something we would choose to do were we not forced into it.” Morning AdvertiserEuronext
- Pernod Ricard will extend the display of a warning to pregnant women on all bottles of wine and spirits sold by the Group to all European Union countries. The warning symbol is already compulsory in France but not in other EU countries. It highlights the risk to pregnant women of consuming alcoholic drinks and will progressively be added to the back label of all products in the Pernod Ricard range, in a visible and clear manner, from the first half of 2007, and as label stocks are depleted.
Comments