New research released by Alcohol Research UK says advertising regulation needs to be strengthened to better regulate alcohol marketing on social media. The new study finds social media presents 'new, and significant, challenges to the current regulatory regime' of alcohol marketing which is not able to keep pace with the changes in modern technology and advertising practices.
Download ‘All night long: Social media marketing to young people by alcohol brands and venues’ [pdf].
The report finds that:
- Alcohol brands were more popular on social media among younger (including those under the legal drinking age) participants, and less popular among older participants. A majority of under-18s followed social media marketing by alcohol brands, and a minority also followed bars and clubs despite being too young to enter such premises legally.
- Respondents aged 18-25 were more likely to follow local venues on social media than major alcohol brands. They did so not only to plan drinking occasions but, in some cases, to document them. Images associating alcohol with social success, sexual attractiveness and intoxication were found to be more common in marketing by venues than brands.
- Responsible drinking messages were completely absent from marketing by venues, and were only included in a tiny proportion (2%) of posts by brands.
The report recommends that the current regulatory structure should undergo a comprehensive review of existing digital marketing regulations - covering both venues and brands - in order to ascertain fitness for purpose. Professor Isabelle Szmigin, from the University of Birmingham and co-author of the study, said: “We need to recognise that social media is markedly different to other forms of advertising, it is more focused in its targeting and more transient. The traditional form of reactive complaint process is no longer sufficient.”
An overhaul for advertising regulation?
Alcohol Research UK highlight that alcohol marketing falls under a mix of self-regulatory bodies in the UK including the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) which regulate alcohol marketing across all non-broadcast media (including newspapers, posters, websites, social media, cinema, emails, leaflets, billboards). The ASA and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) also regulates the content of broadcast (TV and radio) ads under a co-regulatory system under contract from Ofcom. The naming, packaging, marketing and promotional activity of alcohol products in the UK falls under the The Portman Group. However a recent Alcohol Concern report on the role of the Portman Group in the self-regulation of alcohol marketing and promotion argues that the decision making process has been inconsistent, with decisions often based on opinions rather than firm evidence, urging the Government to review the current "ineffective" framework as part of its forthcoming national alcohol strategy.
Opponents of stronger or statutory calls for regulation might point to steady the decline in youth drinking since 2004 which had largely been behind overall consumption which has more recently stabilised. Establishing the likely causes of consumption falls amongst younger drinkers has continued to be a regular discussion topic. The IAS has suggested improvements in parenting and the reduced affordability of alcohol were the most likely reasons, though acknowledging the breadth of possible factors at play, potentially included the much suggested role of social media. Some though note that declines in young people's drinking should not cause complacency, highlighting that for instance 23% of 15-year-olds have been drunk in the last four weeks while, among 15-year-olds who had drunk alcohol in the last week, 17% drank above the adult drinking guidelines.
Whether the now in development new national alcohol strategy makes any commitments with regards to the current frameworks for alcohol advertising and marketing will remain to be seen. Many will note this as just one issue for alcohol policy, with others such as minimum pricing or the challenges facing treatment services as other key areas of concern.
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