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Alcohol Marketing Policy – an urgent challenge for global governance
Sally Casswell SSA Conference 2010, York
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Overview Alcohol heavily marketed commodity Lack of policy response
Context: rise of TNCs and self regulation Contrast with approach to tobacco Need for comparable global response Govts, Intergovts, NGOs in global governance Suggested ‘framings’ for alcohol debate 64,000 TNCs at 2002 and 88,000 foreign affiliates
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New policy issue Relative to availability and price
Emergence of ‘Big Alcohol’ with big profits Expansion of free trade ethos Developments in technology
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Extent and nature of marketing
Increased modes and venues Traditional measured media New media Viral marketing Product placement Branded events/sponsorship/brand stretching One of the most heavily marketed products Beyond national boundaries
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Research evidence on alcohol marketing
1970s -1980s: ‘inconclusive’ effects Econometric analysis of expenditure and partial restrictions 1990s – use of additional complementary research methodologies Natural experiments, cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys, experiments, qualitative research, advertising industry documents
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Effects of alcohol marketing
Impacts on young people Positive beliefs about drinking Reduced age of onset Larger amounts consumed Effects with adults/ those wishing to abstain? May be greater effects in emerging markets
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Beneficiaries of marketing
Producers Recruiting (potentially heavy) drinkers from new age cohorts Recruiting from unsaturated population segments Normalisation of drinking in range of settings Heightened perception of positive effects Social norms: an ordinary commodity Media, advertising industries and sponsorship recipients Consumers?
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Widespread use of voluntary codes
Reliance on ‘self regulation’ Replaced regulation and evolved during 1980s -1990s More recently ‘co-regulation’ Internal auditing systems Trend to calls for increased accountability and mandatory regulation of TNCs Few examples of comprehensive regulation Kolk et al 1999 compared 132 codes of corporate conduct created by individual companies, business ass, social interest groups and int orgs, business ass codes have weakest scores re focus, measurability, compliance mechanisms
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Evidence of ineffectiveness of self regulation
Susceptible to economic imperatives Used to avoid regulation Exposure of young people continues Under- interpretation of codes of content Lack of relevance of codes of content Measured impacts of advertising from ads found acceptable under code Conclusion: not effective Babor et al, 2010 So why still so widespread?
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Activities of TNCs (producers and front organisations)
Early recognition of need to avoid similar fate of tobacco industry Stakeholder marketing Disaster relief Sponsorship intergovt conferences Education eg drinking responsibly messages Sponsorship of conferences Publications Funding research Aiming to achieve legitimacy
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Industry messages to stakeholders
Most drinkers responsible Industry shares goals of promoting moderate use Health, social, economic benefits from moderate drinking Responsible drinkers should not be penalised by alcohol policy Drinkers have the right to make informed choice about alcohol use
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Activities of TNCs (producers and front organisations)
Active marketing campaign to promote self regulation National activity Asian and African country workshops, Thai visit Regional workshops Asian, Africa. Latin America (ICAP) Global influence Consultation on WHO global strategy
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Lack of action by national governments
Community/health sector concern ‘most difficult policy area’ Few examples of comprehensive restrictions France Sweden Norway trans national marketing – failure to control internet, satellite TV, global sponsorship
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Need for a global response
‘globalisation means that it is more difficult for national governments to hold corporations accountable than in the past’ global governance TNCs State (goverments and inter- govermental) NGOs
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Intergovernmental Intergovernmental have: WHO is policy holder
moral influence, technical expertise, but susceptible to commercial pressure WHO is policy holder global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol – not a health treaty Incremental step? need for resource
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NGO sector Undeveloped cf tobacco Few strong national examples
200 NGOs in lead up to FCTC Few strong national examples Stopdrink Network in Thailand (funding base) Academics and professional organisations World Medical Association, American PHA Alcohol Specific NGOs GAPA, APAPA, IAPA, EAAPA – emerging Engagement in evidence based debate Contrast wth world heart foundation, int u cancer and they are joining together to work on ncds
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New framing for alcohol debate
Most drinkers responsible Industry shares goals of promoting moderate use Significant proportions of the alcohol market are consumed in heavy drinking sessions and in risky drinking patterns Alcohol marketing communicates beverage potency and intoxication to young people
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Costs of heavy drinking outweigh benefits
Health, social, economic benefits from moderate drinking Costs of heavy drinking outweigh benefits Harm to others makes major, under- counted contribution to alcohol harm Effects on health status and well being Preliminary costings suggest equivalent harm from impact on others as on drinkers
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Beneficiaries of marketing are producers not consumers
Responsible drinkers should not be penalised by alcohol policy Drinkers have the right to make informed choice about alcohol use Beneficiaries of marketing are producers not consumers Marketing creates demand and reduces possibility of informed choice
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In conclusion Goal of alcohol policy to reduce harm via reduction of heavy use Goal differs from tobacco but policy mechanisms similar Marketing a key policy area Need for active evidence based debate and collaboration between national governments, intergov (WHO) and NGO sector
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