Alcohol, Marketingand Young people

Gerard Hastings & Ross Gordon

ISM Institute forSocial Marketing

European Alcohol and Health ForumTask Force on Marketing Communication

March 4-5 2008

Structure

1. What is marketing?2. Does marketing – including

alcohol marketing – influence young people

3. The potential of social marketing

What is marketing?

mass mediaadvertising

televisionpressbillboards

What is marketing

mass mediaadvertising

pressbillboards

other marketingcommunications

point of sale

packaging

internet

sponsor-ship

productplacement

brandstretching

freesamples

television

What is marketing

mass mediaadvertising

television pressbillboards

other marketingcommunications

point of sale

packaging

internet

sponsor-ship

productplacement

brandstretching

freesamples

consumermarketing

productdesign

distribution

price

What is marketing

mass mediaadvertising

television pressbillboards

other marketingcommunications

point of sale

packaging

internet

sponsor-ship

productplacement

brandstretching

freesamples

consumermarketing

productdesign

distribution

price

stakeholdermarketing

corporatesocial

responsibility

Companalysis

mediaknow-how

corporateaffairs

healthwarnings

What is marketing?

The processes business uses to encourage consumption of its productsMultifacetedInsight and research driven: exchange; targetingStrategic and long term – relationships not just transactionsSeeking to influence the behaviour of customers, stakeholders even competitors

Structure

1. What is marketing?2. Does marketing – including

alcohol marketing – influence young people

3. The potential of social marketing

Does marketinginfluence young people?

The short answer is yes

The question has been asked and answered for

- Tobacco

- Fast food

- Alcohol

Cochrane Collaboration Lovato et al (2004)

“Based on the strength of this association, the consistency of findings across numerous

observational studies, temporality of exposure and smoking behaviours observed, as well as the theoretical plausibility regarding the impact of

advertising, we conclude that tobacco advertising and promotion increases the likelihood that

adolescents will start to smoke.”

Tobacco

“food promotion influences children’s food preferences, and encourages them to ask

their parents to purchase foods they have seen

advertised… consumption and other diet-related

behaviours and outcomes…effects are

significant, independent of other influences and operate at both brand and category

level.”

Fast FoodWHO (2005)

Journal of Public Health Policy (2005)

“Most econometric studies provide little evidence of an effect; however methodological weaknesses,

and especially their focus on population level effects, mean they can tell us little about young

people. Consumer studies overcome this deficiency and do suggest that there is a link

between advertising and young people’s drinking knowledge, attitudes and behaviour.”

Alcohol

Since then numerous studieshave confirmed this picture

mass mediaadvertising

televisionpressbillboards

The effects of alcohol marketing

Snyder et al (2005)Saffer& Dave (2006)

Ellickson et al (2005)Collins et al (2007)

Stacey et al (2004)

Pasch et al (2007)

mass mediaadvertisingcinema press

billboards

other marketingcommunications

point of sale

packdesigninternet

sponsor-ship

branding

merchandising

pricepromotions

The effects of alcohol marketing

Ellickson et al (2004)Hurtz et al (2007)

Henriksen et al (2008)McClure et al (2006)

Collins et al (2007)

mass mediaadvertisingcinema press

billboards

other marketingcommunications

point of sale

packdesigninternet

sponsor-ship

branding

merchandising

pricepromotions

The effects of alcohol marketing

Cumulative impact: these communications are designed to reinforce and support one another

Future Research

National Prevention Research Initiative (MRC; BHF; CRUK; DoH; ESRC; FSA; CSO)

Cumulative impact of alcohol marketing communications

13-15 year olds

First UK longitudinal study

Stage two data collection later this year

mass mediaadvertisingcinema press

billboards

other marketingcommunications

point of sale

packaging

internet

sponsor-ship

productplacement

brandstretching

freesamples

consumermarketing

productdesign

distribution

price

stakeholdermarketing

corporatesocial

responsibility

Companalysis

mediaknow-how

corporateaffairs

healthwarnings

The effects of alcohol marketing

this is nested within a

complete marketing strategy

Does marketinginfluence young people?

The short answer is yes

As the European Court of Justice (2002) stated: “it is in fact undeniable that advertising acts as an encouragement to consumption”

That is why we are here…

Structure

1. What is marketing?2. Does marketing – including

alcohol marketing – influence young people

3. The potential of social marketing

What is marketing?

The processes business uses to encourage consumption of its productsSeeking to influence the behaviour of customers, stakeholders and even competitorsSucceeding in doing so

marketing

The processes business uses to encourage consumption of its productsSeeking to influence the behaviour of customers, stakeholders and even competitorsSucceeding in doing so

Uses same principles to influence social & health behaviour, rather than consumer behaviour

social marketing

Again, the evidence suggests that it works

Review commissioned by UK National Social Marketing Centre

Assess social marketing effectiveness in substance misuse prevention, physical activity and nutrition*

*Gordon R, McDermott L, Stead M, Angus K (2006) The effectiveness of social marketing interventions for health improvement: What’s the evidence? Public Health, Elsevier

Again, the evidence suggests that it works

Review commissioned by UK National Social Marketing Centre

Assess social marketing effectiveness in substance misuse prevention: alcohol; tobacco and illicit drugs

How we defined social marketingAndreasen’s 6 benchmarks:

BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

CONSUMER RESEARCH

SEGMENTATION & TARGETING

EXCHANGE

COMPETITION

MARKETING MIX

1. Search for good quality SRs of all substance misuse interventions (drugs, alcohol and tobacco)

2. Use the included studies in these SRs as sample frame

3. Retrieve and assess these studies against Andreasen’s 6 benchmarks

Search Strategy

35 SRs

310 individual studies

35 met SM criteria

Results

The interventions

School-based, 16

Multi-component community, 10

Media-based, 4

Environmental interventions, 2

Other, 3

Results

1. Alcohol prevention and harm minimisation

8 out of 13 had a positive effect overall

4 mixed/moderate effects, 1 no effect

strong evidence of impact

Results

2. Smoking prevention

13 out of 18 studies had a positiveeffect overall

4 mixed/moderate effects, 1 no effect

strong evidence of impact

Results

3. Illicit drug use prevention

8 out of 12 had a positive effect overall

3 mixed/moderate effects, 1 no effect

strong evidence of impact

Conclusion

• Alcohol marketing influences young people’s drinking using a mix of tools carefully honed using consumer insights

Conclusion

• Alcohol marketing influences young peoples drinking using a mix of tools carefully honed using consumer insights

• Social marketing can successfully push in the opposite direction

Conclusion

• Alcohol marketing influences young peoples drinking using a mix of tools carefully honed using consumer insights

• Social marketing can successfully push in the opposite direction

• Like marketing it has to be strategic, multifaceted and involve stakeholders as well as consumers

This paper was produced for a meeting organized by Health & Consumer Protection DG and represents the views of its author on thesubject. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission's or Health & Consumer Protection DG's views. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the dataincluded in this paper, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.