Major liquor companies are running several campaigns to reduce harmful drinking in the wake of some incidents where some individuals have died due to binge drinking or consuming illicit liquor.
Leading global beer, wine and spirits manufacturers have come together and formed the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to reducing harmful drinking and promoting understanding of responsible drinking.
IARD has over 80 companies
The Alliance has brought together 80 leading companies, including e-commerce and digital platforms, advertising associations, leading retailers and others, under the banner ‘Global Standards Coalition’ to help reduce harmful drinking.
Signatories are putting in place policies and practices to prevent the sale and marketing of alcohol to those underage, are supporting employees and partners with resources, and are working together to further reduce harmful drinking and promote moderation among those who choose to drink.
The coalition focusses on proactive measures to: Prevent sales to those underage or intoxicated; Curb marketing and advertising to those underage; Provide training and guidance that empowers staff to deny sale, service, and delivery of alcohol where necessary; Respect the choices of those who choose not to drink alcohol and Elevate industry standards to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
Diageo’s DRINKiQ Initiative
Diageo’s ‘responsible drinking’ initiative is to change the way people drink for the better, by engaging, educating and empowering consumers to make informed choices about drinking.
It said, “Our commitment to promoting positive drinking is a core pillar of our Spirit of Progress action plan. Around the world, we reach audiences with messages that aim to change attitudes, whether it’s highlighting the harm of underage drinking or binge drinking, warning of the dangers of drink driving, or using our brands to highlight the importance of moderation and responsible drinking. Our aim is to provide world class information through DRINKiQ so people can make fully informed choices.
“DRINKiQ is one of the most important tools we have in promoting moderation and addressing the harmful use of alcohol.”
Promoting Moderation
The Diageo Marketing Code sets a minimum standard for responsible marketing and represents a cornerstone of its corporate culture and the way it does business. “It governs how we, and anyone we work with, must operate, applies across all our markets, and guides every aspect of our marketing activities.
“Our DRINKiQ programme aims to raise the ‘collective DRINKiQ’, increasing public awareness of the effects of alcohol, supporting responsible drinking and tackling the harmful use of alcohol.”
DRINKiQ is a dedicated responsible drinking online platform that provides facts about alcohol, the effects of drinking on the body and the mind, and the impact of harmful drinking on individuals and society.
DRINKiQ uses tools to frame people’s relationship with alcohol and empower them to achieve a balanced lifestyle. The drinking self-assessment tool, which aligns with the WHO’s AUDIT tool with ‘AUDIT’ standing for Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, which can help determine whether someone is at risk of problem drinking.
Pernod Ricard’s ‘Drink More Water’ campaign
Pernod Ricard has put in place a “Responsible Host” accreditation scheme to ensure best in class responsible drinking practices in all its brand homes. The Group’s ‘Drink More Water’ campaign and the global roll-out of its digital labelling, have strengthened the company’s commitment to responsible consumption.
Part of Pernod Ricard’s global Sustainability & Responsibility strategy, Good Times from a Good Place, the Drink More Water campaign, was launched in 2021 through digital channels and on-the-field.
As “Créateurs de Convivialité”, Pernod Ricard has a long-standing commitment to promoting responsible drinking in a meaningful and authentic way, and through this campaign has demonstrated its desire to always go a step further.
Built on Pernod Ricard’s historical prevention programme Responsible Party, launched in 2009, Drink More Water is a responsible drinking initiative tackling the issue of binge drinking among young adults. Its ambition is two-fold: To raise awareness among young adults about the risks of overconsumption of alcohol, and to reduce harm at events through the distribution of water.
The campaign aims to connect with GenZ audiences by adopting their own mindset, conveying an impactful and universal message. After a first and extremely successful campaign, present in over 60 countries globally both online and on-the-field, Drink More Water has gained over 400 million in reach across Instagram and Facebook, and over 9 million people on the field at festivals, carnivals, student gatherings and events.
This second edition of Drink More Water has gone one step further, in a visually impactful and audacious way, harnessing the power of marketing to prevent alcohol abuse. The chosen messaging seeks to strengthen the role of water and its power to reduce alcohol harm within GenZ’s excessive behavioural patterns. The consequences of excessive drinking can be clearly seen in the use of images and videos of people overconsuming water, in the place of alcohol, to discourage anyone from arriving at this point of desperation for hydration and poor decision making as a result of alcohol consumption. The message is clear and simple: Drink More Water Before WTF!
Pernod Ricard aims at reaching 1 billion young adults digitally by the end of 2025.
Enjoy Heineken Responsibly
Global beer giant Heineken runs a campaign called ‘Enjoy Heineken Responsibly’, its commitment to encourage the enjoyment of beer, responsibly and in moderation, as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Heineken has a pledge to spend at least 10% of its marketing budget on Responsible Consumption campaigns to reach one billion unique consumers a year via digital media.
The ‘responsible drinking’ initiative by companies are, no doubt, spreading far and wide, through various channels, but such incidents do happen as some individuals are driven by crazy needs or crazy behaviour.