Add Category
Posted
A national alcohol research body has slammed retailers using coronavirus-related marketing to boost sales, including ads it claims promote drinking as a solution to isolation boredom and depression.
Key points:
- A research group wants alcohol retailers banned from making references to depression and isolation in marketing material
- New figures suggest Australians are drinking more during the coronavirus shutdown, but the alcohol peak body disputes the claim
- A WA retailer was recently found to be in breach of advertising codes over social media posts that appeared to encourage heavy drinking
A number of businesses have begun using coronavirus-related terms in online marketing, including advertising "survival kits" and "isolation six-packs".
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) chief executive Caterina Giorgi said the material was "concerning and abhorrent".
"We're seeing this marketing from a range of different providers, a lot of online sales companies, wine companies, particularly, and also from bottle shops," she said.
"Some shared posts about the amount of alcohol that you could consume while you're in isolation.
"One business advertised an isolation 'survival kit', and we think at a time when people are genuinely worried about getting sick, and potentially even dying from a virus, selling an alcohol 'survival kit' is particularly abhorrent behaviour.
"It's actually a practice that is more widespread than we thought.
"Across the Easter weekend I was absolutely bombarded with alcohol social media marketing that mentioned isolation or coping with stress and anxiety by using alcohol."
Peak body disputes figures
According to FARE, new data from research company YouGov shows one in five Australians have purchased more alcohol than usual during the covid-19 pandemic, 70 per cent are drinking more alcohol than normal, and 33 per cent are now using alcohol daily.
National peak body Alcoholic Beverages Australia said it did not agree that Australians were drinking more during the pandemic, but said businesses should not be using any marketing that encouraged excessive drinking.
"The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code prohibits all forms of marketing that encourage excessive consumption and the industry needs to be mindful of this at all times," Alcohol Beverages Australia chief executive Andrew Wilsmore said.
"DrinkWise, an industry-funded body, continues to educate the community about the need to be moderate if consuming alcohol, particularly in the current environment as Australians self-isolate."
Mr Wilsmore said that while the data may have suggested an increase in packaged liquor or home delivery sales, that did not necessarily equate to Australians drinking to excess.
"Our beer, wine and spirits-producing members are all telling us that the loss of sales from the closure of bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants has only marginally been made up for by an increase in packaged retail liquor sales," he said.
"It is also important to understand that consumption doesn't necessarily occur shortly after the time of purchase for packaged liquor sales.
"It normally occurs over a considerably longer period of time."
Memes breach standards
Australia's peak alcohol advertising regulator, the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC), said business were within their rights to advertise, but had to comply with industry codes and standards.
Last week ABAC found a Thirsty Camel liquor store in Western Australia to be in breach of alcohol advertising regulations over two social media posts that joked about excessive alcohol consumption during home isolation.
"We judge each one [complaint] on its merits and we'll judge it against the standards of good alcohol marketing, which are contained in the ABAC code," chief adjudicator Michael Lavarch said.
"If someone was to start designing alcohol campaigns which essentially suggest the way to get through this trying time is to start consuming more alcohol, well, that would be a breach of one of the ABAC standards.
"You can't suggest that the consumption of alcohol is an aid to relaxation or is necessarily beneficial.
"You're not allowed to encourage rapid or excessive consumption of alcohol or bad behaviour related to alcohol."
Calls for marketing prohibition
University of the Sunshine Coast marketing and advertising expert Kelly Choong said while some material might be deemed as wrong or unethical by some, it could still be legal and within industry guidelines.
He said using trending topics in advertising and marketing was a common strategy employed by businesses, and therefore not all coronavirus-related marketing was necessarily wrong or should be banned.
"The ethics of it all comes down to whether or not people actually find it offensive," Dr Choong said.
"Realistically speaking, if nobody makes a complaint about it, then it is actually generally acceptable.
"The main thing with advertising is that if you don't get the attention of the consumer, you are not communicating with them.
"A lot of businesses are moving towards different ways of being able to get attention, and sometimes these attempts might result in getting people upset, or be seen as unethical or morally challenging.
"In times of desperation, you might find some companies or brands will push the line as they try to find ways to survive."
Ms Giorgi, however, wants to see retailers prohibited altogether from referencing COVID-19 in promotional material.
"We need to get ahead of this before it's too late," she said.
"This involves action from governments across the country to address the alcohol industry's aggressive marketing practices.
"We're asking right now for regulators to be coming out and banning any promotions that mention COVID-19, that mention isolation, or that mention coping or dealing with anxiety or stress by using alcohol.
"Because you can imagine how those sorts of approaches really prey on people who are particularly vulnerable during this time."
What you need to know about coronavirus:
Topics: covid-19, alcohol, alcohol-education, health, advertising-and-marketing, advertising, maroochydore-4558, australia, qld