New research investigating the link between alcohol marketing, consumption and harm

The SAIP commissioned Credos, the Advertising Association’s think tank, to assess the link between alcohol marketing in Scotland and key consumption and harm indicators.

The report finds no relationship between the amount of alcohol advertised and the number of alcohol-specific deaths, hospitalisations, or underage drinking. In fact, there is a negative relationship between them, suggesting that alcohol-specific harms are independent of the amount of alcohol advertising to which the public is exposed.

When seeking to assess if advertising spend and consumption are correlated, the research found alcohol advertising spend has outpaced the total units of alcohol sold since 2011. This shows that the amount of alcohol advertising has no direct relationship on the amount alcohol purchased. This is a key finding because it indicates that advertising has little effect on the size of the total alcohol market, but rather that it works to grow a brand’s market share over that of its direct competitors within its crowded categories (for example, wine, spirits, beer).

This is not surprising because advertising is a tool that helps to differentiate specific products, for instance, by promoting new products or brand attributes. In fact, the more competitive the market, the more challenging it is to reach customers, which means brands must invest more in advertising and marketing to reach them.

Further, the report found “little evidence” that the growing non-alcohol market and its associated marketing is driving alcohol sales.

The full report can be found here.

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