After sponsoring responsible drinking campaigns, two major Irish brands insist alcohol abuse is bad for their health too, writes Caroline Madden
The festive season is in full swing. Cash registers ring out in pubs, hotels and restaurants around the country each evening as Christmas parties get under way. But unfortunately it isn't all celebration and good cheer.
According to a recent survey, 42 per cent of Irish people manage to embarrass themselves at their annual work bash. And whether it's fighting with colleagues, an ill-judged romantic interlude or telling the boss what you really think, these festive faux pas all boil down to one common denominator - copious quantities of alcohol.
This year, however, Christmas revellers can avoid cringing at flashbacks of the previous night's escapades if they pay attention to the latest advertising campaign. "Know the one that's one too many" is the message being sent out loud and clear by Drinkaware, through a barrage of TV, radio and billboard advertisements. Meas (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society) is the driving force behind the Drinkaware initiative, but where does Meas get the funding to mount such a large-scale campaign? The Department of Health perhaps?
Actually it's the drinks industry, which has donated some €1.75 million to this latest Drinkaware campaign. Why would it encourage moderation? Jean Doyle, head of corporate social responsibility at Diageo (which owns the Guinness brands), says an active corporate conscience makes good business sense. "Yes, we want our brands to be the most popular, but we don't want that at the risk of people harming themselves with alcohol. Information and properly targeted intervention is the way forward in terms of there being a long-term future for the drinks industry," says Ms Doyle. "It's not good for our product to be associated with something that's detrimental to society."
She says: "We do understand that it's a problem when people abuse alcohol - whether it's underage drinking, whether it's drink-driving, whether it's binge-drinking. So from our point of view we do see ourselves as part of the solution."
Diageo delivered the first responsible drinking message to the Irish market - the "Don't See a Great Night Wasted" campaign. The company invested €6 million in the initiative, which ran for three years.
Research carried out by Millward Browne IMS earlier this year revealed a positive change in attitudes and behaviour among consumers following exposure to the campaign. And according to Diageo, findings from an early stage of the campaign showed that 76 per cent of those who saw the TV ad would be more likely to drink responsibly as a result.
Diageo Ireland has also contributed €1.5 million towards a major study at University College Dublin on the health risks of hazardous drinking to young adults (18- to 25-year-olds). The aim of the study is to identify and test methods of addressing binge-drinking.
Another very successful Irish player in the drinks industry is Bulmers. Some years ago cider gained an undesirable reputation as the beverage of choice for many underage drinkers. Bulmers has managed to address the issue successfully.
"We took a positive step, a proactive step, and set up the Cider Industry Council [ CIC] to address some of the concerns that were there in society surrounding our product portfolio," says Maurice Breen, marketing manager at Bulmers. One of the main aims of the CIC is to tackle the issue of underage drinking.
Bulmers has also reduced the strength of its cider and put up the price. "We put it into a slightly more premium position," Mr Breen says. He believes the product is now "a little bit more upmarket" and is likely to attract a more mature consumer.
As well as helping to found the CIC, Bulmers was also actively involved in the creation of the "Know the One" advertising campaign. "Fundamentally we have a right to sell and market our product but we do have a responsibility, and these initiatives recognise that responsibility," says Mr Breen.
