Consumer-centric brands and tasks of promoting responsible drinking
By Felicia Nwosu
For most consumer-centric alcoholic brands, the total well-being of the consumers remains their ultimate goal. Against this backdrop and in the bid to promote responsible drinking habits, several brands have initiated remarkable and strategic steps to ensure that they help their teeming and loyal consumers maintain and sustain their prestige as responsible consumers. They have achieved this feat by introducing informative and enlightening campaigns that caution consumers’ drinking habits in a reasonable manner.
Most renowned global brands who understand that excessive alcohol consumption can have severe and detrimental impacts on consumers have continued to warn consumers of the various implications associated with excessive or irresponsible drinking habits.
Apart from promoting moderation, they are also tackling the challenge of underage drinking, drink driving as well as binge drinking.
In Nigeria, many brands are working tirelessly to ensure that they eradicate the menace and dangers associated with underage drinking through various marketing strategies.
Heineken, in its bid to change consumers’s attitude to drinking allocates 10% of its total media spend to responsible drinking campaigns. Sampson Oloche, Head – Premium, Portfolio, Nigerian Breweries, had stated in an interview that Heineken has a global mandate of 10% of the beer’s media spend. “So one out of every 10 Naira spent in the media has to go into this campaign. There is no regulatory or government regulation on this. This is just us, being a corporate citizen, to say we take 10% spend of our media spend on promoting this, then we are doing a good job educating people and reminding them that they should stay safe.”
Adebowale Bojuwade, the Senior Brand Manager, Seaman’s Schnapps, confirmed that Seaman’s Schnapps has introduced various initiatives to accelerate the drive for change by engaging consumers through awareness campaigns, enlightenment programmes and partnership with stakeholders such as the Federal Road Safety Corps.
“As a brand, we very conscious about responsible drinking and we hold our corporate social responsibility highly because we ensure that every communication messages we disseminate out there will always reiterate our commitment towards the promotion of responsible drinking among our consumers, especially in stressing the age guidance and control while stressing the official approved age which is 18 years plus.
International Breweries Plc, also related how it has been involved in a more futuristic campaign in line with global best practices projected to be implemented till the end of 2025. It further explained that the business of International Breweries was more than making a sale, rather, a focal point of making the world a better place and bringing cheers to its stakeholders.
“Our commitment extends far beyond saying “drink responsibly”: it spans our Global Smart Drinking Goals, the work of the AB InBev Foundation, the commitments of our brands and the behaviours that we ask our consumers to practice every time they pick up a beer. We recognise that millions of consumers enjoy our products every day, so year-on-year, we continue to work across sectors to disrupt harmful drinking.”
Guinness Nigeria revealed that it has been at the forefront of championing a responsible drinking culture for a very long time in its mission to ensure that its consumers are not exposed to dangers.
“We are proud of the role our brands play in the lives of so many Nigerians, but we also acknowledge that excessive or inappropriate patterns of alcohol consumption may cause health and social problems. Our actions in promoting responsible drinking are occasionally greeted with skepticism: why would a brewing company wish to encourage people to consume less of its products? The answer is simple. First, we want to do what we can to ensure that our brands are not a cause of harm in society. Second, if misuse persists, campaigns against the promotion and sale of alcohol beverages may follow, potentially affecting our business. For these compelling reasons, we work to find a responsible, sustainable place for the moderate enjoyment of our brands in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, feelers from MARKETING EDGE’s intelligence in Lagos metropolis showed that
some consumers, especially young people have not felt the impact of the campaigns.
Damilola Adepoju, a sales representative, said some of the brands are contradicting themselves with their campaign initiatives.
“To me, all these brands are just selling their brands; there is no social responsibility in anything they do as they claim. Most times, they are even contradicting themselves, because you are admonishing a consumer to drink responsibly and at the same time, encouraging him to buy two and get one free. What does that mean? How can such a person think of drinking responsibly? After all, awoof, they say, dey purge belle.”
James Dogo, a financial analyst, blamed the unregulated selling of alcohol to lack of stringent and effective law and order among government agencies.
“I don’t know the role that Federal Road Safety Corps plays, because every day, we see hawkers at the bus-stop selling sachet alcohol, whereas the law says don’t drink and drive. Yet they are selling these things at the bus-stops. Who are they selling it to? Of course, drivers and conductors. But you will still hear FRSC officials say they are doing this or that campaign. What is the essence of such campaigns without impact?
Joseph Ike, a sports enthusiast also corroborated the first respondent by adding that whatever measures brands are putting in place have not been effective enough. He noted that it should not be a one-off measure but a process that will sensitize and sanitize the society off irresponsible drinking habits.
However, Bidemi Odukoya, a restaurant owner noted that brands are playing their parts but that the ball is in the court of consumers to caution themselves.
“I know many brands who carry out adverts endlessly to caution consumers on the need to avoid drinking while driving, some even jokingly tease that if you must drink, then drink water while driving. It is left for an individual to be cautious, even makers of cigarette warning that smokers are liable to die young haven’t stopped people from smoking. Although brands need to still do more, especially by taking such campaigns to our bus-stops because alcohol abuse is worse there. In fact, I will say that is what most of them use to brush teeth in the morning, literally speaking.”
Meanwhile, the umbrella body of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, DIBAN, on its part disclosed that as a fulfillment to its corporate social responsibility, it launched a 170 million naira advocacy campaign against irresponsible and underage drinking of alcohol some time ago.
This plan involves the heavy use of radio, billboards and social media to propagate the carefully crafted messages which are expected to cause behavioral changes in consumers.
The Chairman of the association, Chief (Engr.) Patrick Anegbe had said: “Our goal is that anyone below the age of 18 years must not drink alcohol and even the adults who want to drink must drink responsibly. We are socially responsible and that is why we are saying the underage must be protected, even if our bottom line is affected.”
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