The impact of alcohol advertising: Distilling the arguments and the evidence.

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The impact of alcohol advertising:

Distilling the arguments and the evidence

ABSTRACT: Although alcohol advertising has been the topic of substantial analysis and enquiry, a few key arguments and perceptions still pervade this debate – that alcohol advertising leads to increased consumption, and in turn increased alcohol abuse, by either stimulating demand and/or social conditioning.  Within the space constraints of this article, the argument that advertising increases consumption, and the subsequent research, evidence and analysis, are examined. Regrettably, the impact of alcohol advertising on social conditioning (particularly amongst ‘vulnerable’ groups), which is still open to debate and further research, is not able to be addressed here. The article concludes that weight of thirty years’ research and evidence clearly proves that alcohol advertising does not increase overall consumption.

“Many people look for a black and white answer.  If advertising does affect market size sometimes, then it does so always.  Or, it never does.  Much that has been written takes up one or the other of these extreme views.

This is largely because the contentious markets – alcohol and tobacco especially – are subjects of debate in which the political and adversarial mode dominates, rather than scientific enquiry.  Issues of public policy are involved: fiscal, legal and social concerns.  This implies advocacy and simplified positions.” (Ambler, Broadbent & Feldwick, 1998)


Introduction

The pros and cons of alcohol in society have long been the subject of contentious debate amongst many sectors of the community – particularly those concerned with health, welfare, religion, law enforcement and public policy, and those from the direct and indirect alcohol industry. Accordingly, the advertising or promotion of alcohol is regularly analysed and debated through the agendas of this broader debate, and within the context identified by Ambler et al (1998) above; seeking public policy responses and hence fierce advocacy of simplified positions.

Although alcohol advertising has been the topic of substantial analysis and enquiry over the last two decades or more, this ‘advocacy (or adversarial) scenario’ has resulted in a few key simplified positions pervading this debate, both within the public policy arena and particularly in the broader public perception.  Within the space constraints of this article, these common arguments, and the subsequent research, evidence and analysis of each, will be briefly presented, to give a snapshot of the debate at a minimum, and hopefully sufficient coverage of the topic for the interested reader to reach a reasonably informed opinion.

The question of abuse

Unsurprisingly, given the public policy and advocacy nature of this debate, most critics of alcohol advertising arrive at (or come from) the proposition that advertising indirectly promotes the misuse and abuse of alcohol, either by increasing general consumption or by ‘social learning’ – the normalisation and glamourisation of alcohol consumption, and influence of the media on the social stimuli that shape human behaviour (Ambler, 1996, Bang, 1998, Calfee & Scheraga 1994, Nelson 2001).  Each of these arguments warrants separate in-depth analysis. Regrettably, the constraints of this article limit its focus to the first argument.

The first argument relies on two propositions: firstly that alcohol advertising increases the community’s overall alcohol consumption; and secondly that any boost in general alcohol consumption leads to an increase in the misuse and abuse of alcohol.  For the purposes of this article, with its focus on advertising, we will accept the overwhelming weight of evidence that increases in per capita consumption levels do not lead to increased abuse (NHMRC, 2001, Single et al, 1999) and only focus on whether alcohol advertising increases overall consumption.

Advertising and consumption

At first glance, it seems common sense that advertising would increase consumption – otherwise why would businesses spend so much time and money on it? Hence, this simplified position becomes an entrenched starting point in this debate. (Hacker, 1998) In analyzing the impact of alcohol advertising on consumption levels, academics and practitioners have looked at a) the relationship between advertising expenditure and consumption, b) the effect of advertising bans, c) the impact of advertising on market size, and more recently d) advertising’s direct impact on alcohol prices and any indirect impact on consumption.

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a) Levels of advertising expenditure compared with levels of consumption

If alcohol advertising increases alcohol consumption, we would expect to find a relationship between advertising expenditure and consumption – i.e. the more money spent on advertising, the greater the increase in consumption.  However, extensive reviews of the research do not support this. Locally, Smith’s (1990) analysis of eighteen years of Australian data found the opposite – that significant increases in advertising were directly followed by significant decreases in consumption (p.39).  Similarly, Dick’s research, quoted in the DSICA position paper (1991), notes that while total alcohol advertising in Australia grew ...

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