Marketing

Alcohol marketing includes advertising in traditional media outlets (such as print, television and radio), promotional activities in online and social media, and sponsorship of sporting and music events.

The alcohol and advertising industries argue that as alcohol is a legal product it should be legally possible for it to be advertised, while many argue that advertising is also concerned with recruiting new drinkers and increasing sales among existing (and especially) heavy consumers. Many see parallels between alcohol advertising and promotion and that of tobacco in the past.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies Enact and enforce bans or comprehensive restrictions on exposure to alcohol advertising (across multiple types of media) as one of the three 'Best Buys' for reducing the health harms of alcohol.

This page looks at how alcohol marketing strategies work, and their health and social implications.

Resources available on this page:

• Frequently Asked Questions about 'Marketing', with infographics presenting the most up-to-date statistics on the subject
• Factsheets providing an in depth perspective on the subject of 'Marketing'
• Publications, Blogs, and News tagged 'Marketing' for further reading