The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has commented on a new study at Cambridge University, which compares the main marketing messages conveyed by retailers and producers for low/er and regular strength wine and beer products in the UK.
The study found that, compared with regular strength wines and beers, low/er strength products were more often marketed in association with occasions deemed to be suitable for their consumption, including lunchtimes, outdoor events/barbeques, or on sports and fitness occasions.
Furthermore, compared with regular strength wines and beers, low/er strength equivalents were more frequently marketed with images or text associated with health.
The authors concluded, “Taken together, the pattern of these findings suggests that low/er strength alcohol products may not contribute to a public health strategy to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms”.
BBPA Chief Executive, Brigid Simmonds commented, “Among alcoholic drinks beer is already the lowest-strength option available. Notwithstanding this, in recent years brewers have worked hard to remove 1.3 billion units of alcohol from the market through producing low or no strength options and reducing the strength of existing products.
“Existing rules around advertising mean you cannot market alcoholic drinks to consumers based on their relative low ABV compared to stronger ones. We are seeking changes to these rules set through the Advertising Standards Agency and have been for a number of years. Moreover, current labelling regulations further restrict the ability to market lower strength products.
“The findings of this study also run counter to recent research commissioned by Drinkaware, which found that in 2017 a quarter of those who drink alcohol chose an alcoholic drink of lower strength when attempting to reduce their overall consumption of alcohol.”