Panorama Monday 20th February 2012

"The program is looking at the alcohol industry and my contribution will concern alcohol marketing. Specifically Alastair Campbell and I looked through internal marketing planning documents that emerged as a result of last year’s Health Select Committee enquiry (some key ones attached). The interview examined the obvious irresponsibility revealed in the documents and the blatant way in which they run contrary to all the rules of advertising. For example advertisers are not allowed to exploit youth culture, yet soccer and music festival sponsorship is so widespread that one major brewer is able to boast that young men ‘think of four things – we brew one and sponsor two of them’. Similarly, despite an injunction on associating alcohol with social success or sociability the same brewer observes that ‘to own sociability is to dominate the booze market’ and sets out to position its leading brand of beer as ‘social glue’. The interview concluded that these revelations make the current social responsibility deals (which give industry a prominent seat at the public health policy making table) is akin to putting the fox in charge of the chicken coup."

Click here for more information on Gerard Hastings Marketing Matrix.