by Emma King (@EmmainSA) Proposed amendments to liquor laws and restrictions on the sales and marketing of alcohol have once again become hot topics of conversation. Boardrooms, newsrooms and braais are seething with debates about what should or shouldn’t be changed, and who has the right to make decisions about how other people behave.
My personal opinion? Well, I get pretty pissed when people dictate when or how I can do something, and that extends to being able to sip a 
glass of chilled Chardonnay on a Sunday afternoon.
I don’t deny that we have a serious issue with alcohol abuse in this country. But, having worked in the alcohol industry in some form or other for all of my career, and having worked with mountains of research and closely with experts on the matter, I’m not convinced that prohibition (i.e. the restrictions of sales in various manners) or the outright banning of alcohol advertising is necessarily the answer.
What cannot be denied is the need for real intervention at grassroots level to change behaviour: robust enforcement of current laws, working with outlets to trade responsibly, and a concerted effort to tackle issues that go hand in hand with alcohol abuse – education, unemployment, and crime.
However, changing laws and banning advertising is an easier and higher profile way to go, and it’s pretty certain that we will see these measures being implemented in the near future.
The alcohol industry is already one of the most highly regulated industries, and brands tiptoe around fearfully, anxious of falling foul of lobbying bodies or legislation. Responsible marketing codes are deeply entrenched in all major alcohol distributors’ ways of working, and you’d be pretty hard pressed to find any advertising that flagrantly promotes or glorifies irresponsible behaviour.
The question arises then, for us as marketers, as to how we amend our business models, and our approaches, when ‘Dark Marketing’ is enforced.
At the moment, it’s pretty hazy as to what this may entail. Bans on alcohol advertising and sports sponsorship have been mooted, but it’s unclear as to how this may unfold – a total ban or, rather, restrictions on when, where and how brands can market themselves.
However it unfolds, there are a couple of things that are certain. Alcohol brands have to start, now, diversifying their ways of marketing – away from a focus on high-cost above-the-line advertising, and instead towards an integrated approach on building relationships and conversing with their consumers (although, I would argue that this applies to brands in any industry, not just alcohol).
For those of us working in PR, communications, digital and social media, CRM, and all the other previously ‘peripheral’ disciplines, our expertise is ever more important.
For example, I would advise alcohol brands to start seriously investing, now, in building their social communities. If new legislation does enforce a total ban on advertising, this is unlikely to extend or be regulated through social media – in fact it would be getting dangerously close to inflicting on the right of freedom of speech in consumers’ own personal capacities.
So, working now to develop communities of like-minded people who love a brand seems a no-brainer, as does developing relationships with the people who are opinion formers within those communities to become ambassadors and endorsers for a brand.
Likewise, developing a strong eCRM programme, linked to a hardworking database which all communications, activations and other activities feed into, is a must-have.
Investing heavily in building a recognizable brand and strong brand equity is also key. Restrictions on alcohol advertising means that huge changes in market share are unlikely. Brands that are already strong and recognizable will continue to be so, while smaller players will struggle to grow their share (and new-comers having a hard time even breaking into the market). A strong visual identity is also paramount – think what Absolut Vodka did with just the shape of a bottle, neatly sidestepping any restrictions on logos, strapline and legal disclaimers.
A look at other industries where advertising has been banned or heavily regulated – tobacco, gambling and fast food – also shows us where alcohol marketing will lean towards.
Product placement (not just on TV, but also, more and more, in gaming) will increase; and marketers will invest in rich and contagious content, distributed digitally by brands who act like publishers; and loyalty programmes and rewards for existing brand lovers will become more widespread.
As brand to consumer channels become more regulated, distribution and B2B relationships become ever more important – being available, and visible, at the point of purchase will be the differentiator between strong and second-tier brands.
Emma King is Head of PR at The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town). She is a columnist for MarkLives on PR and communication issues. You can find her on Twitter at @EmmainSA
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