CEOs of Leading Beer, Wine and Spirits Producers to Develop New Responsible Marketing Standards for Digital Channels

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, September 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

As the CEOs of the leading beer, wine and spirits producers, we are stewards of many of the world's most popular brands and we are proud employers who take this obligation seriously. That is why we are determined to continue to work collectively to make a real difference and set and live up to high standards of responsibility for our industry.

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Today we announce our further commitment to develop, in collaboration with others, new robust responsible marketing standards for digital channels that represent best-practice in this rapidly-changing field.

Information technology is changing our world faster than at any time in history and the explosion of digital channels has transformed the way in which people understand and interact with our brands. This is now the arena where our consumers want to engage with us. Although we have achieved significant progress in strengthening and expanding marketing codes of practice, digital media presents evolving opportunities with improved consumer insights, better data and technology. We are determined to use these opportunities to set robust responsibility standards for digital marketing that take account of the changing landscape and reassure others that we direct our advertising only to those adults who can lawfully buy our products.

By working with our marketers internally, agencies and social media companies we believe we can create these rigorous standards for our industry and potentially for others.

We know we can achieve more together than we can by working separately, and we welcome the opportunity to play a full and proactive role in further reducing the harmful use of alcohol in support of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. 

Signed:  

  
     Carlos Brito                      Ceet 't Hart                         Alexandre Ricard
    Chief Executive, AB InBev         Chief Executive, Carlsberg Group     Chief Executive,
                                                                           Pernod Ricard
     Naoki Izumiya                     Ivan Menezes
    Chief Executive, Asahi Group      Chief Executive, Diageo

    Mike Dolan                        Jean-Francois Van Boxmeer
    Chief Executive, Bacardi Limited  Chief Executive, Heineken

     Matt Shattock                     Yoshinori Isozaki
    Chief Executive, Beam Suntory     Chief Executive, Kirin Holdings Company

    Paul Varga                        Mark Hunter
    Chief Executive, Brown-Forman     Chief Executive, Molson Coors

Notes to editors: 

• In 2012, we launched a five-year program of commitments to support Member States in their efforts to implement the WHO Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The 11 signatories to the Beer, Wine and Spirits Producers' Commitments to Reduce Harmful Drinking are Anheuser-Busch InBev; Asahi Group Holdings; Bacardi; Beam Suntory; Brown-Forman Corporation; Carlsberg; Diageo; Heineken; Kirin Holdings Company; Molson Coors; Pernod Ricard.
• The Producers' Commitments
  - Reducing underage drinking
  - Strengthening and expanding marketing codes of practice
  - Providing consumer information and responsible product innovation
  - Reducing drinking and driving
• Enlisting the support of retailers to reduce harmful drinking