Press

Leading beer, wine, and spirits producers set new standards in responsible digital marketing

• Global effort to embed five Digital Guiding Principles (DGPs) across thousands of brands on platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and X
• Producers use cutting-edge technology and collaborate with digital platforms to help ensure marketing reaches only those over the legal purchase age for alcohol
• Audited compliance rate for applying online safeguards hits 98.2% – exceeding the 2024 target of 95%
• Actions respond to the call by the United Nations on the industry in 2018 to take “concrete steps” towards eliminating marketing of alcohol products to minors as part of efforts to reduce underage drinking
   

Today, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) announced that the world’s leading beer, wine, and spirits producers have exceeded their 2024 target to embed five digital safeguards across their businesses. These measures, designed to help ensure that online marketing only reaches those above the legal purchase age, respond to the UN's call for concrete action to prevent alcohol marketing and sales to minors, as part of efforts to accelerate declines in underage drinking.
 
The global effort to implement the DGPs has resulted in a 98.2% full compliance rate for thousands of brands marketing on leading digital platforms. This result, independently assessed by Accenture, surpasses the 95% compliance target for 2024, with producers continuing to strive for full compliance.
 
Digital marketing is considered compliant when ALL five safeguards below are in place:

1. An age-affirmation mechanism: A mechanism should check that the user is over the country’s LPA.
2. A forward advice notice: A statement that the content should not be forwarded to anyone under the LPA in the country of viewing.
3. A responsible-drinking message: A visible message explicitly promoting responsible consumption.
4. A transparency message: It must be evident that the digital marketing communication page is the official brand page.
5. A user-generated-content policy: A clear statement that any user posts that condone irresponsible drinking will be removed.

In just five years, compliance has risen from 67% in 2018 to 98.2% today. To achieve systemic change across their businesses, IARD members have introduced automation, engaged with hundreds of digital leaders and agencies managing thousands of brands, and collaborated with platforms, including Google and Meta – to make it easier for all alcohol brands to market responsibly and incorporate safeguards.    
 
Alexandre Ricard, Chair of the IARD CEO group and CEO of Pernod Ricard, said:
 
"Our industry is driving innovation that goes far beyond product development or responding market trends. As technology advances, we are committed to leading the way in embedding responsible marketing safeguards across every part of our business. By harnessing digital tools, fostering collaboration, and investing in people and resources, we’re showing how global companies can set new standards of responsibility worldwide—especially in countries where online regulation is limited."
 
Julian Braithwaite, CEO and President of IARD, said:
 
“The Digital Guiding Principles, with their measurable standards and independent evaluation, have demonstrated the power of harnessing the private sector to supporting UN goals.
 
“The UN strategy to tackle the harmful use of alcohol has seen deaths linked to alcohol fall 20% globally (2010–19). As the UN prepares for its next review of its overall strategy on non-communicable diseases in 2025, we remain committed to supporting these goals.”
 
Leading the way in online marketing standards
IARD’s proactive measures in online marketing have fostered collaboration across sectors bringing together digital platforms, e-commerce platforms, and global advertising and influencer agencies to create marketing practices that further prevent those underage from seeing alcohol marketing. 
 
Key initiatives include:

• Launching the first global standards for influencer marketing alongside major agencies like Dentsu and Publicis Groupe, to promote transparency and responsible marketing
• Partnering with Meta to enable influencers to age-gate their posts on Instagram
• Working with Google, Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok, and X to further enhance online safeguards and ensure robust age-assurance methods by 2025, to prevent those underage inadvertently seeing alcohol advertising online

IARD will continue collaborating with global partners across sectors to enhance safeguards, demonstrating the unique contribution the private sector can bring in setting standards and using its marketing to promote moderation and responsibility among those adults who choose to drink. The organization remains committed to working closely with the UN, governments, and civil society to accelerate reductions in harmful drinking seen in the last decade.  
 
ENDS
 
 
 
Contact
For more information, please contact: Puja Darbari – pdarbari@iard.org or iard@mhpgroup.com
 
 
Notes to editors
 
The link to the Digital Guiding Principles compliance reports to date: https://www.iard.org/actions/digital-guiding-principles
 
About IARD: The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing harmful drinking and promoting understanding of responsible drinking. We are supported by the leading global beer, wine, and spirits producers, who have come together for a common purpose: to be part of the solution in combating harmful drinking. To advance this shared mission, IARD works and partners with public sector, civil society, and private stakeholders. www.iard.org
 
IARD’s members are AB InBev, Asahi, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, Kirin, Moët Hennessy, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Pernod Ricard, Suntory Global Spirits, and William Grant & Sons. Associate members: The Coca-Cola Company and LOTTE Chilsung Beverage.