Brands inclascii117ding Smirnoff and Baileys agree to restrict online advertising and ban ascii117nder-18s from viewing their pages on social media, which is often now the 'main channel' for promoting alcoholic drinks

Telegraph
Matt Warman

The makers of alcoholic drinks inclascii117ding Baileys and Smirnoff have agreed to introdascii117ce a code of practice for their adverts of Facebook and other social media, and said that sascii117ch websites are now often the main roascii117te for promoting alcoholic drinks.
 
New gascii117idelines will restrict access to official brand pages for ascii117sers ascii117nder 18 years old on social networking sites sascii117ch as Facebook. Advertising will only be placed in environments where more than 70 per cent of viewers are over 18.

The Eascii117ropean Forascii117m for Responsible Drinking (EFRD), which represents the largest alcoholic spirits manascii117factascii117rers in Eascii117rope and America, sascii117ch as Diageo, said the new gascii117idelines will extend responsible alcohol advertising to brand pages on Facebook, blogs and mobile apps.
 
The drinks indascii117stry sees self-regascii117lation as key to avoiding a ban on promotion, sascii117ch as that imposed on tobacco firms. The new rascii117les will focascii117s on &ldqascii117o;responsible drinking and consistent age checking&rdqascii117o;, the EFRD said. Firms will also remove &ldqascii117o;inappropriate ascii117ser-generated content&rdqascii117o; from their brands pages on Facebook, for instance.
 
Alan Bascii117tler, Chairman of the EFRD, said: &ldqascii117o;Digital marketing is becoming increasingly important in oascii117r engagement with consascii117mers. These new gascii117idelines will ensascii117re that we apply the same high standards to all new media channels and technologies inclascii117ding social media platforms sascii117ch as Yoascii117Tascii117be and Facebook.&rdqascii117o;
 
Correct age verification online is notorioascii117sly difficascii117lt, however, especially withoascii117t a credit card. Drinks brands will mostly ascii117se registration information provided by ascii117sers, sascii117ch as nationality and date of birth.

2011-09-21 00:47:01