In order to avoid abusive consumption, the promotion of alcoholic products by influencers must be better regulated, believes the Ethics Council of the Quebec alcoholic beverage industry in its annual report made public on Tuesday.
“The promotion of alcoholic beverages on the Web, in particular through influencers, already observed last year, has increased in 2021, bringing with it its share of challenges”, notes the self-regulatory body of the industry.
This “new trend” is of great concern to the Council, which is raising the red flag even before having received any complaints about it. “Our goal is to remind our members that the code of ethics also applies when they hire an influencer to promote one of their products,” explains the organization’s president, Robert Dutton.
The code of ethics, to which the main producers and sellers of alcohol in Quebec adhere, obliges them in particular to indicate on all advertisements the slogan “Moderation has much better taste”. It also prohibits the use of sexism or the exploitation of sexuality to sell alcohol.
But how to ensure that the code of ethics is known and respected by the influencers, who offer a more “niche” and “discreet” advertising model than that found in the mass media? Especially since it is “virtually impossible” to distinguish between influencers who are paid and those who are not.
The Council recognizes that “monitoring what is happening on the Web [est] extremely difficult and partly impossible”, but he nevertheless asks the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux to carry out “random checks” to ensure that the code of ethics is respected.
“However, the law cannot govern everything”, believes the Council, which reminds its members that they can “make a real difference” by ensuring that the influencers they hire are “fully informed of the provisions of the code of ethics and invited to respect them as scrupulously as one is entitled to expect from any advertiser, whatever the title he bears.
A blame for Archibald
According to the president, Robert Dutton, the members of the Ethics Council of the Quebec alcoholic beverage industry are “responsible” and generally respect the code of ethics they have adopted. However, each year, cases are brought before the self-regulatory body. This year, the Council assessed six complaints, a number that is decreasing year after year.
The Archibald microbrewery, owned by Labatt, was singled out by the Council for its advertisement “Fridays get a big one from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at $5 a can”. The ad was illustrated with three products with a female name: la Chipie, la Matante and la Joufflue.
“The campaign was swiftly withdrawn following the outcry it caused, but apart from its crudeness and questionable taste, it constitutes an indisputable violation of the provision of the code of ethics which strictly prohibits the use of sexism. and allusions of a sexual nature to sell alcohol”, indicates the Council.
Contacted by The duty Following this reprimand, the director of communications of the Labatt Brewery, Jennifer Damiani, responded by email. “We respect the Ethics Council of the Quebec alcoholic beverage industry and the work it does,” she wrote. At Archibald, we strive to be inclusive and authentic, and to promote respect and inclusion, and we appreciate consumers bringing this error to our attention. »
The Ethics Council also called to order the manufacturer of carbonated water and alcoholic ice cream sticks Glacier Factory for a promotional campaign featuring a “young woman who appeared to be a teenager”. The Council states that the use of minors to sell alcohol is contrary to the provisions of the code of ethics and that “persons must not appear to be under 25 years of age”. He adds that the manufacturer was unaware that he had to submit his advertisements to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux and that he “undertook not to repeat this prank again”.
Glacier Factory did not respond to an interview request from Homework.
Finally, the Council asks Quebec to overhaul the laws and regulations on alcohol, considering that it is essential to allow the Régie des alcools to suspend or revoke on the spot a license alcohol when an establishment does not comply with the law, and to strictly prohibit the use of sexism or the exploitation of sexuality to sell alcohol. “For us, these points are important and must be reviewed,” concludes Robert Dutton.