Marketing Alcoholic Beverage and its Impact on Underage Drinker

Marketing Alcoholic Beverage and its Impact on Underage Drinker

Annually, thousands of American citizens die in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Driving under the influence of alcohol is the root cause of many of such deaths as the size of the drinking population rises. In part, beer and vodka manufacturers are to blame because of their unethical advertising strategies. They use captivating messages to attract a larger market while suppressing the dangerous effects of excessive drinking. Particularly, there is a growing trend of marketers that target the underage population given its large size. While others such as Cisco Wine use deceptive bottling to mask the alcoholic content in their drinks, Alcopops use fruity flavors to suppress the strong taste thus luring the younger crowd.

Cisco Wine manufacturers introduce different colored flavors to appeal to the vulnerable underage drinkers. In one instance, the firm introduced a drink with 20% alcohol content under the disguise of a wine cooler. Notably, most of the wine coolers have less than 5% alcohol content (Beauchamp et al. 169). When the authorities discovered Cisco Wine’s tricky and malicious marketing strategies, they ordered the manufacturer to change the bottle shape and review the deceptive catchy slogan.

On the other hand, Alcopops introduced a new type of liquor in the market that combined different fruit drinks and colas. The manufacturer understood that the underage teens crave for fruity drinks, hence the need to target younger populace (Beauchamp et al. 172). However, the organization failed to clarify how the flavors masked high alcohol content. In the year 2001, CSPI (Center for Science in Public Interest) complained about Alcopops’ deceptive marketing techniques that confuse teenagers.

Arguably, Absolut manufacturers run one of the most effective marketing strategies in the industry. While all vodkas taste the same since they contain molasses, grains, and potatoes, the success of the manufacturer hinges on the packaging and advertisement (Beauchamp et al. 174). However, Absolut associate teenager’s icons such as Hitchcock and John Camel to influence them. Besides, the firm designed its website for use by young adults and underage teenagers.

            In the Western society today, widespread concerns exist on the mainstream media’s portrayal of alcohol advertising and product placements. The public learns about alcohol through films, televisions, and the internet. Therefore, they are a source of drinking problems among the youth (Hastings et al., 301). In numerous occasions, several public health activists advocate for government or self-regulation of alcohol advertising in mainstream media. Still, the media houses and the government are reluctant to ban all adverts related to alcoholic drinks because they are a source of revenue and tax.

            In the long-run, the consumption of alcohol by teenagers will lead to societal decay and diminished moral values. Unless the federal government expresses interest to curb the adverts, it is hard for the manufacturers to uphold their values and business ethics. Notably, most business cultures in the alcohol industry center on greed for financial gains (Collins et al. 531). Developments such as these explain positive portrayal of drinks and their association with desirable attributes such as success. Manufacturers such as Alcopops and Absolut rarely portray negative consequences of drinking.  Nevertheless, a little or no solid evidence exist that alcohol is the source of problems among teenagers. Yet, there is a strong correlation between the awareness of alcohol and the effect of its advertisement, behavior, and drinking beliefs among the young population.

Work Cited

Beauchamp, Tom L. Et al. Case Studies in Business, Society, and Ethics. Upper Sadle River (N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004: 169-176. Print.

Collins, Rebecca L., et al. "Early Adolescent Exposure to Alcohol Advertising and Its Relationship to Underage Drinking." Journal of Adolescent Health 40.6 (2011): 527-534.

Hastings, Gerard, et al. "Alcohol Marketing and Young People's Drinking: A Review of the Research." Journal of Public Health Policy 26.3 (2015): 296-311.