New guidelines on tap for influencers advertising alcohol

Alcohol Beverages Australia has expressed support of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking's (IARD) global standards pledge on marketing with influencers.

The pledge, signed by over 25 companies around the world, outlines ways in which social media influencers should be held accountable when involved in the advertising of alcoholic beverages. These include but are not limited to influencers not making health claims, promoting illegal behaviour, or advertising to underage people. The guidelines also suggest that advertising created by influencers should be age appropriate and that influencers should be at least 25 years of age if they cannot guarantee the age of the audience.

Alcohol Beverages Australia CEO Andrew Wilsmore said: “This new joint pledge demonstrates how our industry remains dedicated to promoting its world-class products in a responsible and transparent manner.

“The pledge complements existing requirements of Australian marketers set by the ABAC [Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code] Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code, in particular a requirement to age-restrict influencer marketing and guidance for influencer marketing included in the ABAC Digital Alcohol Marketing Best Practice Guide.

“We strongly support the work undertaken by both ABAC and IARD and encourage our own Australian marketers within the industry to become acquainted with the standards and ensure any future engagement with influencers is compliant,” Wilsmore said.

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