BEEr-ing Responsible

I applaud Anheuser-Busch for imbuing their marketing efforts with social responsibility. I do not believe alcohol is inherently bad, and dislike “blanket” judgements of alcohol companies based on the assumption, or association, that they all push alcohol products without caring about the consequences of its abuse. Anheuser-Busch’s “beeresponsible” website and campaign prove the opposite–it is balancing its rights as a company in a free-market economy, i.e. to generate sales profit, with the socially responsible behavior of warning consumers of alcohol’s potential pitfalls. This Aristotelian approach of finding the golden mean (balancing profit-seeking marketing efforts with efforts to raise awareness of alcohol abuse) is both responsible and astute, in that it will woo consumers who would normally point angry fingers at Anheuser-Busch for its role in providing a controversial product; the company’s hope, no doubt, is to bolster its company reputation and top-of-mind awareness as a socially responsible alcohol company (one that cares about its consumers).

I interned for a public relations firm in high school in Miami, FL that represented Johnnie Walker, the Scotch whiskey brand owned by Diageo. The public relations firm-The Jeffrey Group-and Diageo ran a “Drink Responsibly” campaign to address the issue of drunk driving. I was able to participate in an exciting event that included Pedro de la Rosa (Formula One race car driver) and numerous celebrities, to promote the social responsibility of Diageo’s Johnny Walker label. Not only did it bring to the forefront the importance of responsible drinking, but it also generated a favorable brand image for Johnnie Walker (as well as an effective match-up hypothesis with the race car driver).

Hopefully, consumers will find these efforts by alcohol companies credible, and not engage in source derogation (SDs). It is our social responsibility as consumers to applaud and encourage alcohol companies to follow in Anheuser-Busch and Diageo’s examples, and incorporate social responsibility in their advertising and public relations efforts.

I think that the alcohol industry has taken lessons from the tobacco industry. After seeing the tobacco industry go down in flames (punny get it?) alcohol could only assume it was next. They are both legal products, but they both cause injury or harm to their consumers so the it’s safe to say that in this new age of not killing each other with asbestos or obesity, the line has been drawn in the sand.

It’s good that one of the alcohol giants is taking this stand (although it is arguable more about self preservation than anything else). Regardless of the stance, alcohol is probably the last legal vice we will allow ourselves to have and if we lose that, the only thing that will keep us sated and sedated will be unhealthy foods and virtual reality.

So I agree, it was a good more for AB especially since it will influence the smaller companies to follow suit.