The Portman Group Updated Its Code of Conduct On Marketing Alcoholic Drinks

The alcoholic beverages industry enters a new era of consumer marketing strategy to attract a bigger portion of consumers to notice alcoholic drinks.

The Portman Group, the UK’s alcohol marketing giant, updated its Code of Practice on Naming, Packaging, and Promotion of Alcoholic beverage in 2019 for the fifth time. The Portman Group was established by eight alcohol industry titans including Molson Coors, Carlsberg, Heineken, and Guinness. The group is funded by twelve industry giants and has been in practice since 1989. Its sole purpose is to summarize the social responsibility and regulation specialized in alcohol labeling, packaging, and industry promotion.

In the latest edition of the Code of Conduct, the main changes are:

• The content of a product’s name, packaging, and labeling is recommended not to include any misdemeanors against race, age, gender, religion, and disability.
• The content of a product is recommended not to advocate any illegal behaviour.
• The product is recommended not to be promoting or suggesting having any effects on mental or behavior change.  
• A one-time serving beverage unit is recommended not to contain more than four alcohol units.
• The comprehensive principle of the Group expressively includes the protection of the vulnerable.