Drinkwise

SIMON STRAHAN, CEO.

Since 2007, DrinkWise has been creating targeted social marketing campaigns to evoke positive behavioural and cultural change around Australians’ consumption of alcohol. Over a decade on, these efforts continue, with 2018 seeing the launch of three additional DrinkWise campaigns and initiatives.

This included the augmented reality activation The Internet Remembers - an extension of our How to Drink Properly campaign. Harnessing research insights which showed that young adults see vomiting and looking like a fool as a greater risk than the long-term health effects of excessive drinking, The Internet Remembers serves as a reminder of the potential unintended consequences of drinking too much – including the potentially embarrassing moment that once posted on social media, will live on forever.

Our enhanced Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Program, made possible by government grants and additional industry funding, was launched in Canberra by Hon. Greg Hunt, Federal Health Minister. The program uses broad and targeted approaches to remind those who may be pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding that it’s safest not to drink while pregnant. Additional funding by key industry producers has allowed this program to be significantly expanded through Australia, including into regional and remote areas.

DrinkWise also partnered with the Outdoor Media Association to launch DrinkWise in front of your kids, borne out of research which showed that one in five parents don’t think their current drinking behaviour will influence how their children drink in the future. Pleasingly the ad, which centred around the theme Children can inherit more than your looks resulted in parents reflecting on their behaviour and being more conscious of displaying good role modelling when drinking in front of their children.

Highlighting and reinforcing the benefits of the collaborative DrinkWise model was also a focus. This culminated in attending and speaking on a panel at the OECD’s Business at OECD Forum on Health - Digital and Partnerships in Paris. The Forum emphasised the opportunities for digital integration for the advancement of health and allowed DrinkWise to showcase its innovative and market leading approach to partnerships with contributors and members.

We commenced 2019 by welcoming Campari as a new funder of DrinkWise. Campari, along with our other industry

funders, are taking the lead in showing their commitment to improving the drinking culture in Australia and we are grateful for their support.

Australian government data and industry trends show the Australian population is continuing to reduce excessive consumption and place an emphasis on moderating their drinking, increasingly choosing quality over quantity. DrinkWise recognises that promoting generational change in attitudes towards alcohol is an ongoing endeavor and that these trends do not hold true for everyone, so in 2019 we will continue to encourage Australians to improve their drinking behaviour through our moderation messaging.

Our focus on these key audiences includes event-goers, so we are establishing new partnerships and enhancing existing relationships with industry, sporting codes and music festivals to remind consumers about the importance of moderation at events through our You won’t miss a moment if you DrinkWise initiative.

While better parental role modeling has helped increase the abstinence rates among minors (from 56% in 2007 to 82% in 2016), recent government research shows that of the minority who do drink, parents were the primary source of alcohol. DrinkWise will continue to target parents with our DELAY five point plan and highlight that the longer teenagers delay alcohol use, the less likely they are to develop problems later in life.

Better behaviours among young adults are also apparent, with excessive drinking falling from 31% to 21% over the past

two years. In an effort to further reduce that number, we’ll continue to provide innovative messages to this cohort via our How to Drink Properly campaign.

Despite advances in awareness about the importance of not drinking while pregnant, our program efforts will increase (along with those of government) in the hope that FASD, which is 100% preventable, can be eliminated.

While there is a continuing need for DrinkWise messages in the community, the more moderate approach to drinking by Australians illustrates that gains are being made and we are getting closer to the goal of a healthier and safer drinking culture.

DrinkWise is an independent, notfor-profit organisation founded in 2005 from alcohol industry and government contributions. DrinkWise is funded by these industry leaders: Aldi, Accolade, Bacardi-Martini, Beam Suntory, BrownForman, Campari, Coca-Cola Amatil, CUB, Coles Liquor, Coopers, Diageo, Endeavour Drinks Group, Lion Beer, Pernod Ricard and Treasury Wine Estates.

Australian government data and industry trends show the Australian population is continuing to reduce excessive consumption and place an emphasis on moderating their drinking