Social
AB InBev participated in the fourth ‘Global Road Safety Ministerial Conference’ in Marrakech, joining attendees from over 100 countries, including transport ministers, UN agencies and road safety organisations.
The group discussed the implementation of its road safety management methodology in around 30 markets with UN representatives, and the critical role of partnerships and the whole-of-society approach in driving measurable outcomes and responsible drinking.
In Brazil, Zé Delivery, overseen by AB InBev’s AmBev division in the country, distributed free bottles of water and alcohol-free Corona Cero to Lady Gaga fans ahead of a much-anticipated free beach concert in Rio de Janeiro. Fans waited for several days before the concert, and Zé used the event to highlight the importance of staying hydrated while having fun.
In South Korea, Asahi opened a new low- & no-alcohol pop-up bar in Seoul for a limited period, expanding its ‘#SmartDrinking’ initiative outside of Japan for the first time. The Sumadori bar offers drinks at 0%, 0.5% and 3% ABV, making no- and low-alcohol drinks available to a wider audience, raising awareness of the programme among younger generations. Asahi also opened three more of the pop-up bars in Japan.
Carlsberg’s Tuborg brand launched its biggest responsible drinking campaign in Denmark to-date to help change the country’s drinking culture. Recent research shows that 77% of young people in the country feel that alcohol consumption is expected at social events.
The ‘Drink With Respect’ campaign will raise awareness through films, advertisements and initiatives at party venues, inspiring young people to drink responsibly and respect their friends and community.
Diageo’s Uganda Breweries launched ‘Eyo Red Card’, a call-to-action for consumers in Uganda to make smart choices like pacing themselves while drinking, setting limits and never drink-driving. The Uganda Red Cross Society praised the unit for consistently running strong responsible drinking initiatives that stress the importance of a whole-of-society approach to road safety and prevention.
In the Philippines, Pernod Ricard is rolling out digital QR code labels across all of its brands, directing consumers to transparent, accessible information that will help them to make well-informed and responsible choices. The QR codes will provide consumers with detailed information about ingredients, and responsible drinking guidelines in line with local recommendations.
Suntory relaunched its DrinkSmart website, which provides consumers with a range of information including location-specific macro-nutritional information for brands, guidance on standard serving sizes and responsible hosting tips. DrinkSmart’s recommendations begin with being a responsible host and always planning for responsible choices.
In Singapore, Suntory is working with the Singapore Alliance for Responsible Drinking and its members to run a three-month campaign to promote responsible choices to adult consumers. The campaign debunks common misconceptions around alcohol and promotes the use of Suntory’s standard drinks calculator to monitor one’s consumption.
Drinkaware partnered with retired soccer player and commentator Chris Kamara for a new Mental Health Awareness Week initiative in the UK. Polling in the country has found that over half of 45-to-64-year-old men think that men of their age often use alcohol as a coping mechanism. The ‘I’s okay to talk about drinking’ campaign is reaching out to middle-aged men to encourage conversation and understanding, providing a space for men to share their experiences.
Elsewhere, DrinkWise partnered with Australian rules footballer Gavin Wanganeen in Australia to promote responsible drinking at sports events. Wanganeen told sports fans how important it is to “drink wise” in the crowd at a game, so that they can look after themselves and respect other fans.
The campaign appeared on billboard ads across Adelaide during the AFL’s Gather Round tournament, and at liquor stores and hospitality venues across South Australia.
Environment
Heineken partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on a new reusable packaging drive, part of a wider bid to reduce the company’s use of new packaging materials and increase reusable packaging under its ‘Brew a Better World’ programme. By combining its knowledge of reusable packaging with the foundation’s ability to convene, Heineken will drive adoption at scale and contribute significantly to a circular economy.
In Japan, Suntory established a new water stewardship company to help businesses and local communities secure water supplies by providing scientific expertise. ‘Water Scape’ will assist in securing sustainable water supplies by visualising groundwater conditions based on data and evidence from hydrology, supporting individuals and organisations facing water security and management challenges as water issues intensify globally.
Governance
Asahi, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, The Coca-Cola Co, Diageo, Kirin’s Lion divison, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, Suntory and William Grant & Sons were among the founding signatories of The Drinks Association’s recently-unveiled ‘Respect in Drinks’ charter in Australia. The signatories have pledged to join in making a positive difference in the drinks industry by adopting a new commitment on ‘Respect and Inclusion’ that includes zero-tolerance to discrimination, clear standards for professional conduct, and promoting responsible drinking.
In the US, AB InBev celebrated a significant milestone as its Anheuser-Busch division produced its 100 millionth can of emergency drinking water since its disaster relief programme was founded in 1988. The group frequently leverages its infrastructure to respond quickly to natural disasters by pausing beer production to produce clean drinking water for communities in need.
Bacardi expanded its global ‘Shake Your Future’ free bartender training programme, which offers young adults the skills necessary for a life-long career in hospitality. After launching the most recent instalment of the initiative in Scotland at the beginning of the year, Bacardi has pledged to train 10,000 young mixologists by 2030.
Finally, Molson Coors Beverage Co committed to doubling its emergency canned water production in the US. Since 2017, the company has produced over 3m cans of drinking water to help with natural disaster relief efforts, supporting communities recovering from hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other emergencies. With natural disaster instances on the increase, Molson Coors has pledged to produce 830,000 cans of emergency water per year.
