Marketing 304
Chapter 15
E-exercise, Number 2,
page 476
2. Go to www.adage.com
to learn the advertising news of the day. Write a short summary of an article
you read.
“LIQUOR COMPANIES ACCUSED OF TARGETING CHILDREN “
“Consumer
Group Blasts 'Alcopop' Beverage Campaigns “
May 9,
2001
WASHINGTON (AdAge.com)
The header above is from the article I read at www.adage.com . This is an article about the alcohol policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest and several other consumer groups attacking the advertising campaign for flavored malt beverages. These groups feel that the alcohol companies are targeting younger audiences who may not drink due to the dislike of the strong taste of liquors and the nasty taste of beer (sorry personal opinion). They feel that the names like “Hard Lemonade” and Spiked Lemonade” lead the younger consumers into forgetting that the product contains alcohol. George Hacker, the director of alcohol policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, along with several other consumer groups are lobbying Federal Trade Commission and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to study the marketing of these drinks. They also seek to have the distributors change their labels so that there is an underage drinking warning and a very prominent statement of alcohol content on the label.
Okay, I gave a summary but I just have to say, some of these consumer groups can get pretty stupid! These flavored malt drinks have been around for years they slowly faded out and are now returning. There were no outcries that I recall when California Coolers hit the market. They were just a variation on a theme. Just like these hard lemonade drinks. Now I am assuming that the people that purchase these alcoholic drinks are over 21, if the underage drinker thinks they are drinking pop, if the label is changed then the person deceiving the younger person will just pour it in a glass. The issue that these groups may want to look into is responsible parenting. Teaching your children right from wrong and how to judge others (who to trust), and basic common sense. it would go a long way to reducing the number of younger drinkers, drug users, and gang members. These people do not want to look to close to home they want someone or something else to blame for the problems their lax parenting has created in our society.