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Portman Group implements new marketing code

Published:  31 May, 2013

Drinks industry regulator Portman Group has launched the fifth edition of its marketing code of practice, which includes tighter monitoring of the internet and tougher rules on linking alcohol to sex.

Drinks industry regulator Portman Group has launched the fifth edition of its marketing code of practice, which includes tighter monitoring of the internet and tougher rules on linking alcohol to sex.

Portman's new code comes into force today (May 31) and expands the regulator's remit to cover consumer-generated content on the internet, such as blog posts, tweets or Facebook updates.

These are are not currently covered by the official Advertising Standards Authority watchdog, which deals with online content generated, published or endorsed directly by drinks companies themselves.

However, rather than constantly police the entire social media stratosphere, Portman must receive public complaints before it can launch any investigation.

The fifth code of practice is part of the drinks industry's Responsibility Deal on alcohol, a voluntary agreement signed with the present coalition government.

In other changes, the new Portman Code has tightened the rules on linking alcohol to sex. It bans any direct or indirect associations with any sexual activity, in addition to an earlier ban on references to sexual success.

For the first time, Portman will also allow producers to make lower alcohol content a dominant theme of their advertising, in recognition of growing consumer demand for lower alcohol beer and wine.

Portman CEO Henry Ashworth, pictured, said: "Our aim is to support the industry through our advisory service and get the right balance between enabling innovative campaigns and new product development while protecting the public from unacceptable marketing, especially children and young people."

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