International Alliance for Responsible Drinking exceeds safeguarding target

By James Lawrence

Published: 22 November, 2024

The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), a collective of some of the world’s biggest alcohol producers, has surpassed its 2024 goal of embedding rigorous digital safeguards across thousands of brands worldwide.

Founded in January 2015, the not-for-profit organisation seeks to promote responsible drinking and reduce harmful consumption, age-gating online content and placing transparent safeguards on social media marketing.

This year, the alliance managed to obtain a 98.2% compliance rate for thousands of brands marketing on leading digital platforms.

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This result, independently assessed by Accenture, surpassed the 95% compliance target for 2024, with producers continuing to strive for full compliance.

According to the IARD: “These measures, designed to help ensure that online marketing only reaches those above the legal purchase age, respond to the UN's call for concrete action to prevent alcohol marketing and sales to minors, as part of efforts to accelerate declines in underage drinking.”

A diverse portfolio of multinationals have pledged their support, including AB Inbev, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Heineken and Moët Hennessy.

Since 2015, initiatives spearheaded by the IARD have involved launching the first global standards for influencer marketing alongside major agencies like Dentsu and Publicis Groupe, in addition to partnering with Meta to enable influencers to age-gate their posts on Instagram.

Alexandre Ricard, chair of the IARD CEO group and CEO of Pernod Ricard, commented: "Our industry is driving innovation that goes far beyond product development or responding market trends. As technology advances, we are committed to leading the way in embedding responsible marketing safeguards across every part of our business.

“By harnessing digital tools, fostering collaboration, and investing in people and resources, we’re showing how global companies can set new standards of responsibility worldwide – especially in countries where online regulation is limited."

Julian Braithwaite, CEO and president of IARD, added: “The Digital Guiding Principles, with their measurable standards and independent evaluation, have demonstrated the power of harnessing the private sector to supporting UN goals.

“The UN strategy to tackle the harmful use of alcohol has seen deaths linked to alcohol fall 20% globally (2010–19). As the UN prepares for its next review of its overall strategy on non-communicable diseases in 2025, we remain committed to supporting these goals.”

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