Portman Group finds ‘near universal’ adherence to alcohol advertising standards

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 05 February, 2026

In a new ‘proactive’ market audit, industry regulator Portman Group has found “near universal” adherence to high standards of alcohol marketing.

Of 500 products sampled by independent auditors Zenith Global, 94% were compliant with the regulator’s Code of Practice on Naming and Packaging.

Only 5% were found to be in breach of the rules – resulting in redesign or withdrawal from the UK market (with the 1% anomoly relating to three products outside of the Portman Group's remit).

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Portman Group said that its decision to become a more proactive regulator was led by a desire to enhance the “gold standard regulation” that it is know for and to maintain high levels of compliance in the industry.

Commenting on the audit, Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, said: “The audit has set a benchmark for regulatory compliance and demonstrates the strength of the self-regulatory model. The audit shows 94% compliance and this alongside the ASA’s 96% compliance rate in its Pulse Report for alcohol advertising is excellent news and demonstrates that industry compliance is in good shape across the board.

“Whilst it’s disappointing to have to issue two Retailer Alert Bulletins, the first since 2023, it shows that the Portman Group is willing to take tough action when producers refuse to engage or to follow our advice to amend products when subject to upheld complaints by the Independent Complaints Panel.”

As a result of this audit, producers have been warned to ensure that products cannot have potential appeal to under-18s and do not encourage irresponsible consumption – two of the most heavily breached Code rules.

The Portman Group also encouraged producers to make use of its free (and confidential) advisory service, which answers requests for advice with 48 hours 99% of the time, according to a separate Regulatory Report published yesterday.

Rachel Childs, chair of the Independent Complaints Panel, added: “The work of the Panel overall this year has increased significantly and, with the commitment of the Portman Group to the audit on a biennial basis, this is likely to become the norm.

“The range of Code rules the Panel considered this year has undergone a shift and reflects a wider range than in previous years.

“Every case that comes before the Panel helps the industry develop its understanding of how the Code is applied and allows the executive at the Portman Group to continually refine and develop the Code and its Guidance accordingly.”

Both the full 2025 Audit Report and the 2025 Regulatory Report are available on the Portman Group website here.

Picture Credit: Jarmoluk on Pixabay

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