# ‘Zero-alcohol’ products and the guise of responsibility

## TL;DR

Alcohol companies are marketing 'zero-alcohol' products as socially responsible, but these efforts are primarily aimed at expanding markets and brand influence rather than reducing alcohol-related harm.

## Contribution

This study reveals how alcohol companies frame 'zero-alcohol' products differently in public and industry-facing communications to serve commercial interests.

## Key findings

- Public-facing communications frame 'zero-alcohol' products as tools for moderation and social responsibility.
- Industry-facing communications frame the same products as tools for market expansion and brand growth.
- The dual framing reflects a pattern of using corporate social responsibility for commercial gain over public health.

## Abstract

Alcohol companies have expanded their presence in the ‘zero-alcohol’ market with intensive product development and marketing activities. This has been framed by industry as an effort to reduce or solve alcohol-related harm. Such framing fails to acknowledge the financial benefits ‘zero-alcohol’ products offer alcohol companies and the ongoing concerns regarding alcohol brand marketing. To help inform an understanding of industry priorities, we looked at comments about ‘zero-alcohol’ products by major beer companies in online publications. In public-facing channels, ‘zero-alcohol’ products were discussed as tools for moderation, and their market a reflection of the ‘good’ that companies are doing. However, this contrasts with how they were discussed in industry-facing channels, as tools to expand markets, target new drinking occasions and compete with non-alcoholic beverages. Alcohol companies citing ‘zero-alcohol’ products as evidence of their commitment to social responsibility reflects a broader pattern of leveraging corporate social responsibility initiatives for commercial gain over genuine public health improvements.

Alcohol companies are using the development and marketing of products described as ‘zero-alcohol’ as evidence of their commitment to social responsibility.There appears to be a divergence in how these products are described in public-facing publications, as tools to drive moderation, versus industry-facing publications, as tools to drive market growth.Citing ‘zero-alcohol’ products as evidence of a commitment to social responsibility while simultaneously using these products to support the brand identify of core alcoholic products and target new drinking occasions, reflects a pattern of leveraging corporate social responsibility initiatives for commercial gain over public health improvements.

Alcohol companies are using the development and marketing of products described as ‘zero-alcohol’ as evidence of their commitment to social responsibility.

There appears to be a divergence in how these products are described in public-facing publications, as tools to drive moderation, versus industry-facing publications, as tools to drive market growth.

Citing ‘zero-alcohol’ products as evidence of a commitment to social responsibility while simultaneously using these products to support the brand identify of core alcoholic products and target new drinking occasions, reflects a pattern of leveraging corporate social responsibility initiatives for commercial gain over public health improvements.