Franco Sancho-Esper

Alcohol regulation, communication strategies and underage alcohol consumption in Spain: Implications for social marketing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it examines the communication strategies pursued by firms related to alcohol beverages in Spain during a decade with major changes in alcohol marketing regulations. Second, it analyzes the relationship between these strategies and underage alcohol consumption before and after 2007. Design/methodology/approach Panel data methodology is implemented using data from ESTUDES national survey (average sample size 26,000 interviews, 2004-2010) and INFOADEX (nationwide advertising expenditure, 1999-2013). Findings The results show that, under a restrictive alcohol marketing framework, firms related to alcohol beverages adapt their communication strategies: budget deviation from advertising to sponsorship. Regarding alcohol quantity and frequency models, the relationship between alcohol advertising expenditure and underage alcohol consumption after 2007 is very small but still positive and significant. However, contrary to expectations, in the case of alcohol sponsorship, the relationship between expenditure and underage alcohol consumption has not been affected by the observed budget deviation from advertising to sponsorship after 2007. Research limitations/implications Changes in alcohol advertising and sponsorship regulation lead firms related to alcohol beverages to change their communication strategies to overcome new regulatory restrictions and to reach their target group. Overall, despite the relationships between both advertising and sponsorship expenditure and underage alcohol consumption diminish between periods, they still remain positive and significant. Closer and updated monitoring of alcohol communication strategies pursued by firm is needed to keep controlling the alcohol advertising and sponsorship exposure to under age people. Originality/value This is a pioneer study in analyzing communication strategies within the Spanish alcohol beverages sector and in proposing a model to analyze the dynamic effect of such strategies on underage alcohol consumption.

The effect of collective brand on advertising productivity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the advertising productivity of a collective brand strategy vs a non-collective brand strategy, as well as the moderating role of company characteristics (age of the company, individual brand reputation and degree of competition that the company faces). The main hypothesis is that a collective brand has a positive influence on the advertising productivity of its member companies, as it is a collective reputation indicator in experience goods. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on the application of regression models with panel data of companies in a Spanish experience goods industry between 2004 and 2012. The empirical analysis is made in the Spanish winery sector, given the proliferation in the wine market of public collective brands (i.e. protected designation of origin labels). Findings The results show that a company associated with a collective brand has greater advertising productivity than a non-associated company. Advertising productivity is also higher for brands with better individual reputations associated with a collective brand. Moreover, the relative effect of a collective brand on advertising productivity is higher when the company competes in a market with a higher level of competition. Originality/value The literature has paid little attention to the relationship between collective brand strategy and the advertising productivity of member companies. This study considers that the advertising productivity of companies in collective brands could be explained by the effects derived from the collective brand reputation.

The Influence of Alcohol Advertising in Underage versus Overage Alcohol Consumption: Affective Responses and Advertising Effectiveness

It is widely accepted that a framework is necessary to regulate advertising activities. Advertising has a responsibility within our economic system, to provide information on new and existing products and services. Economic health of both buyers and competitors is affected if the advertising system is injected with false or misleading claims. Thus, Government and self-regulation associations should create a set of rules which define and control the behaviour of the advertising companies. Taking into account the power attributed to advertising for influencing consumer behaviour, some of those mentioned rules are established to protect the audience.