Alcohol Industry CSR Organisations: What Can Their Twitter Activity Tell Us about Their Independence and Their Priorities? A Comparative Analysis
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Comparison of Themes
3.2. Cancer-Related Tweets
3.3. Content of Tweeted Images
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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WHO Global Alcohol Strategy Areas for National Action | Global Alcohol Producers Commitments |
---|---|
Leadership, awareness and commitment | Reduce underage drinking |
Health services response | Providing consumer information and responsible product innovation |
Community action | Reducing drinking and driving |
Drink driving policies and countermeasures | Working with retailers support to reduce harmful drinking |
Availability of alcohol | Strengthening/expanding marketing codes of practice |
Marketing of alcoholic beverages | |
Pricing policies | |
Reducing the negative consequences of drinking and alcohol intoxication | |
Reducing the public health impact of illicit alcohol and informally produced alcohol | |
Monitoring and surveillance |
Topic | Drinkaware | Drinkaware.ie | DrinkWise | AAI 1 | Alcohol Concern | FARE 2 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drinking too much | 101 (12.1%) | 14 (6.0%) | 3 (3.4%) | 17 (3.6%) | 13 (1.8%) | 40 (9.0%) | 188 (6.7%) |
Marketing, advertising, sponsorship or restrictions | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 36 (7.6%) | 42 (5.8%) | 88 (19.8%) | 166 (5.9%) |
Drink driving | 36 (4.3%) | 41 (17.7%) | 4 (4.5%) | 64 (13.5%) | 18 (2.5%) | 1 (0.2%) | 164 (5.8%) |
Cancer | 27 (3.2%) | 11 (4.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | 34 (7.2%) | 54 (7.4%) | 2 (0.5%) | 128 (4.6%) |
Cutting down/cutting back | 88 (10.6%) | 16 (6.9%) | 10 (11.2%) | 7 (1.5%) | 4 (0.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 125 (4.5%) |
Children/underage drinking | 57 (6.8%) | 7 (3.0%) | 7 (7.9%) | 9 (1.9%) | 7 (1.0%) | 27 (6.1%) | 114 (4.1%) |
Alcohol harms incl. dementia, diabetes, asthma, heart | 23 (2.8%) | 2 (0.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | 32 (6.7%) | 29 (4.0%) | 16 (3.6%) | 102 (3.6%) |
Calories/Obesity | 89 (10.7%) | 4 (1.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (0.4%) | 3 (0.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 98 (3.5%) |
Teens/Parents | 11 (1.3%) | 65 (28.0%) | 6 (6.7%) | 5 (1.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 87 (3.1%) |
Mental health | 39 (4.7%) | 3 (1.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 22 (4.6%) | 18 (2.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 82 (2.9%) |
Alcohol Pricing or Taxation or MUP 3 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 37 (7.8%0 | 34 (4.7%) | 9 (2.0%) | 80 (2.9%) |
Staying safe | 55 (6.6%) | 13 (5.6%) | 8 (9.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 76 (2.7%) |
Pregnancy or fertility | 10 (1.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (1.1%) | 10 (2.1%) | 9 (1.2%) | 27 (6.1%) | 57 (2.0%) |
Alcohol guidelines | 25 (3.0%) | 12 (5.2%) | 1 (1.1%0 | 4 (0.8%) | 7 (1.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 49 (1.7%) |
Anger/Aggression | 8 (1.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 6 (1.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 26 (5.9%) | 40 (1.4%) |
Other peoples drinking | 19 (2.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 18 (3.8%) | 1 (0.1%) | 1 (0.2%) | 39 (1.4%) |
Definition of units of alcohol | 24 (2.9%) | 11 (4.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (0.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 36 (1.3%) |
Alcohol-free or low alcohol drinks | 19 (2.3%) | 1 (0.4%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 11 (1.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 31 (1.1%) |
Impact on emergency services | 2 (0.2%) | 5 (2.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (1.1%) | 10 (1.4%) | 9 (2.0%) | 31 (1.1%) |
Other | 75 (9.0%) | 23 (9.9%) | 25 (28.1%) | 51 (10.7%) | 223 (30.5%) | 89 (20.0%) | 486 (17.3%) |
Total | 835 |
Topic | Industry-Funded | Non-Industry Funded | Chi-Squared | Z; Difference in % (95% CI 1) | p Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drinking too much | 118 (10.2%) | 70 (4.25%) | 38.72 | Z = 6.21; 5.96 (4.08–7.84) | <0.0001 *** |
Marketing, advertising, sponsorship or restrictions | 0 (0%) | 166 (10.1%) | 123.5 | Z = 11.14; 10.1 (8.32–11.88) | <0.00001 *** |
Drink Driving | 81 (7.0%) | 83 (5.0%) | 4.83 | Z = 2.2; 1.98 (0.22–3.74) | 0.028 ** |
Cancers | 38 (3.3%) | 90 (5.5%) | 7.33 | Z = 2.74 2.2 (0.63–3.77) | 0.007 ** |
Cutting down/cutting back | 114 (9.9%) | 11(0.7%) | 135.1 | Z = 11.58;9.2 (7.64–10.76) | <0.00001 *** |
Children/underage drinking | 71 (6.2%) | 43 (2.6%) | 21.81 | Z = 4.67; 3.54 (2.05–5.03) | 0.000003 *** |
Alcohol harms incl. dementia, diabetes, asthma, heart disease | 25 (2.2%) | 77 (4.7%) | 12.16 | Z = 3.43; 2.47 (1.06–3.88) | 0.0005 *** |
Calories/Obesity | 93 (8.1%) | 5 (0.3%) | 120.9 | Z = 11.04; 7.8 (6.42–9.18) | <0.00001 *** |
Teens/parents | 82 (7.1%) | 5 (0.3%) | 104 | Z = 10.22; 6.8 (5.5–8.1) | <0.00001 *** |
Mental Health | 42 (3.6%) | 40 (2.4%) | 3.5 | Z = 1.81; 1.17 (−0.09–2.43) | 0.061 |
Alcohol Pricing or Taxation or MUP | 0 (0%) | 80 (4.9%) | 57.66 | Z = 7.59; 4.85 (3.6–6.1) | <0.00001 *** |
Staying safe while drinking | 76 (6.6%) | 0 (0%) | 111.49 | Z = 10.58; 6.6 (5.38–7.82) | <0.00001 *** |
Pregnancy or fertility | 11 (0.95%) | 46 (2.8%) | 11.5 | Z = 3.41; 1.85 (0.79–2.91) | 0.0007 *** |
Alcohol guidelines | 37 (3.2%) | 11 (0.7%) | 25.96 | Z = 5; 2.5 (1.52–3.48) | 0.0000004 *** |
Anger/Aggression | 8 (0.7%) | 32 (1.9%) | 7.52 | Z = 2.75; 1.25 (0.36–2.14) | 0.006 ** |
Other peoples drinking | 19 (1.7%) | 20 (1.2%) | 0.93 | Z = 0.98; 0.44 (−0.44–1.32) | 0.34 |
What’s a unit | 35 (3%) | 1 (0.06%) | 47.25 | Z = 6.84; 2.94 (2.1–3.78) | <0.00001 *** |
Alcohol-free or low alcohol drinks | 20 (1.7%) | 11 (0.7%) | 7.04 | Z = 2.64; 1.06 (0.27–1.85) | 0.008 ** |
Impact of drinking on use of emergency services | 7 (0.61%) | 24 (1.46%) | 4.48 | Z = 2.11; 0.85 (0.06–1.64) | 0.03 * |
Other | 123 (10.6%) | 363 (22%) | 61.22 | Z = 7.85; 11.4 (8.56–14.24) | <0.00001 *** |
Image Content | Alcohol Industry-Related Tweets n (%) | Non-Industry Tweets (n and % Showing that Image) | Chi-Squared (Uncorrected) | Z; Difference in % (95% CI) | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image of one or more women only | 149/1155 (12.90%) | 67/1649 (4.1%) | 74.61 | Z = 8.59; 8.8 (6.79–10.81) | <0.000001 *** |
Children | 71 (6.15%) | 22 (1.33%) | 49.07 | Z = 7.02; 4.82 (3.47–6.17) | <0.000001 *** |
Young adults | 286 (24.76) | 112 (6.79%) | 180.09 | Z = 13.42; 17.97 (15.35–20.59) | <0.000001 *** |
Mainly young women | 153 (13.25%) | 31 (1.88%) | 143.13 | Z = 11.97; 11.37 (9.51–13.23) | <0.000001 *** |
Alcoholic beverage | 205 (17.75%) | 58 (3.52%) | 161.86 | Z = 12.72; 14.23 (12.04–16.42) | <0.000001 *** |
People drinking | 121 (10.48%) | 19 (1.15%) | 124.49 | Z = 11.16; 9.33 (7.69–10.97) | <0.000001 *** |
Hypotheses | Finding |
---|---|
H1: The topics covered by AI-funded bodies would be similar to the Global Alcohol Producers Commitments. (reducing under-age drinking; strengthening and expanding marketing codes of practice; providing consumer information and responsible product innovation; reducing drinking and driving; and enlisting the support of retailers to reduce harmful drinking). | AI–funded bodies were more likely to tweet about reducing underage drinking; alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks (relevant to product innovation); and drinking and driving. Not enough tweets clearly attributable to marketing codes of practice, or enlisting the support of retailers to permit analysis. They were significantly more likely to mention information aspects of drinking—e.g., the alcohol guidelines, and knowing about units. |
H2. That AI-funded tweets would have a focus on behavioural aspects of drinking and drink-related harms (i.e., visible antisocial behaviour, rather than chronic health harms). | AI-funded organisations were much more likely to tweet about behavioural aspects of drinking (e.g., drinking too much; ‘staying safe’; ‘cutting down/cutting back’). |
H3. That AI-funded bodies would be less likely to tweet warning consumers about pregnancy and related issues, and about cancers. | AI-funded organisations were significantly less likely to tweet about pregnancy or fertility; cancers, and breast cancer specifically; and alcohol harms more generally. |
H4. That AI-funded organisations’ Twitter communications would be primarily addressed to young women (because visible public drinking and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in young women is a PR risk to the industry). | AI–funded organisations’ images were significantly more likely to include women, and young women specifically. |
H5. That they would emphasis non-regulatory and self-regulatory initiatives. | AI-funded organisations were significantly less likely to mention taxation or pricing (e.g., minimum unit pricing); more likely to mention the alcohol guidelines, which are non-regulatory. |
H6. That they would show evidence of normalisation of new drinking occasions (e.g., work drinks days), because of evidence that industry CSR ‘responsible drinking’ campaigns can have the dual effect of promoting drinking. | No clear evidence of this was observed in the data; the hypothesis was, therefore, rejected. |
H7. Related to H6, that industry-funded organisations’ Twitter activity would be more likely to include alcohol, and drinking-related images. | Industry-funded organisations’ tweets were significantly more likely to show people drinking, and alcoholic beverages. |
H8. For the analyses of images in the tweets, based on previous research and knowledge of AI priorities we hypothesised that industry-funded organisations’ images would be more likely to include women, and young women in particular; children; images of alcoholic drinks, and images of people drinking. | Industry-funded bodies (predominantly Drinkaware) were significantly more likely to show the relevant drinking, image or population group in every case. |
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Maani Hessari, N.; van Schalkwyk, M.C.; Thomas, S.; Petticrew, M. Alcohol Industry CSR Organisations: What Can Their Twitter Activity Tell Us about Their Independence and Their Priorities? A Comparative Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050892
Maani Hessari N, van Schalkwyk MC, Thomas S, Petticrew M. Alcohol Industry CSR Organisations: What Can Their Twitter Activity Tell Us about Their Independence and Their Priorities? A Comparative Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(5):892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050892
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaani Hessari, Nason, May CI van Schalkwyk, Sian Thomas, and Mark Petticrew. 2019. "Alcohol Industry CSR Organisations: What Can Their Twitter Activity Tell Us about Their Independence and Their Priorities? A Comparative Analysis" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 5: 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050892
APA StyleMaani Hessari, N., van Schalkwyk, M. C., Thomas, S., & Petticrew, M. (2019). Alcohol Industry CSR Organisations: What Can Their Twitter Activity Tell Us about Their Independence and Their Priorities? A Comparative Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(5), 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050892