Examining the use and marketing by liquor retailers on Twitter during the first COVID-19 lockdown

Authors

  • Brennan Geiger 1. Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2. Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales
  • Daniel Winter 1. Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2. Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales
  • Kirsten Morley 1. Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2. Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales
  • James Conigrave 1. Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2. Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales
  • Paul Haber 1. Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2. Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales 3. Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales
  • Benjamin Riordan 1. Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales; 2. Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology), Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales 3. Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria

Abstract

Background: Preliminary reports found that liquor retailers used sponsored posts on social media during the first COVID-19 lockdown to promote alcohol. Retailers may also use more traditional posts to promote alcohol, and this type of activity constitutes marketing communications, but remains understudied. 

Aims: We aimed to understand advertising practices of liquor retailers in New South Wales (NSW) on Twitter, including whether retailers increased their posts during COVID-19 or used COVID-19 to promote alcohol.

Methods: Liquor retailers identified from Liquor and Gaming NSW were matched to Twitter accounts, with ‘Tweets’ (Twitter posts) since 2018 collected. Tweets written during the first COVID-19 lockdown period of 2020 were coded for: references of COVID-19, types of marketing message, use of online store links, and use of alcohol-related ‘memes’.

Results: Despite no evidence of increased tweet frequency between 2020 and preceding years, the use of COVID-specific alcohol advertising that leveraged the pandemic (4.0%) or referenced the pandemic without explicitly promoting alcohol (12.0%) was detected. Key marketing messages were also identified, including Tweets that encouraged alcohol use (15.4%) and promoted ease of access to alcohol at home (9.5%).

Conclusions: While there was no observed increase in Tweets from NSW liquor retailers, the emergent use of COVID-19 related content and marketing that may encourage use was observed. Alcohol advertising is primarily self-regulated via industry codes and adjudications. The emergence of COVID-specific alcohol marketing on social media raises important considerations regarding current legislation and regulatory codes to protect Australians, particularly during major health events such as a pandemic.

Published

2022-07-27

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022)

Section

ePosters