2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Online Program

327157
Alcohol Industry Advertising Practices on Social Media: A Case Study of Instagram


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 12:50 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.

Adam Barry, PhD, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Olusanya Olufunto, MBBS, MPH, Dept. of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Emily Martin, Dept. of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Zachary Jackson, Dept. of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Aims: Assess whether alcohol companies restrict youth/adolescent access, interaction, and exposure to their marketing on Instagram.

Methods: We created 5 fictitious male and 5 fictitious female Instagram (n=10) user profiles, which were each assigned an age of 13, 15, 17, 19 and/or 21. Using cellular smartphones, profiles followed the official Instagram pages of 22 alcohol brands for a period of thirty days.  Data assessed whether profiles could follow and directly receive advertising material updates.

Results:  All Instagram profiles were able to follow all 22 alcohol brand pages and received an average of 373 advertisements within 30 days (approximately 12-13 per day). The quantity of promotional updates increased throughout the week, reaching their peak on Thursday/Friday.   Representatives/controllers of alcohol brand Instagram pages would responded directly to our underage user’s comments and requests. 

Conclusion: Our findings point to the unobstructed accessibility youth have to alcohol advertising and promotion via Instagram. Everyday our fictitious profiles, even those as young as 13, were bombarded with alcohol industry messages and promotional material directly to their cellphones. The alcohol industry is in violation of their proposed self-regulation guidelines for digital marketing communications.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate whether alcohol marketing practices on Instagram adhere to self-regulation standards outlined in the Distilled Spirits Council’s Guidance Note on Responsible Digital Marketing Communications. Describe the quantity and frequency of alcohol brand promotions sent directly to youth/adolescents through Instagram.

Keyword(s): Alcohol Use, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as Principal Investigator on NIAAA funded grants, and published my work in premiere alcohol-focused outlets such as: Addiction, Addictive Behaviors, and Journal of Studies on Alcohol. My research focuses broadly upon the assessment and measurement alcohol-related behaviors, spanning numerous different areas ranging from impaired driving/intoxication to the intersection of sports and alcohol.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4203.0: Industry advertising, state regulations, and alcohol availability