Nairobi, Kenya, October 13 – East African Breweries Limited (EABL) partnered with over 150 Influencers who took a pledge to uphold the Influencers Guiding Principles (IGPs)The IGPs that was developed by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), comprise of five safeguards that apply to influencer content regarding selection, engagement and monitoring of influencers.
The influencers from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania who have a material connection with EABL, made a pledge to live and practice the guidelines, which are aimed at preventing minors from seeing alcohol-related content, promoting responsible drinking as well as reducing harmful drinking among adults.
The pledge, which is a call to action under the Influencers Guiding Principles, will help ensure alcohol marketing by social influencers is clearly recognized, responsibly advertised, and aimed at an audience over the legal purchase age. Influencer marketing across all sectors is predicted to grow to USD 13.8 billion by the end of 2021.
EABL’s Head of Media Futures, Waithera Kabiru noted that, “EABL is committed to ensuring responsible marketing of alcohol by social media influencers. The new standards, the first of its kind in any industry, are building on existing digital marketing commitments that we already have in place, including the disclosure guidelines we use in East Africa ie #Paidpartnershipwith EABL, and ensuring we only partner with Influencers who are over the age of 25 years”.
The global initiative launched by International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), whose members are the leading global beer, wine, and spirits producers, in partnership with 13 advertising, public relations, and influencer agencies, will help ensure alcohol marketing by social influencers is clearly recognized, responsibly advertised, and aimed at an audience over the legal purchase age. Influencer marketing across all sectors is predicted to grow to USD 13.8 billion by end 2021*.
Under the pledge, producers and advertisers commit to conducting diligence on influencers used, to using age-affirmation technology on platforms where available, and promoting a better understanding of responsible alcohol consumption, for those who choose to drink.
These guidelines provide safeguards for influencer marketing calling out the use of:
- A set of five specific safeguards that apply to any content involving influencers who work with the leading beer, wine, and spirits producers;
- Tools and videos that support all alcohol brands and influencers to follow robust responsible marketing practices when creating content;
- Clear commitments to market responsibly, including not making health claims, promoting illegal or excessive consumption, or positioning abstinence negatively.
