Global Alcohol Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility: Creating an Impactful Brand Image for Public Health in Ireland.

Abstract

In this study, it was shown that corporate social responsibility (CSR) advertisements conducted by alcohol brands can create an impactful brand image for public health in Ireland. Heavy drinking and binge-drinking rates are high in Ireland, and a significant group of people argue that alcohol advertising campaigns heavily influence binge-drinking culture in Ireland. In this research, it was aimed to measure and examine the impact of CSR marketing initiatives of alcohol brands among consumers in Ireland about drinking responsibly. The importance and benefits of the relationship between CSR initiatives and alcohol marketing in the matter of public health were explored. It was concluded that public-health themed CSR campaigns can create a positive perception towards the brand in the majority of the people in Ireland. The research was taken from a post-positivist point of view. The subjectivity of human behaviour and perceptions were analysed with an objective and hypotheticaldeductive perspective using a quantitative method. Quantitative results were explored with a survey based on the research objective and conceptual framework. The survey was conducted with a snowball sampling method with 112 participants, which was distributed via social media in April 2020. The findings show that people in Ireland who have seen CSR advertisements are more likely to agree with the fact that an effective public-health themed CSR advertising can increase loyalty to the brand in Ireland. It can be interpreted that alcohol brands have the potential to create an impactful brand image with public-health themed CSR advertisements. Based on the research results, it was discovered that CSR marketing might provide an opportunity to raise awareness of harmful drinking in Ireland and to maintain the brand’s reputation. There is a substantial amount of evidence, which shows that alcohol brands should apply certain strategies to create awareness of harmful drinking in Ireland and enhance the overall brand image. These outcomes might be beneficial for Irish and global alcohol brands in deciding what actions and strategies should be taken when developing CSR strategies to create an impactful brand image.