Diane Ashton Smith, head of corporate affairs at Red Stripe Jamaica Limited, part of the Heineken Company, says the beer maker has launched a campaign aimed at responsible drinking, noting also that the company is following an international trend of brewers who are promoting moderate consumption. Entertaining responsibly (ER) is a central plank of the programme.

Ashton Smith is also chair of the Jamaica Beer, Wines and Spirits Network, but notes that the campaign is being sponsored by Red Stripe itself. The campaign includes promotion of a Knowledge Forum on social media and elsewhere, and consumer engagement through a ‘First Drink On Us’ activation — which offered a complementary Heineken in 100 bars and other locations.

Ashton Smith told the Jamaica Observer that focused on the future, Red Stripe is “moving beyond just responsible drinking to fitting our products into a balanced, healthy lifestyle, so local consumers can drink and live responsibly.” She said, “This aligns with the focus across the globe, where operating companies in more than 70 countries are pursuing the Brew a Better World, Raise the Bar 2030 ambitions. The tagline ‘Enjoy Responsibly’,” she added, “amplifies the moderation conversation on specifically, a Drink and drive Alive campaign.”

The corporate affairs head said that Red Stripe itself is promoting three pillars: Drinking responsibly, Staying alive and Celebrating Responsibly. Activated together on Friday, December 10, they are designed to advance responsible consumption agenda and to “solidify relationships with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education and the National Parent-Teachers Association of Jamaica.”

In November, the Jamaica Beer, Wines and Spirits Network indicated that it was aiming for a structured engagement with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) over development of a new alcohol policy in front of package labelling. The network is proposing a “whole society” approach to the challenge of reducing alcohol abuse.

The MOHW is undertaking new policy formulation which is part of the plan to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The Jamaican Government has indicated, by way of a Green Paper that it is planning to begin alcohol labelling. Minister of Health and Wellness (MOHW) Dr Christopher Tufton has announced the initiative as one among several strategies which target NCDs prevention, among them the policy to include “front of package labelling” on alcohol.

Other announced measures are new tobacco control legislation, a sodium and sugar study to determine baseline sodium and sugar levels in Jamaican’s diet, a sodium and sugar policy, a baseline study on trans-fat to support related policies and a greater emphasis on breastfeeding.

The MOHW indicates that it is aligning with the proposed Global Alcohol Action Plan (GAAP) calls for 20 per cent reduction in alcohol consumption per capita. Christopher Gentles, general manager of the Spirits Pool Association Limited, however noted that consumption locally is now below regional averages.

On Friday December 10, Red Stripe launched Responsibility Now! the knowledge forum on the responsible consumption of alcohol, live on Red Stripe’s YouTube channel, featuring the minister of education as the keynote speaker.

It also spearheaded a Twitter Space panel discussion hosted by social media influencers Joel Nomdarkham and Kingston Morgan.

Other plans of the programme launched were consumer engagement through the ‘First Drink On Us’ activation — complementary Heineken 0.0 in 100 bars and KOT locations; a media blitz all day on print, radio and social media; and also a lunchtime Comedy Hour for Red Stripe employees (internal event).

The cost of the promotion was not shared. Ashton Smith told the Caribbean Business Report, “Entertain Responsibly (ER) Day is a celebration of moderation. It’s an annual event that started out as a global observation across all Heineken breweries and operating companies which would amplify the promotion of responsible alcohol consumption.

“As a global organisation, Heineken has always championed sustainability and responsibility and ER Day is just one in a series of ways we have demonstrated that commitment to doing the right thing.”

She said the day’s events were aimed at sustainable goals. “Yes, we will be making a lot of noise …, but that’s just to seed the message. We want our consumers, customers and other stakeholders to embrace this message of moderation and start spreading the word — ‘Alcohol Abuse is No Joke’. Every one of us has a role to play in reducing alcohol misuse. We have been promoting what we call a ‘whole of society’ approach to reducing alcohol misuse, and that’s a key message we want to share.”

For the half-year ended August 2, 2021, the Amsterdam headquartered Heineken company posted global revenues of 9.71 million pounds sterling, up about 14 per cent year over year. Consolidated beer volume increased 9.6 per cent organically, with double-digit growth in Africa, Middle East & Eastern Europe and the Americas. The second quarter beer volume grew by 19 per cent, the company noted, as the previous year was most heavily impacted by widespread lockdowns and the suspension of our operations in Mexico, South Africa and Malaysia, among other markets. Premium beer volume outperformed the broader portfolio with growth in the mid-teens, led by Heineken.