Ursus Breweries announced results of a SABMiller report on responsible drinking messages on packaging and in commercial communication
92.3% of the commercial communications made by Ursus Breweries Romania have Responsible Drinking Messages complying with SABMiller’s standards, and 91.36% of company’s products have references to messages that warn consumers on irresponsible drinking, as shown by a self-monitoring report made for SABMiller Europe that analyses the presence of Responsible Drinking Messages on packaging and in advertisements of the Group’s companies.
SABMiller, founder of the EU Alcohol and Health Forum, took voluntarily the engagement to promote the responsible alcohol drinking, with discouraging the irresponsible drinking being the first of the 10th Sustainable Development Priorities of the company. Ursus Breweries, as part of a self-regulatory program, developed a Policy on Commercial Communication through which every product’s label or in every communication to put messages that promotes responsible drinking.
In order to discourage the irresponsible drinking, Ursus Breweries launched “Find your balance!” program, encouraging people to make informed decisions on alcohol. During the campaign, there were held discussions with parents from rural areas, during which the underage drinking problem was debated, and there were also organized the first trainings in Romania addressing excessive drinking problems in bars. Moreover, www.desprealcool.ro became one of the most balanced and relevant source of information about alcohol drinking.
Ursus Breweries is the first Romanian beer producer that monitors and makes public the results on the way it communicates responsibly. According to the report, 67% of the Romanian noticed the Responsible Drinking Messages in Ursus Breweries brands advertisements, and 62% said that they were aware of their presence on packaging.
Through the Responsible Drinking Messages on packaging and in advertising we took a voluntary commitment in front of our consumers, to encourage them to make informed decisions regarding alcohol consumption. Our belief is that beer, with a moderate consumption, can bring enjoyable moments in the life of many people. In the same time, we believe that children must not drink beer, that alcohol and driving are not compatible and excess must be avoided in any circumstances. Responsible Drinking Messages are a way to remind our consumers these things
Diana Klusch
Corporate Affairs Director Ursus Breweries
SABMiller’s Europe Report shows the commitment that Ursus Breweries has in approaching the irresponsible drinking problem. In the same time, the analyze also mentioned the changes that the company needs to adopt to emphases Responsible Drinking Messages.
At European level, the advertising campaigns made by SABMiller obtained a compliancy rate with the rules for applying Responsible Drinking Messages at Group’s level of 98%. Regarding the packaging, 97.47% of the analyzed products were compliant with these rules. For the whole markets, 41% of the consumers that answered at European level said that they noticed the presence of Responsible Drinking Messages and they could mention at least one.
The monitoring report – integrally available on SABMiller’s website – was made between November 2011 and January 2012 by the independent companies Ebiquity and KPMG, studying SABMiller’s commercial communication materials and products from Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain (Canary Islands) and the United Kingdom. To study the relevance of the Responsible Drinking Messages there were questioned 4.471 consumers from the mentioned countries.
Ursus Breweries, a subsidiary of SABMiller PLC, is one of the largest brewers in Romania. Ursus Breweries’ brands are: URSUS, Timișoreana, Ciucas, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell, Azuga, Redd’s and Stejar.
