UK: Tesco ‘Everyday Value’ Alcohol Range Does Not Break Alcohol Marketing Rules

MARKETING NEWS

KamCity - Jan 15th, 08:55

The packaging of Tesco’s ‘Everyday Value’ alcohol range does not breach alcohol responsibility rules, the Portman Group's Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) has ruled. .
 

A member of the public had complained that the word ‘everyday’ could imply that alcoholic drinks should be consumed on a daily basis, encouraging immoderate consumption.

Tesco defended itself by saying that ‘Everyday Value’ had replaced the ‘Tesco Value’ range spread across the entire shop of goods, offering customers value products. It said that where alcohol made up part of the ‘Everyday Value’ range the products were clearly labelled to help customers understand safe patterns of consumption. The company asserted that the range was called ‘Everyday Value’ not ‘Everyday Drinking’ and that they did not instruct the customer to do so.

The ICP noted that whilst dictionary definitions of ‘everyday’ could imply every day usage, it could also mean ‘commonplace’ or ‘ordinary’. The Panel agreed that the spirit behind ‘Everyday Value’ lay in the latter definition and not as an instruction to consume the product ‘every day’.

The Panel decided that the company had succeeded in designing the packaging so that ‘Everyday’ was attributed to ‘Value’ and not to alcohol. The Panel concluded that there was no instruction in the design of the packaging that the alcohol products should be consumed every day.

The Panel ruled that the packaging did not breach Code paragraph 3.2(f) which prevents alcohol and its marketing from encouraging excessive or irresponsible consumption.

Henry Ashworth, Chief Executive of the Portman Group, which provides the secretariat for the Independent Complaints Panel, said: “Alcohol producers must be rigorous in ensuring their product marketing does not promote immoderate consumption. In this case Tesco’s approach was not found in breach, but if alcohol producers are in any doubt they should contact the Portman Group’s free and confidential Advisory Service at the earliest concept stages to seek advice on responsible alcohol marketing.”