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AB InBev, Heineken Join Local Brewers to Launch World's First 'Global Beer Responsibility Day'

Three of the world’s largest brewers, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Heineken and Carlsberg, as well as local brewers and beer associations, have come together to lead Global Beer Responsibility Day, a new worldwide effort to promote the responsible consumption of beer, according to a recent announcement.In its first year as a global, collaborative effort, brewers, along with many other local partners, will focus on reducing the harmful use of alcohol and promoting responsible enjoyment of beer in communities around the world.

By Mike Hower | Published 9 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Three of the world’s largest brewers, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Heineken and Carlsberg, as well as local brewers and beer associations, have come together to lead Global Beer Responsibility Day, a new worldwide effort to promote the responsible consumption of beer, according to a recent announcement.

In its first year as a global, collaborative effort, brewers, along with many other local partners, will focus on reducing the harmful use of alcohol and promoting responsible enjoyment of beer in communities around the world.

Brewers will “activate” around 60,000 employees in 62 countries, with the goal of directly engaging more than 1 million consumers and close to 1 million retailers, the announcement says. They hope to reach another 10 million consumers through communications activities with drink driving and underage consumption prevention initiatives, bartender and server trainings, consumer education tools and brand-led responsibility campaigns, among many other initiatives.

In Mexico, for example, AB InBev, Heineken and craft brewers aim to inspire more than 200,000 retailers to commit to requesting young adults to show official ID before selling alcohol to them. This builds on the success of the brewers’ collaboration in 2014 where retailers made a pledge not to sell alcohol to underage consumers.

In Brazil, over 8,000 employees at AB InBev and Heineken are activating “Dia de Responsa” to prevent underage drinking, attempting to reach almost 250,000 retailers and more than 2.5 million consumers. And in Russia, AB InBev, Carlsberg and Heineken and EFES are launching an ID-checking program, aiming to visit more than 80,000 retail accounts and reach more than 500,000 consumers with responsible drinking messages.

“It is our responsibility as brewers and brewing associations to prioritize tackling the harmful use of alcohol,” Denita Wawn, chair of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance and CEO of the Brewers Association of Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement. “This day is a moment for us to share our successes, reflect on our challenges and make a collective commitment to the work yet to be done.”

In May, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to addressing the global public health issue of harmful drinking, launched ResponsibleDrinking.org, which provides easily accessible information about key issues related to drinking and will be promoted on the packaging of alcoholic beverages of the dozen signatory brands — including Bacardi, Diageo, Heineken, Molson Coors and more.

Last year, AB Inbev announced third-year progress toward meeting its six Global Responsible Drinking Goals by the end of 2014, claiming to have reached almost 340 million adults across the globe with programs that help parents talk with children about underage drinking, exceeding the goal of reaching at least 100 million adults. The company also provided identification-checking materials to 1.2 million bars and other retailers across the world, going beyond the target of 500,000.

Mike Hower

Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact

Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.

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