Brand stretch: How alcohol brands are pushing marketing boundaries

Note: This report was written and/or funded by our predecessor organisation Alcohol Concern.

This briefing considers how alcohol companies link their brands to non-alcoholic products to extend their marketing reach. A number of major drinks manufacturers have put their brand names on products as diverse as ice creams and umbrellas, and some clearly see such brand extensions as an alternative means to get their marketing into consumers’ homes, for example via food tie-ins and by persuading customers to act as walking advertisements through branded clothing and other merchandise. Whilst this may seem harmless enough, international research suggests that, where tougher rules regarding alcohol marketing are implemented, brand extension strategies may be an effective means by which alcohol companies can bypass them.