Brands comment

Less television more reality

Marketers are sometimes prone to making the occasional spurious remark, such as one a few years back who told me the key audience for super-strength lager was women. Apparently, it was a big hit at barbecues, where it came into its own because you could sup a can, get into the swing of things and not feel bloated.

Well, that "insight" raised my eyebrow

as quickly as wine sales rocketed that summer. Anecdotes can be useful but you can't argue with the hard stats on an issue.

And this week more statistics emerged to inform a far more vital debate for the trade - the impact alcohol advertising has on young people. Frankly, you didn't need to wait two years for the first research into how the tough new restrictions have affected drinks companies' attitude to TV to know that many have completely backed away from it.

Kerry Katona, the face of Iceland, seems to have filled the void that's been left and is now on screens so frequently that she's beginning to feel like a close family friend.

Still, the actual figures are startling, with the budget that producers have put into TV advertising down by more than a quarter since 2005. In the same period, the joint Advertising Standards Authority and Ofcom report says the number of youngsters who have never tried alcohol has increased, and fewer kids believe adverts target them.

Perhaps it's evidence that the outcome justified the means - but you can't ignore a second study from Ofstead, also just out, claiming one in five 10-15 year olds admit to have been drunk in the last four weeks

So, as the debate rages on, and more suppliers have been forced off TV, what are they doing with the extra budget? Changes to advertising's parameters coincided with cost-cutting reviews at many firms and

some producers regrettably seized the opportunity to slash marketing spends across the piece - compounding the issue

of declining on-trade sales further.

Other producers have redeployed the money, again away from the marketing offensive, into funding discounting and other volume-chasing tactics.

Clearly, other media has become important and the approach taken by those marketing minds tasked with maximising the spend available shows the UK boasts some of the most creative minds in this field - including those behind the likes of Smirnoff and the S&N portfolio.

For once, there's a buzz word that really does have a buzz about it - experiential marketing - and it's growing in relevance.

The passion and verve of the teams I've met at specialist agencies in this area is contagious. While some of the focus is in

the increasingly crowded events and sponsorships arena - and not all tie-ups

are a complete success - suppliers are challenging agencies to find practical ways to enliven pubs with "experiences". Watch this space for more on this from Bacardi Brown-Forman in the new year.

Yes, there needs to be more of this activity, and the explosion of social networking websites is another avenue being explored. It's easy to feel despondent about alcohol's retreat from TV. However,

as marketing efforts become increasingly sophisticated, so the hyperbole decreases -and the emphasis shifts to the product - something that savvy consumers really want. It's great for pubs, too, because there's nowhere better for bringing a brand alive.