Bartender: portrayals of popular alcohol influencer’s videos on TikTok ©

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite widespread use of the short-video social media platform TikTok©, there is limited research investigating how alcohol is portrayed on the platform. Previous research suggests a driver of alcohol content on TikTok© in part comes from bartenders demonstrating making drinks. The purpose of this study is to explore the characterizing patterns of how bartender influencers on TikTok© feature and incorporate alcohol in their videos. Methods We identified the top 15 most followed bartenders on TikTok© in 2021 (cumulative 29.7 million subscribers). The 345 videos they posted in November and December 2021 received 270,325,600 views. The videos were coded based on five criteria: (1) presence of alcohol or not; (2) alcohol categories; (3); alcohol brand(s) if visible; (4) presence of candies and other sweet products; (5) presence of cues that refer to young people’s interests. Results Among the 345 videos, 92% (n = 317) displayed alcohol in their cocktail recipes (249,275,600 views). The most common types of alcohol present in videos were liquor, vodka, rum, and whiskey, all of which are high ABV beverages. 73% (n = 230) displayed or mentioned an alcohol brand. 17% (n = 55) associated alcohol with sweet products such as different types of candy (53,957,900 views). 13% (n = 43) contained cues appealing to young people (e.g., cartoons, characters) (15,763,300 views). Conclusions Our findings suggest a large presence of positively framed alcohol content posted by popular bartenders on TikTok©. As exposure to digital marketing is related to an increase in alcohol consumption, particularly in young people, regulations are needed to protect the public from alcohol-related harms.