The alcohol industry: a nexus of considerable influence

Abstract

Abstract Alcohol producers are large, consolidated, very profitable, and politically influential corporations. The industry nexus also includes the digital platforms and other marketing actors such as owners of global sporting events and the industry’s public relations agencies. Marketing to both consumers and stakeholders is a necessary part of industry activity to recruit and reinforce drinkers, normalize the use of alcohol products, and legitimize the industry’s role in the policy arena. Transnational alcohol corporations (TNACs) have a strong financial incentive to maximize profit by maintaining heavy drinking occasions and expanding numbers of drinkers in emerging alcohol markets has led to successful opposition to effective alcohol policy. Retail increasingly involves large corporations, such as superstores, and online purchase and delivery are expanding, exacerbated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Globalization of the alcohol industry over the four past decades has been facilitated by trade and investment agreements and the highly profitable nature of alcohol products. TNACs, particularly the largest beer and spirits producers, have—through investments, mergers, and acquisitions—expanded into low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, and these have become increasingly important for their global markets.