We launched a new internal campaign called Pause to elevate responsibility, raise awareness, and inspire more action from our employees. When we take a second and pause, we will make the best decisions for ourselves, for the company, and for our communities. It’s all about encouraging and empowering everyone at Brown-Forman, and our partners, to pause, consider, and make responsible decisions around alcohol.
Alcohol Responsibility
Creating a Responsible Drinking Culture
We believe that when we take a moment and pause, we will make the best decisions for ourselves, for the company, and for our communities.
We actively create a responsible drinking culture both inside and outside of the company to prevent underage access and consumption, reduce drunk driving, support addiction recovery and bystander intervention, respect the choice not to drink, promote moderate consumption, and market our products responsibly.
Our Brown-Forman employees in Europe devote each February to building awareness about responsible drinking. Some examples from Fiscal 2019 include:
- France focused on the theme of “Modér’Ensemble,” a combination of moderation and being together. The team created an awareness-raising campaign for consumers by providing 250,000 responsible hosting flyers in select year-end Jack Daniel’s gift packs. In addition, the Responsibility Committee created a consumer “Calendrier de Après” (After Calendar), a spinoff of Advent Calendars with 24 windows offering tips for moderate consumption. The German team created their own version of the calendar.
- Our office in Poland embraced being leaders in responsibility both within and outside the organization. Employee workshops were organized around two subjects – responsibility in business and talking to youth about the dangers of underage drinking. On-Trade outlets were invited to join in a “Declaration of Responsibility” pledge, promoting a culture of moderation. The program will last throughout the year .
- In Germany and the Czech Republic, our teams hosted a non-alcoholic mocktail competition, raising awareness of the importance of including non-drinkers as well as an option for those wanting to take a break from cocktail options. More than 50 recipes were submitted with prizes awarded to the top three contestants.
In Fiscal 2017, we updated our interactive online education game the Think and Drink Tavern. The interactive simulation provides tips on factors that lead to intoxication, the signs that someone may be over the limit, and how best to intervene when someone has overconsumed. It also provides facts about alcohol and the body, as well as how to identify problem drinking.
Nutritional content is important to our consumers, so we launched nutrition.brown-forman.com to provide more accessible nutrition information on our products.
The five-year report from the leading beer, wine, and spirits producers that compromise the membership of International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) detailed the achievements and partnerships established by the group. Some of these achievements include an average of 347 drunk driving prevention campaigns per year from 2014 to 2017, and establishing responsible advertising codes in 97% of all contracts. The final report and information on ongoing work is available at www.producerscommitments.org.
Photo caption: As part of our commitment to reduce drunk driving, we participate in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign in Louisville, KY.
