Dr. Patrick Kenny:

We have to distinguish between online marketing and social media marketing. Online marketing avails of web 1.0, while social media avails of web 2.0 where there is an extra layer of engagement.

The latest research shows that the higher the level of a person's engagement with marketing, the more effective the marketing activity will be. Social media are a unique environment in which one has simultaneous engagement with brands and peers. What we also find in the online and social media environment is that peers are actively recruited by companies - alcohol marketers in this case - as brand ambassadors. I would go as far as to say peers have become perpetuators and magnifiers of marketing. If members do not have the relevant applications on their smartphones, they can download some this evening and view what can be done with them. Geo-tagging allows users to find the nearest bars or off-licences or play games in which one interacts with the alcohol brand in a much more intensive manner than is the case with traditional television advertising. They can also communicate with peers on social media via branded communication, which means the communication will be sent from an individual branded with the name of the alcohol brand. This facility makes this type of marketing much more effective.

Members may ask what can be done about this issue. I draw their attention to the case of Finland where legislation has been introduced to restrict aspects of social media and online marketing. For example, it has outlawed games which are a highly effective means of getting people to engage with marketing.