Survey finds young South Africans support alcohol ad ban

This is the finding of a recent survey by consumer insights company Pondering Panda, which polled the opinion of 2856 respondents between the ages of 18 and 34, on the topic of alcohol advertising. The survey found that almost half of respondents (49%) felt that a government ban on alcohol ads was a good idea, compared to 31% who thought it was a bad idea. 20% did not have an opinion on the question. There was no significant difference of opinion amongst demographic groups.

Respondents were found to believe that advertising did indeed have an effect on how much alcohol people consumed. Almost 3 in 5 (59%) felt that alcohol ads made people drink more, while 36% believed people would drink the same amount regardless of advertising.

Opinion on this question differed according to race. The survey found that young black South Africans were the most likely to believe alcohol ads caused people to drink more, with 60% feeling this way. In comparison, 53% of coloureds and 47% of whites held this opinion. There were no significant differences of opinion according to age or gender.

Their views on the banning of cigarette advertising

Respondents were then reminded that the government had banned cigarette advertising more than a decade ago, and now claimed that adults were smoking less as a result. Respondents' experience was found to contradict this claim, with 58% believing people were smoking more now than in the past, and 31% saying they hadn't noticed any change in the amount people were smoking. Only 8% believed people were smoking less, and of these, about half (49%) attributed the drop in smoking to the absence of advertising for cigarettes.

Shirley Wakefield, CEO of Pondering Panda, said, "It's clear that if the government does push ahead with a ban on alcohol ads, it will be supported by young people. Young South Africans do perceive advertising as having a meaningful impact on how much people drink, but their experience with smoking would indicate that in practice, banning alcohol advertising would have little effect on sales, and may not be the most effective way for the government to address problem drinking in South Africa. The lack of a causal link between advertising and sales has been well-established in the marketing profession, and is something the government should take into account of when considering decisions like these."

The survey

All interviews were carried out on cellphones between 20 and 26 July, across South Africa. Responses were weighted to be nationally representative in terms of age, gender and race.

Pondering Panda is market research and consumer insights company that specialises in mobile research. It has completed over 4 million interviews in its first 20 months of operation. Its commercial success is attributed to the fact that interviews are conducted via cell phones. People have their phones with them at all times, ensuring a high response rate. Because respondents feel relatively anonymous, their answers are more candid than they would be in traditional interviews conducted by a fieldworker. As all information is input digitally, a rapid assembly and analysis of the data can be completed, allowing for a fast turnaround.