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The 5,500 sales representatives of the wines and spirits multinational Pernod Ricard were enlisted last month for the company’s fifth Responsib’All Day aimed at promoting the responsible distribution of alcoholic drinks.
On June 11 they handed out more than 500,000 leaflets worldwide to involve bars, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and other retailers in encouraging responsible drinking.
Paris-based Pernod Ricard, whose 2013-14 consolidated sales were €7.95bn ($8.95bn, £5.69bn) thanks to brands including Glenlivet scotch, Martell cognac and Jacob’s Creek wine, has five objectives – to combat under-age drinking, tackle drink driving, expand best marketing practice, provide consumer information and develop responsible products, and recruit retailers to participate.
In Serbia salespeople spoke to customers in bars to promote the company’s Wise Drinking app. In Brazil employees distributed key chains and leaflets to consumers in the street.
New Zealand staff participated in various events, including a five-kilometre walk, which raised NZ$20,000 ($13,900, £8,820, €12,300) for charity.
In Britain the special day has coincided with drives by the government and responsible drinking organisations to discourage bingeing.
Pernod Ricard has backed its campaign with sport challenges, games, quizzes and other events.
It is hard to calculate whether Responsib’All Day has altered attitudes and habits, but Sandrine Ricard, the company’s CSR deputy director, said: “To some extent we are getting there.”
She said feedback was “pretty good” and reported: “Responsib’All Day was generally received well by the retailers because they have a role to play.”
Alexandre Ricard, group chairman and chief executive, said: “I strongly believe in the virtues of education and prevention to radically change behaviours. We, as industry stakeholders and employees, must be the leading ambassadors for responsible drinking.
“It is time to make it clear that enjoyable drinking must remain responsible drinking.”
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