Exposure of African-American Youth to Alcohol Advertising

Publication Date:

Publisher: Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth

Author(s): Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Abstract:

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University reports that alcohol companies systematically overexpose African-American youth to alcoholic beverage advertisements. This report represents the first effort to quantify the exposure of African-American youth to alcohol advertising compared to all other youth. The Center has a growing concern for this targeted population, as African-American youth pay more attention to the mass media than other young people and are increasingly viewed by marketers as trendsetters for youth in general. The Center commissioned Virtual Media Resources (VMR) to audit the exposure of African-American youth to alcohol magazine, television and radio advertising in 2002. Previous research indicates that exposure and attraction to alcohol advertisements affects young people's beliefs about drinking, intentions to drink, and actual drinking behavior. Specifically, CAMY found that in 2002: (1) alcohol advertising was placed on all 15 of the television programs most popular with African-American youth; (2) alcohol advertising in magazines overexposed African-American youth compared to non-African-American youth, reached underage African Americans more effectively than young adult African Americans, and exhibited significant concentration of brands and magazines; and (3) alcohol advertising on radio overexposed African-American youth compared to non-African-American youth and was concentrated in two music program formats and five geographic markets. This report gives a detailed breakdown of alcohol companies' advertising expenditures by media type, advertisement placement, brand name and geographic location.