Marketing alcoholic beverages on social media
Marketing strong alcoholic beverages on social media is prohibited. Mild alcoholic beverages may be marketed on social media in accordance with the restrictions set in the Alcohol Act.
However, advertising mild alcoholic beverages on social media is prohibited if their commercial operator uses written or image content produced by consumers in its information network service. Advertising is also prohibited if the commercial operator provides written or image content produced by it or consumers through a service for sharing by consumers. This means that advertising comments on and images of alcoholic beverages added by consumers must be removed from social media accounts. Consumers’ comments or images cannot be shown in advertising, and consumers cannot be requested to share posts added to social media accounts.
Several social media services also include the like option. As the like option is not regarded as content produced by consumers, the advertiser does not need to remove or prevent likes. The permissibility of the use of hashtags must be assessed considering the overall image formed of the activities. What is particularly essential for this consideration is whether a commercial operator can be considered to have sought to advertise and promote an alcoholic beverage by leveraging the active participation of consumers or content produced by them.
As a rule, sponsored advertisements of mild alcoholic beverages targeted at consumers on social media are permitted, while such advertisements cannot be targeted at minors.
Games, prize draws and contests
The Alcohol Act prohibits such advertising of mild alcoholic beverages that involves the participation of consumers in games, prize draws or contests. Alcohol industry operators may organise games, prize draws and contests that are not related to alcoholic beverages, whose prizes do not include alcoholic beverages, and the participation in which does not require subscribing to a newsletter that advertises alcohol. The method of organising a contest (in-person or online) and the selection of winners (by drawing lots or by demonstrating skills) are irrelevant. Contests, their prizes or related publications cannot be related to alcoholic beverages or brands in the form of texts or images, for example.
Commercial collaboration
The restrictions on social media marketing laid down in the Alcohol Act apply to the commercial operator of alcohol advertising. A commercial operator has direct financial interests in the advertising of alcoholic beverages. Typically, a commercial operator is the seller, importer or producer of alcoholic beverages.
A blogger and a YouTube or Instagram account holder is also considered a commercial operator when they collaborate with or are commissioned by a producer, seller or importer of alcoholic beverages, or they advertise alcoholic beverages for a fee. In such a case, the individual must abide by the legal provisions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages, and the same restrictions apply to that individual as to other advertisers of alcoholic beverages.
Frequently asked questions about marketing alcoholic beverages on social media
Marketing strong alcoholic beverages is prohibited, and this also applies to information provided regarding prizes won. You can at most publish a neutral post that only mentions that your company has won a prize in the competition in question. The post cannot refer to the strong alcoholic beverage that won the prize. Anyone interested can be provided with more information by adding a link to the front page of the competition.
Alcohol industry operators can also organise contests, provided that the following are taken into account: The contest cannot be linked to any alcoholic beverage, and alcoholic beverages cannot be given as prizes. Furthermore, participation in the contest cannot require subscribing to a newsletter that includes alcohol advertising. It should also be noted that any publication or prize concerning the contest cannot mention any specific alcoholic beverage in the form of texts or images.
In other words, the contest you saw is not legal. You can report the contest to the Finnish Supervisory Agency.
You can like the post and comment on it, but if your comment can be considered advertising, the account holder is obligated to remove it. For example, comments that praise an alcoholic beverage, and images and videos of drinking alcohol are considered advertising. Furthermore, an alcohol advertisement on social media cannot request other users to share the post on their own social media account.
You can collaborate with an alcohol industry company, but you need to address the restrictions laid down in the Alcohol Act in posts made in collaboration in the same way as other alcohol industry operators. For example, you need to remove any comments that praise the alcoholic beverage in question. In addition, you must remove any drinking images and videos added by your followers from your post. You cannot request anyone to share your post that advertises alcohol. If posts made in collaboration are mainly targeted at children or young people, you cannot engage in collaboration.
More information about restrictions on posts is available in the guidelines on alcohol marketing at the end of this page.
Contact information
Customer service for health and social affairs
Service form
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +358 295 256 930 (Monday–Friday 9:00–15:00)