The Portman Group’s primary purpose as a self-regulator is to protect consumers from harm, particularly those who may be vulnerable and a fundamental part of this is protecting those who are under-18. In 2023 the Portman Group consulted to amend Code rule 3.2(h) to allow for further protection of under-18s, the rule reads:

3.2(h) A drink, it’s packaging or promotion should not have a particular appeal to under 18s.

In 2023, the Portman Group and the Independent Complaints Panel commissioned a children’s marketing agency, Kids Industries, to provide insights on marketing techniques used to appeal to children and teenagers outside of the alcohol industry, for instance, by analysing marketing used for children’s food products. This year, in the 30^th year of the Code of Practice, the Portman Group and the Independent Complaints Panel asked Kids Industries to update the report to provide new insights into a constantly evolving area of marketing in order to support the application of Code rule 3.2(h).

The 2026 update to the report, which can be read in full here, featured four key areas:

Child Development

Each child develops at their own pace and the age at which children reach different developmental stages will differ from child to child.  Broadly speaking, children will go through three broad shifts in their development and this can impact how they engage with marketing content.  In the early years, for under sevens, it’s all about ‘me and my family’ with the focus on the key people in their life.  This extends to ‘me and my peers’ around ages seven to twelve when children will become more impressionable, keen to fit in and begin to reject things that they consider babyish.  In the teenage years, the focus becomes ‘me and the world’ where young people increasingly desire autonomy, social status and feel a stronger pull towards content that is culturally relevant and reflects real dynamics and aspirational lifestyles.

Trends in Marketing

Influence transforms as children age and parental impact on decision-making gradually diminishes. Children’s access to marketing is strongly influenced by their media habits with children having significant access to digital devices at a young age.  In the UK 69% have access to a tablet at age three to five and by aged sixteen to seventeen 98% of young people have their own smartphone.  Influencers are beginning to rival friends and family as trusted sources of information as well as having considerable influence over purchases including toys and groceries. Gaming is also an increasingly popular trend beginning at age three with interactive experience-based games graduating to a point where this becomes a significant social and cultural environment for mid to late teens.  Part of the attraction in the gaming world is the ability to customise experiences and explore self-expression.  By adolescence, self-identity becomes influenced by a broader mix of cultural and social factors and old-fashioned marketing stereotypes about gender don’t necessarily reflect the way that young people view themselves or want to be represented.

Appealing to Kids

Packaging specifically designed to appeal to young children often features bright colours, often with a key thick black outline, which helps children to distinguish items as they develop visual perception skills.  Characters are a key feature too, those which resonate with young children are often cartoon-like and anthropomorphic, safe and funny.  For older children, popular characters are less defined by how they look and more by what they symbolise, with humour and cultural references such as meme-like behaviour being represented.

Packaging which features a collectible element has long been popular with children, under sevens seek to collect by quantity whilst older children and teens are more motivated by quality, viewing their collections as a means of social connection and self-expression. Many adults also enjoy collecting, so there can be some overlap between what appeals to teenagers and adults.  However, collectibles that encourage trading, sharing and being part of current trends or popular culture are more likely to appeal to teenagers.  Collectibles that focus on history, tradition, expertise, or a deep interest in a subject are more likely to appeal to adults.

Flavour preferences will influence packaging appeal with under sevens enjoying classic flavours that are easy to understand like chocolate or strawberry.  Eight to twelve-year-olds tend to prefer exciting tastes with unusual novelties such as pickles.  In the teenage years, experimentation becomes more refined and likely expressed through premium flavours like mocha rather than purely playful elements.

Aspirational cues shape how children and young people engage with marketing too, under sevens are typically drawn to imitation and imagination.  As children grow up their awareness of what is considered ‘cool’ increases and by late teens, the aspiration switches to adult brands and a mature aesthetic.

Cultural relevance is woven throughout the way that children and young people engage with marketing.  For young children it is driven through familiarity, recognition and alignment with trusted characters such as Bluey.  As children grow up, they become more aware of trends that travel via social media into peer environments with appeal driven by what is being talked about rather than brand messaging alone. By late teens, cultural relevance becomes more closely tied to social fluency with brands that feel current and ‘in the know’.

Considerations

The Kids Industries report culminated in a summary of factors that the Independent Complaints Panel might consider when making their evaluations of what constitutes particular appeal to under-18s with detailed indicators on; colour and clarity, characters, names and logos, collectability, licensing, flavour, aspirationalism and cultural relevance.

The report will be used to inform an updated version of particular appeal to under-18s guidance later in the year alongside new case precedents from the Independent Complaints Panel.

If you are an alcohol producer or marketing agency working with alcohol brands and you’d like free and confidential advice on whether packaging and marketing may particularly appeal to under-18s you can contact the Portman Group’s Advisory Service for a view using our or direct email address advice@portmangroup.org.uk.

Author: Laura Blackmore

Laura is responsible for providing tailored regulatory advice and training under the Portman Group’s Codes of Practice.  Laura brings experience from a successful career in education, leadership and management. Laura utilises her educational background to deliver bespoke training and advice through the Portman Group’s advisory service.

Meteorologists say summer began on June 1^st, Astronomists say the date changes in line with the summer solstice and this year it will start on June 21^st. Meanwhile many people in the U.K feel like summer arrived early for 2026 with the hottest May bank holiday on record.  The bright and sunny weather brings a great opportunity for marketing cool and refreshing drinks, here’s the Advisory Service’s guide to making sure alcohol marketing doesn’t make you sweat!

Social Success

Marketing lines which place alcohol as a legitimate accompaniment to a social occasion are acceptable but producers should be careful not to tip over into suggesting that alcohol can be a catalyst to social success.  Lines such as ‘get the summer started’ could be interpreted as a suggestion that consumption of the drink could improve the success of the summer season. We would instead recommend that marketing lines focus on the quality and taste of the drink, for example ‘a refreshing choice for your summer drinks’.

Novel packaging

Packaging which makes drinks easy to freeze or easier to carry and reseal when outdoors are often popular in the hotter months.  Novel packaging is not inherently an issue under Code rules, but care should be taken to ensure that the alcoholic nature of the drink is absolutely clear to avoid any confusion for consumers.

Water sports and beach play

Producers often want to use beach or pool scenes to communicate the summery nature of their product.  Creative designs can be acceptable under Code rules so long as care is taken to avoid any images that suggest the drink has been consumed before or during taking part in water sports or swimming.  Additionally, some beach and pool accessories may particularly appeal to under-18s, such as buckets and spades or inflatables with child-friendly themes and so these images should be avoided to minimise risk.

Therapeutic benefits

Alcohol marketing should not suggest that consumption of a drink can change mood or behaviour.  Presenting a chilled drink as a serving suggestion is acceptable, but care should be taken to avoid any suggestion that a chilled drink could make a consumer feel ‘chilled’ or relaxed.

Alcohol Alternatives

Alcohol alternatives are a popular choice during warmer weather especially for those who may be designated driver on beach or festival days.  Just as with alcohol products, it is important to minimise consumer confusion, an alcohol alternative drink should make it clear that it is below the threshold to be considered an alcoholic drink. This could be achieved by communicating the product’s ABV or using a descriptor where appropriate i.e., ‘alcohol-free’.

Just like alcohol products, a drink its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not have a particular appeal to under-18s. The alcohol alternative category is intended for adult consumers and so any marketing or associated merchandise should not have a particular appeal to under-18s.

Free Advisory Service

If you are an alcohol producer or marketing agency that would like to access free, fast and confidential advice for your summer activations, please do get in touch using our webform or direct email, the Advisory Service will be happy to hear from you.

Author: Laura Blackmore

Laura is responsible for providing tailored regulatory advice and training under the Portman Group’s Codes of Practice.  Laura brings experience from a successful career in education, leadership and management. Laura utilises her educational background to deliver bespoke training and advice through the Portman Group’s advisory service.

A new study has revealed near universal levels of compliance across the alcohol industry with the voluntary health labelling guidelines set by the Portman Group – the UK alcohol marketing self-regulator and social responsibility body.

The study sampled 500 alcohol products taken from the UK’s top brands, who together roughly cover over 90% of the retail alcohol sold by volume across all major UK retailers.

The results show that UK consumers are now provided with more information than ever before on alcohol labels, enabling them to make an informed choice to support moderation and responsible drinking behaviour. This also demonstrates that the industry has taken the initiative on responsibility in the absence of any Government-required mandate.

The study found near universal coverage of the Portman Group’s minimum recommended guidelines:

• Over 99% of labels carry a pregnancy warning logo or message.
• 96% carry alcohol unit content information.
• 89% carry the UK Chief Medical Officers weekly low-risk drinking guidelines not to regularly drink more than 14 units per week.
• 85% carry a reference to the independent education charity Drinkaware – and we recognise that this carries a license cost implication for producers.

The research also revealed significant increases in many brands going above and beyond the guidelines with the following additional elements:

• Close to two thirds (62%) carry calorie information on label.
• Just under half (48%) carry a warning against drink driving.
• 41% carry an age restriction warning.

For over 30 years, the UK alcohol industry has proactively worked to ensure that alcohol labelling is both socially responsible and informative for consumers, and since 2017 the Portman Group has been advising the industry on adhering to the most recent industry Best Practice Guidance.

We recognise the UK Government’s intention to consult later this year on the mandatory provision of health warnings and nutritional information on packaging. As a pro-active and pro-growth responsibility body, the Portman Group shares the view that clear and consistent and actionable product information for consumers is vital. We would urge as a reasonable first step, applying consistency in existing high labelling standards to close the remaining gaps whilst avoiding unfairly penalising responsible producers who have voluntarily applied responsible consumer advice. We strongly urge the Government to take a collaborative approach to work with the Portman Group and wider industry, taking advantage of our knowledge and experience in setting and applying standards.

Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group said: “We are proud to see our best practice guidance voluntarily adopted near universally across UK alcohol products – helping consumers to make an informed choice around alcohol and supporting moderation and responsible drinking behaviour.

“Go into your nearest supermarket and pick up a bottle of beer, cider, wine or spirits from the top brands on the UK market and you are likely to find a wealth of information voluntarily provided. Alongside an ABV you will see pregnancy warnings, unit information, the Chief Medical Officer low-risk guidelines, calorie information, and increasingly ingredient information as well as further health warnings against drink driving or underage drinking.

“This huge progress should not be taken for granted and represents significant hard work and investment from responsible producers, retailers and importers across the industry – all the more impressive given how diverse and ever-changing the sector is.

“We recognise there is more work to do and we stand ready to work with the Government to close the small gaps in the existing high standards with those who need to go further whilst not unfairly penalising and adding additional burdens to the vast majority of producers who have voluntarily carried consumer health information.”

The full report can be found here.

• 500 products sampled – 94% of which (471 products) – compliant with the Portman Group’s Code of Practice
• 5% were in breach of the Code, resulting in a packaging redesign or withdrawal from the market
• Two Retailer Alert Bulletins issued – the first since 2023 – asking retailers to stop stocking products
• Producers warned to be careful on potential particular appeal to under-18s or encouraging irresponsible or immoderate consumption
• Producers can utilise our free and confidential advisory service – 99% of requests answered within 48 hours.

Following the launch last year of its first proactive, independent audit of alcohol marketing, the Portman Group – the UK industry marketing regulator and responsibility body – is pleased to announce near universal compliance with its Code of Practice on Naming and Packaging.

Out of 500 products assessed by independent auditors, Zenith Global, only 5% were ultimately judged by the Independent Complaints Panel to be in breach – requiring labelling to either be amended or removed from the GB market.

The decision to become a more proactive regulator was led by a desire to enhance the gold standard regulation that the Portman Group is known for internationally and maintain high standards of industry compliance and as part of its drive as a pro-growth regulator.

The results of the audit showed that the vast majority of the alcohol industry is responsible, with 94% of the products assessed found to be meeting the requirements of the Code, confirming that consumers are protected from exposure to harmful and inappropriate marketing.

As a result of the audit, producers have been warned to be extra vigilant to ensure that products do not potentially have a particular appeal to under-18s or encourage irresponsible or immoderate consumption – as these two rules were breached more often than any other Code rules.

Producers are also encouraged to make use of the Portman Group’s free and confidential advisory service. With a separate report published today highlighting continuing high levels of service in 2024 – with 99% of requests for advice answered within 48 hours – as well as the number of training sessions delivered increasing by a third, highlighting how the Portman Group seeks to proactively support the industry in making sure that responsible marketing is the easy choice.

Portman Group CEO, Matt Lambert said, “The audit has set a benchmark for regulatory compliance and demonstrates the strength of the self-regulatory model. The audit shows 94% compliance, this alongside the ASA’s 96% compliance rate[1] in its Pulse Report for alcohol advertising is excellent news and demonstrates that industry compliance is in good shape across the board. Whilst it’s disappointing to have to issue two Retailer Alert Bulletins, the first since 2023, it shows that the Portman Group is willing to take tough action when producers refuse to engage or to follow our advice to amend products when subject to upheld complaints by the Independent Complaints Panel.  All of this work happens in the context of encouraging growth, innovation and creativity whilst ensuring that marketing is responsible and consumers are protected.”

Chair of the Independent Complaints Panel, Rachel Childs said, “The work of the Panel overall this year has increased significantly and, with the commitment of the Portman Group to the audit on a biennial basis, this is likely to become the norm. This substantial piece of work demonstrates not only the high rate of compliance of the industry as a whole, but the desire from the vast majority of producers to work with the Portman Group in a constructive way to ensure products are acceptable under the Code. The range of Code rules the Panel considered this year has undergone a shift and reflects a wider range than in previous years. Every case that comes before the Panel helps the industry develop its understanding of how the Code is applied and allows the executive at the Portman Group to continually refine and develop the Code and its Guidance accordingly.”

The full Audit Report is available on the Portman Group website, along with the 2025 Regulatory Report, which reviews all the regulatory affairs of the Portman Group in the past twelve months.

[1] This compliance rate relates to alcoholic products only, the full report references compliance rates for both the alcohol and low/no alcohol sectors.

FAQs – Portman Group Taking Responsibility for Alcohol Regulation 2025 Report:

Q: How many complaints were received in 2025?

A: 96 complaints – 47% from members of public, 38% from Zenith Global Commercial (independent auditor) and 15% from specialist interest or competitors.

Q: How many cases were upheld under the Code?

A: 50% of cases considered by the Panel were upheld and one Retailer Alert Bulletin (RAB) was issued^[2].

Q: How many pieces of advice were given by the Advisory Service?

A: 377 pieces of advice given

Q: How many training sessions on the Codes of Practice were delivered?

A: 24 training sessions were delivered

Q: What were the top three advice requests by Code rule:

A: – 3.2(h) A drink, its packaging or promotion should not have a particular appeal to under-18s. A producer must not allow the placement of brand names, logos or trademarks on merchandise which has a particular appeal tounder-18s or is intended for use primarily by under-18s

– 3.2(j) A drink, its packaging or promotion should not suggest that the product has therapeutic qualities, can enhance mental or physical capabilities, or change mood or behaviour.

– 3.2(b) A drink, its packaging or promotion should not suggest any association with bravado, or with violent, aggressive, dangerous, anti-social or illegal behaviour (though sponsorship of activities which may be dangerous after alcohol consumption, such as motor racing, or yachting are not in themselves in breach of this clause).

FAQs, Portman Group Proactive Audit Report:

Q: What prompted the audit?

A: Previous audits were linked to Code reviews, however, to become a more proactive regulator an audit will now take place every two years and will no longer be linked to a Code review.

Q: Which products were reviewed?

A: 500 random products from the GB market were reviewed. The sample was statistically representative and weighted across all categories of alcohol according to market share.

Q: Will there be follow-up audits?

A: Yes, a proactive audit of the market will take place every two years

[2] Two RABs were issued in the process of the Audit – one was issued during 2025 and one in January 2026. The figures from the Regulatory report only relate to 1^st January – December 31^st, 2025, during which time there was just one RAB issued.

In response to National Records of Scotland alcohol-specific deaths figures Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group said:

“Today’s figures from National Records of Scotland showing a slight increase in alcohol-specific deaths are a reminder that every death is an absolute tragedy for the people concerned and their family and friends. Concerningly this is the third yearly increase in a row, yet the latest data shows a significant slowing since the post pandemic dramatic increase. We believe this reinforces the pressing need for targeting tailored medical and social support for those drinking at the heaviest and most harmful level as a key step to help reverse this worrying trend.”

National Records of Scotland figures 

In response to “New Leadership, A Fresh Start for Scotland” speech by First Minister Humza Yousaf, Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said:

“We welcome the announcement by First Minister Humza Yousaf and support his comments that ‘the business community itself recognises that unrestricted marketing is incompatible with the well-being of our people’. This is why the Portman Group exists – to ensure that alcohol is marketed responsibly and particularly not to under-18s, and have done so effectively for over 25 years.

“We also support other not-for-profit groups which help ensure underage alcohol consumption continues to fall, as seen in the past decade and more*. These include measures that restrict sales of alcohol so they cannot be made to those under 18 (Challenge 25); youth education schemes (Alcohol Education Trust), and community groups which work with the police and social workers to divert children from drinking (Community Alcohol Partnerships).

“We welcome the call to engage, and hope to work with the Scottish Government to continue to address harmful and underage drinking and actively support and extend the good work of other not-for-profit groups.”

* Scottish Health Survey, November 2022

• Almost one third (32%) of adults who drink alcohol in Scotland also now semi-regularly drink alcohol alternatives
• New annual YouGov research commissioned by the Portman Group reveals more than one fifth (22% ) drink less alcohol after having tried low and no alcohol alternatives

New YouGov consumer research reveals that almost one third (32%) of adults who drink alcohol in Scotland now semi-regularly* drink alcohol alternatives, up from 29% the year before.  The research was commissioned by the Portman Group, the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator.

More than one fifth (22%) of Scottish drinkers say their alcohol consumption has reduced since first trying low and no drinks, demonstrating their role in encouraging moderate and responsible drinking. The top reasons cited for drinking low and no alcohol are being able to drive home safely from social events and avoiding short-term health impacts (i.e. hangovers).

With New Year’s Resolutions round the corner, those that plan to reduce alcohol consumption in 2023 said they will drink fewer alcoholic drinks at home (38%), have more alcohol-free days (28%) and stop drinking at home altogether to drink responsibly and moderately (22%).

Matt Lambert, CEO, the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said: “The variety and availability of low and no alcoholic drinks has never been stronger, reflecting a huge increase in consumer popularity.

“The vast majority of consumers already drink responsibly within the Chief Medical Officer guidelines, but it is particularly pleasing to see evidence that low and no options are playing a role in encouraging people to moderate their drinking.”

Notes to editors

1. *Use of the term ‘semi-regular drinkers’ refers to those who either ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ drink low and no alcohol products.
2. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,381 adults, 206 of whom in Scotland. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28th – 29th November 2022. A similar survey was carried out in December 2021. The surveys were carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

In response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on Restricting Alcohol Advertising and Promotion, which reviews the role of Portman Group’s regulatory remit, Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator, said:

“The majority of adults in Scotland are moderate or non-drinkers and it is encouraging that binge drinking, alcohol-related crime and underage drinking have all significantly declined. These recommendations are entirely disproportionate and inhibit consumers’ ability to make informed choices, and restrict the ability to trade for producers and retailers who ensure that alcohol is sold responsibly.

“The Portman Group’s Codes of Practice have played a significant role in helping to achieve reductions in underage drinking, through extensive commitments to ensure that marketing and sponsorship does not target under 18s or vulnerable consumers.

“The Scottish Government’s own Health Survey published last week shows that average weekly intake has fallen to well below the official UK Government weekly guidelines. This has all occurred at a time when the amount of advertising spend has increased, suggesting that there isn’t an immediate correlation between them.

“However, there is still work to be done in addressing the small minority that drink to harmful levels and they require targeted health led interventions.

“We are pleased to see that the Scottish Government are prepared to work with existing regulators, and we commit to engage fully and constructively with the process.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The consultation is expansive, and includes:

• Banning alcohol adverts in print media – newspapers and magazines
• A ban on sports sponsorship in Scotland, which would also include bans on players and staff featuring in alcohol adverts in print and online.
• A ban on alcohol events sponsorship.
• A total ban on outdoor alcohol advertising including on vehicles and in public places
• Restrictions on the retail of display of alcohol
• Ban the sales of alcohol-branded merchandise in Scotland,
• Extending any marketing restrictions to low and no alcohol alternatives which share branding with drinks over 1.2% ABV.
• Restricting the content of alcohol advertising to only factual statements – citing the law in Estonia.

Reviews are also being carried out on areas outside of the regulatory competence of the Scottish Government. This includes:

• Banning alcohol-related social media channels and websites in Scotland
• Banning or introducing a watershed for alcohol advertising on TV and radio

Key statistics

• When reviewing the impact of advertising it is worth considering that “the top 10 most loved drinks brands among 18-24 year olds are all soft drinks”. This consumer insight is based on the opinions of over 96,000 UK adults aged 18-74 across 350 soft and alcoholic drinks brands, collected through BrandVue Drinks – Savanta’s market intelligence platform 2022 – the largest and most comprehensive brand tracking engine in the market.
• 77% of adults in Scotland either do not drink or drink within the weekly recommended lower risk guidelines of 14 units – up from 72% a decade ago in 2011. (Scottish Health Survey, November 2022)
• Similarly, the average weekly unit intake across drinkers has fallen from 13.1 units in 2011 to a record low of 11.3 units a week. (Scottish Health Survey, November 2022)
• Those drinking above the recommended guidelines has fallen from 28% in 2011 to 23% in 2021. (Scottish Health Survey, November 2022)
• This fall has been most pronounced amongst young adults (16-24 year olds), with those drinking at higher rates falling from 32% in 2011 to 14% in 2021. (Scottish Health Survey, November 2022)
• In Scotland, the proportion of 13-15-year olds who drank in the last week has been in overall decline over the past 15 years, falling from 31.5% in 2004 to 13.25% in 2018. (Scottish Government, November 2019)

In response to the release of the National Records of Scotland statistics on alcohol specific deaths, Nicola Bates, Strategy Director of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator, said:

“Today’s figures show a small increase in alcohol-specific deaths on top of last year’s sharp increase, every death is a tragedy for the people concerned and their family and friends. The longer term impact of pandemic drinking for a small group of drinkers continues and there is increasing evidence that targeted, health focussed action is needed for those drinking at the highest harm level.”

Responding to the University of Stirling’s packaging focus group, Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator, said:

“This study demonstrates that the packaging of a product is designed to appeal to different audiences something that would ring true across all forms of marketing and is not in itself a surprise. The key thing is that the naming, packaging and promotion of products must respect the Portman Group Code of Practice which protects consumers from inappropriate marketing and ensures that alcohol is promoted in a responsible way. The Code ensures that alcohol marketing does not target under 18s in particular. It has contributed to over a decade of declines in underage drinking rates in Scotland”.