Programmes to address alcohol misuse

We use marketing techniques to inform consumers about our brands and to compete for market share. We hope to be more successful than our competitors by attracting adult alcohol beverage consumers to Diageo brands and by encouraging them to trade up within the ranges we offer. We aim to carry out these activities to the highest standards and have enshrined such principles in the Diageo Marketing Code for the guidance of our colleagues and the external agencies that help devise our campaigns.

As well as covering traditional methods, we have standards for marketing through new media such as mobile phones, websites and social networking channels. A core function of this code is to help marketers limit underage exposure to our internet or mobile-phone advertising - for example, by enabling parents to block underage access to our brand websites by the use of 'nanny tags'.

We also work within frameworks established by external bodies - for example, the Common Standards for Commercial Communications of the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) and the Discus Code of Responsible Practices. The Common Standards, as well as the Discus code, include guidance on digital marketing that builds on Diageo's expertise in this area.

One of the strengths of the Diageo code is the way that it's underpinned by our compliance, review, training, and control infrastructure. This is an area where we have shown leadership in our industry and gained particular stakeholder approval.

Training on our marketing standards is part of the induction programme for relevant new employees. Marketing and innovation teams and agencies regularly attend refresher courses on interpretation. These workshops are complemented by e-learning materials.

Assurance that the development or marketing of a brand meets the code's requirements is aided by the use of SmartApprove. This online tool co-ordinates sign-off by our marketing, legal, intellectual property and corporate relations colleagues and records the process.

Each year, in each market, we complete a self-assessment of compliance against the marketing code, and audits are carried out on a sample of businesses and brand teams.

If we become aware of a potential breach of our code, we make changes to bring the project into compliance before it can proceed. Should a potential violation slip through this process, we investigate it, take remedial action and seek to ensure that something similar doesn't happen again. No complaints from the public about our marketing were upheld in 2008.

For further information regarding Diageo's commitment to responsible marketing and innovation, and to download a copy of the Diageo Marketing Code, please visit our global responsible drinking resource www.DRINKiQ.com