South African Breweries vs the alcohol ban

The challenge

The national lockdown began on 26 March 2020, leaving South Africans anxious and in despair. With lockdown came the introduction of not one but four unprecedented alcohol bans. The reality is that these multiple bans, which lasted weeks on end threatened the livelihoods of over one million, hard-working South Africans: direct employees, farmers, retailers, taverns & bars, hospitality trade and associated industries such as bottlers.

It also ignited illicit trade, the concoctions of dangerous illegal beverages and the immediate loss to the government in the form of excise tax worth ~R500m. The State could not collect excise for unpacked beer and in the end the economy lost out.

The initial ban, level 5, lasted 9 weeks, it cost the South African liquor industry approximately 117 000 jobs.  During this period, under the constraints of the national state of disaster, SAB was legally not allowed to transport any alcohol to their offsite storage facilities. This led to the largest brewer in the country having to dump 135 million litres of beer which equated to 400 million bottles of  beer.

The solution

How could SAB shift the narrative and implore government to allow SAB to move alcohol to an offsite storage facility? PR could help effect this change and take a step towards saving thousands of jobs, and millions of litres of beer.

 

  • A coordinated industry response and power of partnerships: stakeholders, media, industry and value chain.
  • Constructive engagement with government.
  • Powerful messaging – solution orientated, responsible and emotive.

Our approach

To shift the narrative around alcohol being a societal ill, MSL had to engage in communication across a number of channels to a variety of stakeholders. As an agency we had to communicate that the beer industry is a vital part of the economy and provides much-needed employment across an extensive value chain. We would also showcase how the brewer was a force for good and how they would help communities through the pandemic.

We needed to ensure that the reputation of SAB remained secure and intact. Change the narrative of alcohol and how it’s perceived in the media while changing the negative perceptions about alcohol. Continue efforts to ensure that South Africans consume alcohol responsibly. Collaborate with the liquor Industry Coalition to find solutions.

Our communication would target 3 key categories:

  • B2B: Position SAB as leaders in the beer industry and in the forefront in ensuring that the alcohol ban  is lifted
  • B2G: Position SAB as a partner to government and assist in fighting COVID – 19.
  • B2C: Build awareness of the livelihoods lost due to the alcohol ban.

How did we deliver this?

Results

The narrative of how alcohol bans effect the country ultimately shifted and it led to South Africans understanding the value and impact of the beer industry as an economic driver.

MSL was able to generate the following results for the South African Breweries during one its most unprecedented economic disasters:

Broadcasted interviews

Pieces of coverage

%

Inclusion of key messaging

%

Positive public sentiment

AVE Value

For this campaign, MSL was the winner in the Crisis/Issues Management category of the SABRE Awards, the world’s largest and most sought-after public relations awards competition.

For this campaign, MSL was the winner in the Crisis/Issues Management category of the SABRE Awards, the world’s largest and most sought-after public relations awards competition.