Exploring the Nature, Creation, Impact and Regulation of Gendered Alcohol Brand and Nightlife Marketing in the Age of Contemporary Feminism(s), 2021-2022

Alcohol marketing helps shape how gender roles and relations are understood, and the gendered nature of drinking learned. In recent years, changes in how women are presented and addressed in marketing, including alcohol marketing, have been observed. This reflects the shifting social, political and regulatory context, in which increased attention has been given to gender inequality and the damaging impact of gender stereotypes. Whilst alcohol brands have begun to draw on messages of gender equality to target the female market, nightlife venues have become increasingly sexualised by objectifying and sexualising women, and it is in these spaces that women experience gender equalities such as unwanted sexual attention. Research is yet to explore how women are both targeted and represented in alcohol brand and nightlife venue marketing within the current context of contemporary feminism. This research aimed to address this gap by exploring the nature and influence of such marketing on women’s identity making and experiences of drinking and the night time environment, including the inequalities at play. It also aimed to explore how female targeted alcohol marketing impacts women who do not consume alcohol due to problem use. Methods included an analysis of alcohol brand and venue marketing and group discussions and interviews with women using photo elicitation. The research addressed a number of topics including; how women are targeted and represented in alcohol marketing and how this has changed over time including the use of gender stereotypes, the sexualisation of women, and the use of gender equality, empowerment and feminist messages. Through individual and group interviews it aimed to gain in depth insight into women’s experience of drinking and the night time environment and the pleasures and risks involved, and their views on alcohol brand and venue marketing and its impact on their drinking practices. This included their views on the sexualisation and objectification of women and how this impacts their sense of safety and experience of night time venues, and how they relate and perceive marketing that associates with gender equality and empowerment. The data collections consists of transcripts of group and individual interviews with women.