o Talk to Teens to Prevent Illegal Drinking (Business Wire, 1/25/99) Anheuser-Busch Super Bowl Ad encourages parents to talk to teens to prevent illegal drinking.It is evident; alcohol advertising is subject to serious debate. These issues may place constraints on marketing activities and must be taken into consideration. In contrast, this company owes its success to its products popularity. A large majority of the adult population enjoys alcoholic beverages, drinks responsibly and is strongly in favor of promoting alcoholic beverages. Anheuser-Busch must be prepared to effectively handle the social controversy, which arises with the sale of their product.PoliticalThe political environment is very influential on the brewing industry. Often, social issues affect the political realm, consequently, placing more restrictions on the sales or consumption of alcohol. For instance, MADD seeks support from politicians during election time. Political leaders may then fight to increase alcohol taxes, as well as, place more restrictions on the marketing and consumption of alcohol. In 1993, Senator Paul Simon, of Illinois, introduced legislation that would require all liquor advertising to carry a Surgeon Generals warning. Also, due to the serious problems of drunk driving, efforts were made by state and federal officials to lower the blood-alcohol limit to .08 for offenders. Political influence impacts how the brewing industry handles its operations. Anheuser-Busch must respond accordingly to these political issues. They stress their opposition to alcohol abuse, underage drinking and drunk driving. With community programs across the United States, they lead the industry in the promotion of alcohol awareness and education. LegalThe legal environment in the brewing industry is often affected by social and political attitudes directed at constraining business practices. There has been much controversy over the advertising of alcohol p...
