The Drinkaware Trust
“We’re not selling milk.”
Peter Swinburn remembers early in his career when his boss made the seemingly obvious statement that “we’re not selling milk.” He understood the point, that alcohol is a product which can have harmful effects on individuals and on society, and selling it comes with significant responsibility. Despite Peter’s 33-year career with Molson Coors and his current position as CEO of Coors Brewers with responsibility for all Molson Coors business in the UK, Europe and Asia, he has not forgotten his roots. Growing up in a public housing complex in Wales, he is sad to remember instances of local men who would drink excessively and then mistreat their wives. He knew at an early age that the product could affect people the wrong way when not used responsibly. This recognition and sense of responsibility has stayed with Peter throughout his career, and his new leadership of The Portman Group represents the natural progression of this commitment.
“This was something I needed to do,” states Peter. “It’s important to make self-regulation work for our industry, and we’re doing that through tough measures with real teeth. For Coors, promoting alcohol responsibly is essential to our integrity value.” The Portman Group has been seeking to drive the development of standards for responsible alcohol consumption and corporate responsibility since 1989.
Although Coors Brewers have been key sponsors of the Celtic and Rangers soccer (football in the UK) teams for many years, the company endorsed The Portman Group’s recent ban on selling kid-sized replica sport jerseys with alcohol logos on them. “While this type of sponsorship gives visibility to Coors Brands, our responsibility to market our brands responsibly must come first,” says Peter. “These are the tough decisions that need to be made in order to have a credible, self-policing industry association.”
Funded by its nine industry members which represent approximately 60% of all alcohol sales in the UK, the Group not only establishes codes of practice for alcohol producers, but it is also the primary source of funding for The Drinkaware Trust, an independently governed educational charity which was an outgrowth of The Portman Group in 2006. “We need to keep our industry strong and ethical so that we can continue to make possible the many valuable programs of the Drinkaware Trust,” notes Peter.
For corporate information on The Drinkaware Trust, please visit www.drinkaware.org.uk. For the Trust’s consumer-facing site, please visit www.drinkaware.co.uk. For information on The Portman Group, please visit www.portmangroup.co.uk. The Portman Group and The Drinkaware Trust represent some of the many programs used by Molson Coors to promote the responsible consumption of alcohol. For further information on these programs, please visit our Alcohol Responsibility section.
