Digital Commons Network^™

How Responsible Are “Responsible” Drinking Campaigns For Preventing Alcohol Abuse?, Joyce M. Wolburg

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to question the misplaced efforts to curb alcohol abuse through “responsible” drinking messages from the alcohol industry, asking how responsible this strategy really is.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article cites published research that calls into question the effectiveness of “responsible” messages, particularly those that situate the problem of alcohol abuse within drunk driving and underage drinking without addressing heavy consumption. Examples of “responsible” messages are drawn from websites of three major beer companies.

Findings

– Problems with “responsible” drinking are identified, including the fact that such messages place the problem within the user …

Drawing The Line Between Targeting And Patronizing: How “Vulnerable” Are The Vulnerable?, Joyce M. Wolburg

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose – This article aims to address the nature of vulnerability and the basis for protecting certain audiences from targeted goods and services. It aims to evaluate the need for protection as well as marketers’ defense that protection merely patronizes audiences.

Design/methodology/approach – This article cites published research that offers guidelines for determining vulnerability in the marketplace and examines conclusions from a case study that argue for holding companies to have standards of both individual and collective responsibility.

Findings – Categories of vulnerability are offered, and distinctions are drawn between the vulnerable and the disadvantaged to provide a rationale for …