Twitter introduces ‘age-screening’ for alcohol brands
Brands including Bud Light, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Heineken and Bacardi are among the first to take advantage of changes to Twitter’s age verification process aimed at ensuring alcohol brands have age-appropriate audiences on the network.
The social network yesterday (25 November) announced changes to its age-screening process, as well as the host of launch partners. All of which are to integrate the new tool into their overall Twitter ad strategies.
For example, Bud Light is to use age-screened promoted accounts to reach US audiences aged over 21 and interested in the NFL during its #whatsyoursuperstition campaign.
Twitter’s new age verification process means alcohol brands can set up an age-screening element to their Twitter accounts by directly contacting staff at the social network.
Once an alcohol brand has put an age-screen in place, Twitter users looking to follow them are asked to input their DOB. Twitter then verifies the proposed follower is of the legal drinking age in their jurisdiction, and their ‘follower’ status is then confirmed.
The alcohol industry has previously come under fire from medical bodies for their use of social media, with some parties calling for an outright ban on their use of websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
However, the industry had been keen to ward-off external regulation adopting stringent rules on their use of the medium. Trade bodies such as The European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) have since agreed strict principles for its members to abide by in their use of the medium.
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