6 Alcohol Marketing Guidelines You Need To Know

Just like a steady flow of delicious drinks is essential for a successful celebration, a steady flow of customers through your liquor store’s doors is crucial for profitability. 

But the challenge of navigating complex liquor industry regulations can be a barrier to developing a compliant and effective marketing approach. 

In this blog, we’ll cut through the fog of these strict regulations and share everything you need to know to follow alcohol marketing guidelines, attract customers, and protect your liquor store’s reputation and bottom line. 

Alcohol Marketing 101

First, let’s talk about who creates alcohol marketing guidelines. 

There are several layers of authority when it comes to liquor industry regulation, starting with the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The TTB is a federal authority under the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and following their regulations is mandatory for liquor stores, tobacco shops, and other relevant businesses. 

Alcohol trade associations make up the next layer. These organizations, like the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), issue voluntary regulations. This means it’s your responsibility to comply and keep your customers safe. 

Your state and local government may also have specific regulatory bodies with specific alcohol marketing rules. 

This blog will cover all types of alcohol marketing guidelines, including strict federal requirements, voluntary trade regulations, and general best practices. 

Now, let’s dive into our top six tips to comply with these guidelines and ensure your marketing efforts reach the right audience. 

1. Do Not Advertise to Underage Audiences

Selling alcohol to individuals under 21 can lead to significant consequences for your liquor store, so your marketing efforts should only target customers of legal drinking age. 

When brainstorming marketing ideas, consider content and placement to determine how these two elements will affect your audience. 

For example, using cartoon characters or brightly colored designs could make your advertisements seem appealing to children and teenagers. Instead, ensure all imagery includes models who are clearly of age to prevent any confusion. DISCUS advises that all models should be at least 25 years old. 

Next, consider where you’re advertising your products. At least 73.8% of your marketing channel audience should be made up of individuals 21 or older, so do your research before purchasing ads for your liquor store in specific magazines, radio stations, or TV channels. You also cannot place physical ads like billboards within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school or place of worship, or on college campuses.

2. Encourage Responsible Alcohol Consumption

As a liquor store owner, it’s your responsibility to encourage safe alcohol consumption, which is why your marketing materials should not allude to or promote excessive or irresponsible drinking. 

For example, a video ad that depicts someone consuming an alcoholic beverage before driving could normalize drunk driving, which is illegal and dangerous. 

Instead, promote your products without giving customers the wrong impression. You can showcase responsible alcohol consumption, like:

• Celebrating a special event with a handcrafted cocktail
• Pairing a glass of wine with a delicious dinner
• Cozying up with a book and a glass of bourbon

Along with helping you follow alcohol marketing guidelines, sticking to imagery like this will help customers see your liquor store’s products in action and encourage them to pair their favorite activity with a safe amount of alcohol. 

3. Prioritize Transparency

Transparency is another critical ingredient of legal alcohol advertising. 

Just like any other product, you can’t make false or unproven claims about any alcoholic beverages. Avoid implying that your products have health benefits, like relaxation or decreased risk of disease. 

If you’re advertising a specific hard liquor, you also have to show the percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and the proof to help customers understand how strong the product is. 

4. Be Careful on Social Media 

Social media can be a powerful tool for liquor stores, but it comes with its own set of alcohol marketing guidelines. Along with following legal requirements, you have to research and comply with each platform’s advertising policy. 

For example, Facebook and Instagram strictly prohibit advertising alcohol to viewers under the age of 18. This regulation applies to paid ads, and includes any alcohol-related content — including promoting events where alcohol will be sold, depicting alcohol brands and logos, or highlighting the consumption of alcohol.

Fortunately, you can save money and avoid violating these guidelines by sticking to basic best practices for social media marketing. Here are a few ideas for organic posts that can expand your reach while staying responsible: 

• Share cocktail recipes featuring your spirits and mixers.
• Announce new and seasonal beverages.
• Encourage customers to stop by and save during promotions.

Remember: The design and language you use in your posts should appeal exclusively to adults of legal drinking age. 

5. Gate Your Liquor Store’s Website

Think about the last time you visited a distillery or brewery website. Chances are, you were asked an important question before exploring the site: “Are you over 21 years of age?”

This is called an age gate, and while it’s not a strict legal requirement for liquor stores, it can limit your website visitors to customers who can actually purchase your products. 

Gating your liquor store website can give you peace of mind and build your community’s trust in your business while still allowing you to reap the benefits of e-commerce. 

Pro tip: Gating your website might sound complicated, but an e-commerce platform specifically designed for liquor stores should make it easy. BottleZoo is an excellent option that integrates with our all-in-one liquor point of sale (POS) solution to make selling liquor for pickup and delivery a breeze. 

6. Research Local Alcohol Marketing Regulations

We’ve covered federal laws and general best practices for alcohol marketing, but our final tip is to research your area’s unique regulations. 

For example, states like Texas and North Carolina regulate what kinds of discounts you can offer in your liquor store, with two-for-one alcohol deals being illegal in Texas and happy hour specials being illegal in North Carolina. 

Before starting a new marketing campaign or offering a promotion, check with your state and county’s alcohol governance body to ensure you’re on the right side of the law. 

Bonus Tips for Safe and Effective Alcohol Marketing

Following this long list of alcohol marketing regulations might sound intimidating, but we have good news: There’s an easy, stress-free way to attract customers and boost sales. 

The right liquor store POS solution is a powerful marketing tool that can help you stay profitable and compliant. Here are just a few examples: 

• Customer loyalty program: Your POS solution should include a built-in loyalty program to help you turn one-time shoppers into repeat customers and encourage them to spend more during each visit. 
• Age verification: Your POS system should integrate with an ID scanner to add an extra layer of security against underage alcohol sales. 
• Promotions: Your POS system should make it simple to schedule, manage, and monitor in-store promotions and discounts. 
• SMS and email marketing: Your POS solution should connect with SMS and email marketing tools, giving you the opportunity to communicate directly with your customers, alert them to new arrivals and promotions, and encourage them to stop by your store. 

These features can help you comply with alcohol guidelines and regulations while saving you time and simplifying your marketing strategy. 

Become an Alcohol Marketing Pro With Bottle POS

Looking for a POS solution to help you manage and market your liquor store? Bottle POS might be the perfect fit. 

Our POS system is specifically designed to help liquor store owners like you manage alcohol inventory, make secure sales, attract customers, and grow. Plus, our team of liquor industry experts is available 24/7 to help you make the most of your new POS solution. 

Ready to see how Bottle POS fits into your liquor store business plan? Schedule your personalized demo today.