Monitoring of the Advertising and Marketing Communication by Alcoholic Business Groups in Thailand

Abstract

            The objective of this research was to (1) monitor the advertising and marketing communication of alcoholic business groups and (2) study the obstacles that occurred in the monitoring process. This qualitative research used document review, interviews, and focus group discussions with stakeholders involved in the process of monitoring, such as the government sector, the public sector, and the academic sector. Both participatory and non-participatory methods were used to collect data from activities related to the subject of the Alcohol Control Act.

            The results suggested that the process of monitoring the advertising and marketing communication of the alcoholic business group can be classified into (1) the government sector monitoring, (2) the public sector monitoring, and (3) the academic sector monitoring. The operation characteristics of each sector linked in the manner of 'triangle that moves the mountain.' The study indicated that obstacles in monitoring process were (1) the interpretation of the law, especially in the definition of marketing communication (2) the small number of responsible persons in the monitoring process, and (3) the civil society and public sectors’ lack of confidence in the Tobacco and alcohol surveillance system (TAS).