The Deutsche Weinakademie organises seminar on responsible advertising of wine

Mid-October, the Deutsche Weinakademie (DWA) organised an advertising seminar in Mainz, Germany. The speakers Ms. Katja Heintschel von Heinegg (German Advertising Standards Council) and Dr. Claudia Stein-Hammer (DWA) informed actors of the wine sector and advertising experts how to plan and implement responsible wine advertising.

Dr. Claudia Stein-Hammer launched the discussion by providing insight on the political framework, national legislation and self-regulation in Germany and examples on what the legislative landscape looks like in other countries around Europe.

A list of best practices was introduced together with specific information as to what should be done and what is best to avoid, encouraging the participants to include the responsible consumption of wine in all communication to sensitise consumers and wine producers.

Ms. Heintschel von Heinegg followed and introduced the German Advertising Standards Council, illustrating her presentation with some practical examples on how advertising can slide into grey areas.

She followed by describing the self-regulation code to which the entire German alcoholic beverage sector has committed to adhere to; and further explained how, for example, companies can demonstrate responsibility on their website (age restrictions, etc.).

The afternoon ended with an interactive and practical exercise where participants were invited to vote to decide whether the presented advertising could be maintained or if it would be subject of complaints. This exercise proved to be the perfect conclusion to implement the theoretical knowledge acquired during the morning sessions.