Global Marketing Principles

Our Bacardi Global Marketing Principles represent our minimum standards for producing all marketing materials. Our Principles are fully aligned with the industry codes of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and spiritsEUROPE, as well as the legal codes and regulations in which we operate. We also abide by relevant local laws and regulations.

Our Global Marketing Principles are comprised of nine core values that govern all marketing practices and act as our Company’s internal marketing code. Together with our implementation guidelines, they form the basis of our corporate strategy for responsible marketing. We produce content that upholds advertising standards and represents honest and truthful communications, while respecting the privacy of our consumers.

The Global Marketing Principles were introduced in 2004, revised in 2009, 2014 and in 2018. The most recent revisions address changes in digital marketing and the power of social media, explain our policy on energy drinks, and support the Producers’ Commitments to Reduce the Harmful Drinking.

Global Marketing Principles
Principle 1 All Bacardi companies and employees must comply with the laws, regulations and self-regulatory codes applicable to their marketing and promotional practices.
Principle 2 All marketing and promotional practices will present the responsible enjoyment of beverage alcohol and will not encourage the misuse of alcohol through the presentation of excessive consumption or situations where irresponsible consumption is accepted.
Principle 3 All Bacardi products will be clearly identifiable as beverage alcohol and will provide accurate information on alcohol content. A message or logo, and website address, for responsible enjoyment will be included in commercial communications and on packaging where practicable.
Principle 4 The content and placement of all marketing and promotional practices will be primarily directed toward consumers of the required legal age to purchase alcohol beverages in the relevant countries and will avoid images and music that would appeal primarily to underage individuals.
Principle 5 All marketing and promotional practices will support the safe consumption of beverage alcohol and will not associate the consumption of beverage alcohol with any potentially dangerous activity, such as driving motorized vehicles, operating machinery, or performing athletic activities.
Principle 6 Corporate communications may recognize reputable evidence of the physical benefits from moderate alcohol consumption, but marketing activities will not claim medicinal or energy enhancing performance properties for Bacardi products.
Principle 7 Marketing and promotional practices will not be associated with any individual or group behavior that is antisocial, violent, or destructive.
Principle 8 All marketing and promotional practices must be in good taste and must not contain indecent, demeaning, or insulting materials.
Principle 9 While active in our digital spaces, we are to be honest, transparent, legal, and truthful and ensure none of our communications attempt to mislead our audiences. The privacy of the consumer in the digital space should be observed always.

Compliance

All new marketing staff and key agency personnel are trained on our Principles. In addition, refresher training is available for existing staff if needed. Our country managers, supported by legal or external affairs specialists, are responsible for ensuring the compliance of all our local marketing materials. Key to this approach is that country managers are not involved in developing marketing materials, so they can be independent and objective about the local suitability of materials developed by our marketing teams.

External codes and regulations

The first priority in our approach to marketing is to comply with our own Global Marketing Principles that act as the minimum standard across the world – and are particularly helpful in countries where there are weak advertising regulations or no industry marketing codes. Our second priority is to adhere to local marketing regulations.

Finally, in many parts of the world we have agreed with our competitors to voluntary industry marketing codes that capture local cultural needs. In countries where availability or sale of beverage alcohol is prohibited, we respect the local traditions.