Big Alcohol’s Diversion Tactic: Grupo Modelo Pushes “Responsibility”
Posted on March 03, 2025 in AB InBev, Grupo Modelo, Manipulation, MexicoGrupo Modelo, a subsidiary of AB InBev, wants you to believe that alcohol use is all about personal responsibility. A recent post on their website urges consumers to “practice responsible alcohol consumption,” framing moderation as a simple choice. But while they push these messages publicly, the reality behind their business model tells a very different story.
Big Alcohol is financially dependent on heavy alcohol users. Research shows that the majority of alcohol sales come from a small group of consumers who use alcohol at high-risk levels. In fact, data reveals that if everyone actually followed the “moderation” advice Grupo Modelo promotes, alcohol companies would lose billions in revenue. This fundamental conflict of interest makes their responsible consumption campaigns misleading at best, and outright deceptive at worst.
Grupo Modelo claims to encourage moderate use, yet their profits rely on the exact opposite. According to research , the top 10% of alcohol users account for over half of all alcohol consumed. If everyone consumed responsibly, as Grupo Modelo suggests, global alcohol sales would plummet. So why do alcohol companies continue to push this message? Because it shifts the blame for alcohol harm onto individuals while distracting from the structural drivers of alcohol-related problems—such as aggressive marketing, widespread availability, and industry lobbying against evidence-based policies.
By promoting the idea that individuals are solely responsible for alcohol harm, Grupo Modelo and other industry players avoid the conversation about real public health solutions. Effective policies – such as higher alcohol taxes, more effective limitations on marketing and availability – are proven to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm. But these measures threaten industry profits, which is why alcohol companies consistently work hard to undermine them. Instead, they push voluntary, vague messaging about “responsible drinking” that conveniently ignores the role of corporate influence in shaping alcohol use patterns.
Manipulation is Big Alcohol’s activity to control its image. The alcohol industry engages in manipulation activities to protect and cultivate their image and the values of their brands. Deploying manipulation strategies serves for Big Alcohol to appear as “good corporate citizens”. The focus of the DUBIOUS FIVE strategy of manipulation is the alcohol company, their brands and value. Examples are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), green-washing, pink-washing, rainbow-washing, or white-washing activities.