This company profile of Carlsberg reveals the unethical practices of the Danish beer giant. Carlsberg is among the ten biggest beer producers in the world. This Carlsberg company profile provides examples of harmful methods across the categories of political interference, promotion, sabotage, manipulation, and deception – the Dubious 5 strategies.
Introduction
Carlsberg Group is a Danish multinational brewer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company was founded in 1847 and currently owns 140 brands in its beer portfolio including its signature brand Carlsberg and other international brands like 1664, Afansa, Kronenbourg, Tuborg, Somersby Cider and Neptun.
- Jacob Aarup-Andersen is the CEO of the Carlsberg Group since 2023.
Fast Facts about Carlsberg in 2023
- Total revenue: DKK 73.6 billion (2023)
- Operating profit: DKK 11.1 billion (2023)
- Total volume of beer sold: 101 million hl (2023)
- Lobbying costs: 300,000 – 399,999 € (2022, EU lobbying only)
- Global beer market share (based on volume): 5.4% (2022)
- Marketing spend: DKK 5.8 billion (2022)
Carlsberg involvement in front groups
- International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD)
- Wine & Spirit Trade Association (through Carlsberg UK)
- World Brewing Alliance
- Brewers of Europe
- The World Federation of Advertisers
- Confederation of Danish Industry
- National brewing associations
- World Economic Forum
Interfering in policy and science
Carlsberg front groups are designed to advance long-term public relations goals to interfere in both policy and science.
UNETHICAL PRACTICES by Carlsberg
England, UK: Evidence Shows Alcohol Taxes Work
New alcohol duty rules introduced in August 2023 are reshaping the UK’s alcohol market. Under the improved structure, taxes are now based ...
Deception, Manipulation IARD Exploits Decline In Youth Alcohol Use to Whitewash Industry Image
The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) – the alcohol industry’s global mouthpiece – has released a new report ...
Promotion Exploiting the Beautiful Game: Carlsberg’s New UEFA Sponsorship
Carlsberg is once again exploiting football’s massive reach, emotional power, and popularity among youth to promote alcohol use, this ...
Deception, Political interference Big Alcohol’s Tactics in Vietnam – Misleading the Public on Alcohol Taxation
In Vietnam, the alcohol industry is once again deploying manipulative tactics to sabotage a planned increase in excise taxes on alcohol. A ...
Promotion Cultural Appropriation to Push Alcohol in Sabah and Sarawak
Carlsberg’s latest campaign in Malaysia, portrayed as a celebration of local icons from Sabah and Sarawak, uses specially designed cans ...
Deception Carlsberg’s Responsibility Campaign—A Thinly Veiled Push to Normalise Alcohol Use
Carlsberg’s recent partnership with Grab Cambodia to promote their “CelebrateResponsibly” campaign is a prime example of Big ...
BROWSE MORE UNETHICAL PRACTICES by Carlsberg
BIG ALCOHOL IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Whisky brands are very reliant on a small number of heavy, and increasingly ageing, consumers, to provide the majority of volume [...] in the longer term we had to attract more younger drinkers—the heavy- using loyalists of tomorrow [to avoid] the potentially disastrous implications of losing heavy drinkers”.
“If Miller Lite was to be a large profitable brand we had to attract these young heavy drinkers”.
To the extent [that laws or regulations or actions against us to substantially curtail the consumption of alcohol, including beer] gain traction, they could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. For example, the European Union published its Europe Beating Cancer Plan. As part of the plan, by the end of 2023, the European Union has indicated it will issue a proposal for mandatory health warnings on alcohol beverage product labels."
Source: Molson Coors Annual Report 2022
