This company profile of Pernod Ricard reveals the unethical practices of the French liquor and wine industry giant. It provides examples of harmful methods across the categories of political interference, promotion, sabotage, manipulation, and deception – the Dubious 5 strategies.
Introduction
Pernod Ricard is a French company established in 1975. This multinational alcohol corporation is the world’s second largest wine and spirits producer.
The French alcohol giant has a portfolio of over 240 brands including internationally sold brands (which accounts for 63% of the sales in 2021) like Ricard, Malibu, Chivas, Jameson, Havana Club, Absolut, Ballantine’s, Mumm and numerous other specialty and local brands.
Alexandre Ricard, one of the grandsons of the Pernod Ricard founder Paul Ricard, became the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the group in 2015.
Fast Facts about Pernod Ricard in 2023
- Total net revenue: EUR 12,137 million (2023)
- Net profit: EUR 3,348 million (2023)
- Lobbying costs (US): 2,800,000 USD (2022)
- Lobbying costs (EU): 600,000 – 699,999 € (2022)
- Total alcohol volume sold: no information
- Global market share: no information
- Number of employees: 20,600
- Marketing spend: EUR 1,698 million (2022)
Pernod Ricard involvement in front groups
- The Portman Group
- International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD)
- World Brewing Alliance
- World Federation of Advertisers
- FoodDrinkEurope
- European Business Summit
- Brewers of Europe
Interfering in policy and science
Pernod Ricard front groups are designed to advance long-term public relations goals to interfere in both policy and science.
UNETHICAL PRACTICES by Pernod Ricard
Deception Normalizing Alcohol Use Through Deception – The Industry’s Real Goal Behind “Moderation Week”
The Asia Pacific International Spirits and Wines Alliance (APISWA) has launched a so-called “Moderation Week” across Vietnam, Cambodia, ...
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 ...
Manipulation Fake Transparency: Pernod Ricard’s QR Code Labels Do Nothing for Public Health
Pernod Ricard Philippines is rolling out QR code-enabled digital labels in the Philippines, marketing them as a step toward “consumer ...
Sabotage Water Crisis in Oaxaca – Mezcal Production Leaves Local Communities Without Access
The massive production of mezcal in Oaxaca, Mexico, primarily targeting international markets, has precipitated a severe water crisis in ...
Political interference Big Alcohol Tightens Its Grip on Cambodia’s Alcohol Policy Process
The alcohol industry is tightening its grip on Cambodia’s alcohol policy process, using front groups and misleading narratives to shape ...
Political interference, Promotion Expanding Harm – How the Alcohol Industry Targets Emerging Economies
Big Alcohol’s relentless push for expansion is focused on so-called “developing markets” – a term the industry uses to ...
BROWSE MORE UNETHICAL PRACTICES by Pernod Ricard
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
