The present study addresses two key questions:
What are the main issues that the key alcohol industry actors in Uganda concentrate on in social media communications?

Based on these data, what insights are possible into the goals and strategies pursued by the principal alcohol industry policy actors in Uganda?
X is used overwhelmingly by alcohol industry actors in Uganda to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) and alcohol policy framing content.
X is thus used to create a parallel universe, in which the actual harms and what is known about how to reduce them are conspicuous by their absence.
The alcohol industry presents itself as indispensable to Uganda’s future and appears to have developed relationships with politicians, partnerships with government, and built a coalition with farmers. This means the alcohol industry may be well positioned to oppose public health policy measures, even though their arguments lack substance and are at odds with the evidence.

Author

Matthew Lesch, Su Golder & Jim McCambridge

Citation

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z


Source
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
Release date
20/06/2024

Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda

Research article

Rhetorically, X is thus used to create a parallel universe, in which the actual harms and what is known about how to reduce them are conspicuous by their absence.”

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

Study context

The alcohol industry as obstacles to development in Africa

Alcohol is a serious challenge to global health, increasingly so in the developing world. Studies have demonstrated the role of the alcohol industry in resisting public health policies. Much of this work has tended to focus on industry activities within developed countries, reflecting the burden, and studies of alcohol-related harm and the political activities of the alcohol industry across a wider range of contexts are necessary.

Sub-Saharan Africa is recognised for having alcohol policies below international standards and as a result, there have been sharp increases in the accessibility and affordability of alcohol. Low-income countries and emerging markets are a key strategic focus for transnational alcohol producers. A small number of studies have already documented the activities of global alcohol producers in the African region where the population is young compared to other regions.

For example, the alcohol industry interfered in alcohol policy formulation processes in four sub-Saharan African countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, and Botswana to avoid public health oriented alcohol policy measures that would threaten their profits.

Transnational alcohol corporations, such as Diageo, AB InBev, and Heineken, push for open markets and minimal government intervention. On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO), aided by civil society organisations, work to guide governments in evidence-based approaches to alcohol harms. Post-colonial governments have often sought to promote economic growth through industrial expansion, with limited appetite and capacity for regulations.

Alcohol harm and concerns about alcohol industry activities in Uganda

Uganda stands out as one of the African countries with the highest per capita alcohol consumption rates, leading to a range of adverse health and social outcomes. It remains one of Africa’s top alcohol-consuming countries. Studies have found that Uganda has one of the highest prevalence of negative consequences from alcohol. More recent studies also show high rates of hazardous alcohol consumption among those people who consume alcohol, and as elsewhere, without clear gender differences among young people.

Public health actors in Uganda have drawn attention to high levels of alcohol harm. The Uganda Alcohol Policy Alliance (UAPA), for example, brings together different civil society actors committed to reducing alcohol harm in Uganda through advocacy for effective, evidence-based policies. UAPA has also drawn particular attention to the influence of the alcohol industry.

The alcohol industry’s role in policymaking in Uganda is poorly understood.

Use of social media to shape alcohol policy outcomes

Analysis of data that exists in the public domain, including social media data, has the potential to enrich understanding of industry actors and their activities. Transnational companies use several different platforms to market their products. In recent years, this has involved using X and other forms of social media. In addition to marketing, however, social media can have a major influence on policy debates, including public health issues. Existing studies indicate that industry groups use X to re-frame policy issues to advance their goals. This involves portraying themselves as authoritative and credible figures in public health policy and/or deflecting potential concerns about their product and impacts through re-framing. For example, alcohol industry actors often tout their corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials. CSR activities refer to an organisation’s claimed efforts to contribute towards the resolution of major societal problems such as poverty and under-development, public health and/or environmental issues. Such claims do not preclude that activities may also be influenced by other motivations (e.g., reputation management), which thus may also serve public relations goals (e.g., greenwashing). This means that convergence and synergies can occur between CSR, marketing, and political strategies, which may be co-ordinated.

Key research questions

The present study addresses two key questions:

  1. What are the main issues that the key alcohol industry actors in Uganda concentrate on in social media communications?
  2. Based on these data, what insights are possible into the goals and strategies pursued by the principal alcohol industry policy actors in Uganda?

How the study was conducted

The researchers used X to identify accounts for Uganda Breweries Ltd, Nile Breweries Ltd, and the Uganda Alcohol Industry Association (UAIA).

The researchers used Mozdeh software to downloaded all publicly available posts from these actors’ accounts. But restrictions governing X data use limited the number of posts they could collect. As such, they collected posts from a specified time range and excluded reposts and non-English language posts. In total, the researchers collected 2504 posts.

Posts were then placed into NVivo software, in which the researchers performed a thematic analysis of the data. Using a combination of deductive and inductive techniques, they coded and analysed the entire dataset. Deductively derived codes (see Table 2) were informed by previous research on alcohol industry activities, including literature on policy framing and corporate social responsibility activities. Inductively generated codes were developed as sub-themes (e.g., sustainability-related CSR).

Big Alcohol in Uganda

Uganda Breweries is one of the largest and oldest beer producers in Uganda. The company was started in 1946, as part of East African Breweries Limited (EABL), a Kenya-based company. Diageo, one of the world’s largest alcohol producers, acquired majority control of EABL in 2000, and as well as beer, the company produces spirits, including vodka and whisky, with both Ugandan and international brands. Nile Breweries is the other major beer producer in Uganda. The brewery was started in 1951 and in July 2001, SABMiller (now AB InBev) acquired full ownership of the company. Nile Breweries controls 59% of the beer market in Uganda.

The Uganda Alcohol Industry Association (UAIA) is a trade association representing the interests of alcohol producers in Uganda. It was established in 2006 to “ease engagement, collective lobbying with government agencies on issues of mutual interest” as well as to promote “responsible use and marketing of alcoholic beverages”. The leadership team comprises senior executives from Nile Breweries and Uganda Breweries.

The main and dominant alcohol industry actors in Uganda belong to Big Alcohol, UK-based liquor giant Diageo, and US-based beer giant AB InBev.

Main findings

The study identified core themes and numerous sub-themes.

Overall, industry actors’ posts fell into three broad and interlinking categories:

  1. Industry actors used X to promote their products to consumers (i.e., marketing), though much less than other activities.
  2. X was used to portray the alcohol industry as a vital and socially responsible part of the Ugandan economy and society (i.e. CSR).
  3. Industry actors used social media to advance their policy-relevant interests by framing alcohol policy problems in particular ways, as well as promoting specific policy solutions (e.g., self-regulation).
  4. Industry actors identified specific stakeholders and policy actors, most prominently Ugandan farmers.

Table 2 Core themes

CodeDescriptionCoding frequencyPercentage of dataset
Corporate social responsibility (CSR)Posts focusing on alcohol industry actors’ CSR activities.88346.16%
Alcohol as a policy problemPosts focusing on efforts to address the negative health, economic, and social impacts of alcohol consumption.36719.18%
Alcohol policy actorsPosts identifying the industry’s interactions and/or relationships with other key alcohol policy stakeholders.33717.62%
Alcohol policy solutionsPosts specifying policy solutions designed to address alcohol-related problems.24312.7%
Product marketingPosts marketing or advertising alcohol products to consumers and/or retailers.834.34%
Total1913100%

CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) constituted a clear priority for alcohol industry actors in Uganda. These actors extensively employed X to spotlight their CSR initiatives. The CSR activities encompassed various topics and implied diverse strategies. The overarching strategy central to CSR posts, however, seemed to be positioning the alcohol industry as a responsible corporate citizen (n = 333).

The content and context of CSR posts varied considerably. Many of these posts specifically addressed the topic of alcohol consumption, promoting responsible alcohol use, for example. Other efforts, however, seemed designed to portray the alcohol industry as contributing members to the Ugandan and global community.

CSR and responsible drinking campaigns

A significant portion of the CSR posts described specific campaigns launched by the alcohol industry to reduce “harmful drinking” or promote “responsible drinking.” These posts often included hashtags such as #Responsibledrinking and #BeSmartDrinkSmartUg.

Industry actors did not offer clear definitions of these concepts. For example, it claimed that “drinking responsibly… is largely a subjective matter.”

Alcohol industry actors highlighted CSR campaigns targeting specific populations, such as students.

Such campaigns imply that “harmful drinking” is predominantly an issue among young people or specific minority groups. This framing suggests that population-level measures may not be necessary, given that problematic alcohol consumption patterns may be primarily confined to certain groups.

“Responsible” alcohol consumption CSR posts did not always refer to specific campaigns. In other instances, industry actors used X to encourage consumers to adopt particular behavioural strategies regarding alcohol use, so that X itself was the CSR vehicle. For example, harm reduction messages from Uganda Breweries that promote alcohol and make the individual responsible for avoiding harm:

  • “Eat something before you start drinking.”
  • “Space your alcohol with water or soft drinks.”
  • “Don’t drink and drive. Take a cab back home or get a designated driver to take you home.”
Sustainability-related CSR

CSR activities were not limited to alcohol consumption. CSR serves as a crucial vehicle for demonstrating an organisation’s alignment with the values of the community it operates within. As such, sustainability-related issues constituted a common CSR topic for the alcohol industry (n = 169).

Industry actors promoted specific environmental initiatives, policies, and partnerships. These range from planting 40 million trees (Uganda Breweries) to constructing boreholes in rural areas (Niles Breweries). Sustainability-related CSR posts often highlighted partnerships with government departments (e.g., Ministry of Water and Environment and local municipalities) and civil society groups (e.g., World Wide Fund for Nature).

Industry actors also employed social media to underscore the alignment of their values (e.g., sustainability) with their business practices.

COVID-19 as an opportunity for CSR

A related strategy was to identify strategic opportunities to emphasise its commitment to society. During the onset of COVID-19, for example, alcohol producers leveraged opportunities to enhance their CSR credentials. Alcohol producers funded COVID-19 vaccination sites and frequently highlighted their contributions to containing the virus on social media.

Other CSR-related issues

Financial and/or organisational support for various health initiatives, including blood donation drives and HIV/AIDS fundraisers, were also consistently highlighted.

Finally, the studied actors were highly strategic in their use of social media (n = 89), linking their organisations to specific developments within society. For example, alcohol producers frequently highlighted CSR activities in relation to different national and global celebrations. These included International Women’s Day, World Water Day, World Disability Day, International Day for Tolerance, Uganda Water and Environment Week, Labour Day, World AIDS Day, World Safety Day, World Food Safety Day, and World Blood Donor Day.

Table 3 Description and frequency of sub-themes

Sub-themeCore themeDescriptionCoding frequencyPercentage across entire dataset
Responsible corporate citizensCSRPresenting the alcohol industry as contributing to the betterment of society, beyond producing alcohol.33323.04%
Personal responsibilityAlcohol as a policy problem
CSR
Policy solutions
Stressing the importance of individuals’ alcohol consumption habits and behaviours in understanding alcohol-related harms.20113.91%
Sustainability-related CSRCSRHighlighting specific CSR initiatives that focus on sustainability and/or environmentalism.16911.7%
COVID-19 as an opportunity for CSRCSRHighlighting the alcohol industry’s financial support for responding to COVID-19.15110.45%
Coalition-building with farmersAlcohol policy actorsDescribing efforts to support and promote the economic interests of farmers in Uganda.1157.96%
Strategic CSRCSRSeizing domestic and global developments as opportunities to highlight CSR credentials.896.16%
Illicit tradeAlcohol as a policy problemFocusing on illicit trade in Uganda as a priority for reducing alcohol-related harm.886.09%
Contribution of the industry to the economyAlcohol policy actors
CSR
Focusing on the importance of the alcohol industry to the economic health of Uganda.886.09%
Partnerships with the Uganda governmentAlcohol policy actorsStressing the close working relationship between the alcohol industry and different parts of the Ugandan government.825.67%
Lobbying government officialsAlcohol policy actorsIdentifying key interactions between alcohol industry actors and government officials in the context of Ugandan alcohol policy.573.94%
“Harmful drinking”Policy problemDescribing a specific pattern of alcohol consumption in which individuals are more likely to experience harm.372.56%
Driving under the influence of alcoholPolicy problem
CSR
Identifying driving under the influence of alcohol as a pressing alcohol-related issue to address.352.42%
Total1445100%

Alcohol as a policy problem

In addition to CSR, alcohol industry actors used social media to frame alcohol harms. The issues stemming from alcohol-related matters, however, were frequently presented in ways that aimed to safeguard the economic interests of producers.

“Responsible drinking”

A personal responsibility narrative frames the problem as the individual alcohol consumer, rather than the product or the producer. Alcohol harms were consistently depicted as a result of alcohol “misuse” by “irresponsible” individuals (n = 201).

“Harmful drinking”

Linked to “responsible drinking”, alcohol industry actors acknowledged some of the problems arising from alcohol consumption mainly through the lens of “harmful drinking” (n = 37). Much of the messaging around “responsible drinking” also references “harmful drinking” as the converse:

Niles Breweries identified the need to cultivate a better alcohol consumption culture: “We have a unique role to play in fostering a smart drinking culture – not only today, but every day. Proud to be a #SmartDrinkingChampion. #DrinkSmartToday”

UAIA often tries to distinguish those who drink alcohol from those who have problems with alcohol: “Let us separate Alcohol consumption & Alcohol Abuse because as a business we are never proud when alcohol is abused and the Responsible code is aimed at ensuring that the products are not abused by consumers and manufacturers.”

Illicit trade

Illicit trade was regularly tweeted about as one of the main contributors to alcohol-related harm (n = 88) and alcohol-related health risks. Posts also focused on the economic ramifications of the illicit market, highlighting that the government loses substantial revenue due to this market.

Driving under the influence of alcohol

Alcohol industry actors rarely acknowledged the most recognised harms associated with alcohol consumption, with the noteworthy exception of driving under the influence (n = 35). Some of these efforts took the form of specific CSR campaigns. For example, during the holiday season, Niles Breweries encouraged consumers to pledge that they would “enjoy responsibly” but not engage in driving under the influence of alcohol.

Driving under the influence of alcohol was also a common policy concern for UAIA. In introducing the association’s self-regulatory code of conduct, for instance, UAIA drew attention to what it perceived to be key alcohol policy issues.

The focus on these specific alcohol policy issues was prevalent in UAIA posts, suggesting that this is what alcohol industry actors wish policymakers and the public to concentrate on. For example: Efforts to curb driving under the influence of alcohol sometimes formed the basis of CSR campaigns initiated by alcohol producers.

Alcohol and health impacts

In the limited number of posts where health consequences were acknowledged, these often focused on alcohol’s short-term rather than long-term health effects. For example:

@NBLUganda: Beer tends to have a dehydrating effect on your body. Drinking water between your drinks can counter this effect, preventing hangovers, and making it a great experience. #SmartDrinkingWeek #ArtOfDrinking #GBRD22 #BeSmartDrinkSmart.

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

Alcohol policy actors

A significant proportion of the social media activity is devoted to framing the function, roles, and responsibilities of various alcohol policy actors, including the industry itself (n = 337). In many instances, social media was used to identify groups with which alcohol industry actors were collaborating on issues to which they wished to draw attention.

Coalition-building with farmers

One clear priority was to showcase the strength of the alcohol industry’s relationships with Ugandan farmers (n = 115). Farmers and the broader agricultural community in Uganda are frequently portrayed as indispensable and key strategic partners. Farmers were often used as political symbols, designed to indicate the alcohol industry’s support for a crucial constituency in Uganda. Farmers’ wellbeing was regularly identified as a key concern.

Associations of this nature reveal the interconnections between the industry’s efforts to engage in coalition-building, CSR, and informal lobbying.

Contribution to the economy

Social media efforts aimed to underscore the sector’s contribution to the Ugandan economy (n = 88), including as taxpayer and employer.

Partnerships with the Ugandan government

Alcohol industry actors also used X to emphasise significant partnerships with the Ugandan government (n = 82). These partnerships often took the form of joint activities or funding.

Alcohol companies were also portrayed by government officials as pivotal partners in delivering infrastructure projects to local communities:

@UgandaBreweries: “I worked with UBL to improve sanitation in Nakawa during my time as Mayor & I am still working with them. I thank the brewery for making the people of Nakawa a priority in their operations & ask them to continue.” – @RonaldBalimwezo, MP Nakawa East. #UBLGrowingUganda…”.

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

The willingness of the Ugandan government to partner with major alcohol companies on various health, social, and environmental initiatives likely reflects the government’s limited fiscal resources and policy capacity.

Lobbying government officials

The alcohol companies also highlighted the depth of their relationships with public officials (n = 57), including the Office of the President, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Finance. The nature of these interactions was not always explicit, yet the frequency of contacts reported on X suggests that alcohol producers have well-established connections within the Ugandan government. Some of these activities mirror alcohol industry-government interactions in other countries.

Industry actors, however, also gained access to government officials through one-off meetings. Government officials were often willing to express support for the alcohol industry. This sentiment was frequently highlighted by alcohol producers on social media. For instance, during an economic forum, Niles Breweries shared the following quote from the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija:

@NBLUganda: “I encourage my (fellow) Ugandans to support, by buying NBL products, so that they can continue expanding.” ~ Hon. @MatiaK5. #NBLEconomicForum.

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

Interactions with public officials were often used to reinforce specific problem-definitions and preferred policy solution frames.

Interactions with government officials were not limited to Ugandan officials. Alcohol industry actors also met with foreign diplomats.

Alcohol companies also had opportunities to strengthen relationships with government officials and other key policy actors in different informal settings. Uganda Breweries’ management, for example, was invited to the British High Commissioner’s residence in October 2022 to celebrate British-Ugandan relations. High-profile guests at this event included the Prime Minister of Uganda and several other key officials.

Alcohol policy solutions

Across the four policy-related core themes, discussions of alcohol policy solutions were the least prominent, but still received substantial attention on social media. Two key developments are important for contextualising this thematic content.

First, the Ugandan government approved a National Alcohol Control Policy in June 2019. The policy document identifies the scope of alcohol harms in Uganda, calls for strong regulation on production, availability, marketing and pricing, and the need for better research and monitoring of alcohol consumption patterns in Uganda. Despite this, government leadership has been largely absent.

Second, a private member’s bill, the Alcohol Control Bill, was introduced in the Ugandan parliament by the Honourable Sarah Opendi in November 2022 (subsequently becoming the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2023 in November 2023). The legislation proposes several key public health provisions, such as advertising restrictions, limiting the hours for alcohol sales in bars to 10:00 pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends, prohibiting sales to those under 18 years of age, and key licensing restrictions on alcohol sales. The legislation is currently undergoing scrutiny in various committees but has faced major opposition from alcohol industry groups.

Alcohol industry actors responded to these policy developments in a few different ways. Initially, the UAIA unveiled a “Mind Your Drink” public awareness campaign and associated political activity designed to curb the consumption of illicit alcohol. X was used to launch this campaign.

A common industry criticism is that weak enforcement is to blame for the illicit trade in Uganda and elsewhere. Alcohol industry actors used X to justify why addressing the illicit market, rather than introducing new population-level measures, should be the focus of policymakers.

The alcohol industry also took other steps to dissuade policymakers from broadening the scope of alcohol control efforts. In February 2023, the UAIA proposed a new regulatory code of conduct for producers (i.e., self-regulation), claimed not to substitute for regulations.

Posts from the UAIA also help illuminate the political context in which the code was developed. For example, as one industry insider explained in a speech to industry:

@uaia_ug_: … “the Responsible Code is timely since we have to change the perspective of consumption because what has been portrayed is hurting the industry and the workers. because [the alcohol industry] is a big source of employment”.

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

Finally, the brewers used social media to express their support for the code:

@UgandaBreweries:“The #UAIAResponsibleCode will create safeguards for consumers by regulating distributorship, marketing consumption of alcoholic beverages to protect the alcohol industry’s reputation & freedom of expression in brand activities across all our alcohol brands.” – @JulzKagwa.

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

Product marketing

Although marketing to consumers was not as prominent as the CSR and other policy-related themes, it still constituted one component of social media strategy. References to specific products and/or ways to acquire these products were the most common use of alcohol marketing (n = 83). Alcohol companies promoted their products, while the trade association never engaged in any such explicit product marketing.

Alcohol marketing was somewhat intertwined with problem-definition and CSR thematic content, as product advertisements were commonly accompanied by messages of “drink responsibly” (Diageo/Uganda Breweries) or “smart drinking” (AB InBev/Nile Breweries):

@UgandaBreweries: Midweek enjoyments with friends? Get the Johnnie Walker Black Label 1 L from Party Central by UBL at just Shs 131,600. Enjoy our unmistakably smooth, impressive whisky from Scotland. Drink Responsibly.

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

There were also clear connections between direct product marketing and other kinds of CSR content. While advertising its cider, for instance, Uganda Breweries highlighted its commitment to Ugandan farmers:

@UgandaBreweries: In as much as the taste of apples is refreshing and nice to enjoy, and while the brewery’s first intention is to avail wonderful products for the markets; the product (@tuskerciderug) came with the plight of farmers at the back of our minds.”

Lesch, M., Golder, S. & McCambridge, J. Corporate social responsibility, policy framing and strategic marketing: understanding the alcohol industry’s use of social media in Uganda. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 19, 31 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00611-z

Main take aways

Policy framing and CSR promotion by Diageo and AB InBev in Uganda is consistent with industry tactics elsewhere. Alcohol-related harm is presented narrowly, largely limited to illicit trade, driving under the influence of alcohol, and underage alcohol use, with little attention to health.

Self-regulation and government partnerships are touted as the most effective policy solutions, with a strong emphasis on personal responsibility.

The alcohol industry presents itself as indispensable to Uganda’s future and appears to have developed relationships with politicians and partnerships with the government, as well as having built a coalition with farmers.

This means the alcohol industry may be well positioned to oppose the WHO SAFER initiative and the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2023. This is so, even though their arguments lack substance and are directly at odds with the evidence.

Abstract

Background

Sub-Saharan Africa is important to the future of alcohol and global health because the alcohol market there is expanding rapidly in a relatively young population. This entails a corresponding contest about whether the policy measures adopted will be shaped by scientific evidence or by industry interference in alcohol policy. This study examines how alcohol industry actors use social media.

Methods

Uganda was selected for study because of high levels of alcohol harm and recent alcohol policy debates. Data on the X (formerly Twitter) activity of the Ugandan companies of AB InBev and Diageo, who are the two main brewers, and the trade association including both, were collected, coded and thematically analysed.

Results

X is used overwhelmingly by alcohol industry actors in Uganda to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) and alcohol policy framing content. There is little direct product marketing. The framing of policy problems and solutions, and of the actors involved in policymaking and CSR resembles that used elsewhere in the political strategies of the transnational alcohol corporations. Content which appears more emphasised in Uganda includes material on farmers, illicit trade and contribution to the economy. As elsewhere, it avoids giving attention to the policy measures which would make a difference to the levels of alcohol harms endured by Uganda. Rhetorically, X is thus used to create a parallel universe, in which the actual harms and what is known about how to reduce them are conspicuous by their absence.

Conclusions

The alcohol industry presents itself as indispensable to Uganda’s future and appears to have developed relationships with politicians, partnerships with government, and built a coalition with farmers. This means the alcohol industry may be well positioned to oppose public health policy measures, even though their arguments lack substance and are at odds with the evidence.


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