Hilary STOUT

Marketing manager for Smirnoff Ice, sponsors of the Road Safety Campaign 2004

Why a campaign on road safety?

The World Health Organisation figures show that 1.2 million people lose their lives in road accidents across the world each year and hundreds of thousands more are injured. The June 2004 edition of the Economist also published a report that said Mauritius was among the countries with the one of the highest rates of road accident deaths per capita in the world. With the festive season fast approaching, the number of people who drink and drive will dramatically increase. People will die on the roads again. We believe it is crucial to sensitise the public on the dangers of drink driving. Most people who go out to party, drive and carry passengers. Cars are the only means of transport at night in Mauritius and taxis are costly and are thus seldom used. The temptation to drink and drive is very high in Mauritius.

Should your campaign not rather focus on the dangers of alcohol then?

No, that would not be honest since we sell and market alcoholic products. What we are saying is: make it a night you won?t forget, not one you won?t remember. People go out and party and many of them drink. This is a fact and alcoholic products are sold to respond to a demand. But when you drink, you should not drive. It?s illegal, it?s dangerous not only to you but to other road users.

Fair enough. But it does seem slightly contradictory, if not hypocritical, doesn?t it, that Smirnoff is sponsoring a campaign on road safety?

Like any company that manufactures, sells and markets alcoholic products, we have a social responsibility. This is in keeping with our company values, our consumer focus and in line with our principles to act as a good corporate citizen company. Diageo, owner of Smirnoff Ice, committed about £1 million to support the World Health Day 2004 in April, which had for theme Safe Roads. We are doing the same for Mauritius. We have started including a message to this effect in our advertisements, both in the press and on outdoor billboards advising people to drink responsibly.

What exactly does the Road Safety Campaign consist of?

We have an ongoing radio campaign on Radio One. We have chosen humour to pass the message. There are sketches that are broadcast every weekday at peak hours. Humour has been used because it has been established that, when people are laughing, they are more open and receptive to information, which they are then better able to retain. On top of that, there will soon be billboards and TV adverts to support the radio campaign. We have also printed and distributed 50,000 responsible drinking guidelines advising people of the legal limit for drinking and driving in Mauritius, how to measure how much alcohol they may drink etc. All with the same message: the only fail-safe way to ensure you are not over the limit is NOT to drink and drive.