Table 2. Tactics used by the TI when attempting to influence marketing regulation.
Strategy (number of times identified) | Tactic | Number of times identified, by geography | |
Information (44) | Direct lobbying (meetings and correspondence with legislators/policymakers) | 23 : Africa –1 [38]; Asia –3 [45] [43] [46]; Australasia –2 [48] [37]; Europe –7 [36] [36] [54] [53] [53] [51] [52]; N.America –6 [65] [71] [63] [70] [37] [82]; S.America –3 [77] [76] [74]; Transnational –1 [81] | |
Indirect lobbying (using third parties, including front groups, to lobby on the industry’s behalf) | 10 : Europe –5 [36] [36] [54] [53] [52]; N.America –5 [58] [68] [71] [61] [37] | ||
Shaping the evidence base | Commissioning, writing (or ghost writing), or disseminating research/publications1 | 7 : Australasia –2 [47] [48]; Europe –2 [53] [51]; N.America –3 [71] [36] [37] | |
Preparing position papers, technical reports or data on impacts (including economic impact studies) | 2 : Europe –2 [54] [53] | ||
Establishing industry/policymaker collaboration (e.g. via working group, technical group, advisory group)/work alongside policymakers providing technical support/advice | 2 : Europe –2 [54] [51] | ||
Constituency building (42) | External constituency building | Form alliances with and mobilise other industry sectors/business/trade organisations | 15 : Asia –1 [46]; Australasia –1 [48]; Europe –5 [36] [53] [53] [52] [51]; N.America –6 [68] [60] [71] [63] [66] [37]; S.America –2 [77] [76] |
Media advocacy (press releases, publicity campaigns, public hearings, interviews) | 7 : Europe –3 [50] [54] [53]; N.America –4 [71] [37] [82] [83] | ||
Form alliances with or mobilize unions/civil society organizations/consumers/employees/the public | 6 : Australasia –1 [48]; Europe –3 [54] [53] [53]; N.America –2 [60] [61] | ||
Creation of front groups or astroturf organisations2 | 3 : Europe –2 [53] [51]; N.America –1 [60] | ||
Internal constituency building | Collaboration between companies/development of pan-industry group or industry trade association3 | 11 : Asia –1 [40]; Australasia –2 [47] [48]; Europe –3 [36] [54] [51]; N.America –2 [36] [37]; S.America –2 [77] [76]; Transnational –1 [81] | |
Policy substitution4 (32) | Develop/promote (new or existing) voluntary code/self-regulation | 18 : Asia –7 [40] [45] [41] [42] [43] [44] [46]; Australasia –1 [47]; Europe –5 [36] [50] [53] [52] [51]; N.America –2 [55] [62]; S.America –2 [77] [76]; Transnational –1 [81] | |
Develop/promote alternative regulatory policy5 | 8 : Asia –1 [46]; Australasia –1 [48]; Europe –1 [53]; N.America –2 [71] [64]; S.America –2 [77] [74]; Transnational –1 [83] | ||
Develop/promote non-regulatory initiative (generally seen to be ineffective/less effective, e.g. education programmes) | 6 : Africa –1 [38]; Asia –1 [46]; N.America –1 [83]; S.America –2 [76] [74]; Transnational –1 [81] | ||
Legal (15) | Pre-emption | 6 : N.America –6 [55] [69] [70] [63] [64] [66] | |
Using litigation/threat of legal action | 9 : Africa –2 [37] [37]; Asia –1 [39]; Australasia –1 [48]; Europe –2 [54] [79]; N.America –3 [57] [60] [72] | ||
Constituency fragmentation and destabilization (2) | Preventing the emergence of, neutralising and/or discrediting potential opponents (individuals, organisations or coalitions) | 2 : N.America –2 [71] [61] | |
Financial Incentive (2) | Providing current or offering future employment to those in influential role | 1 : Europe –1 [53] | |
Gifts, entertainment or other direct financial inducement | 1 : Europe –1 [52] |
Including research/publications intended to undermine or misrepresent existing evidence.
Creation of group for specific purpose of working against proposed policy.
Routine use of a trade association was not counted, industry collaboration had to be ‘active’.
Includes efforts to prevent the implementation of ‘anticipated’ policies.
In some cases, industry uses legislators to promote their alternative policies.