Effective August 27, 2024, businesses operating in select verticals and countries, will be able to leverage the WhatsApp Business Platform for enhanced customer engagement. This landmark shift allows companies specializing in alcohol, over-the-counter (OTC) medication, and Online Gaming and Gambling to utilize WhatsApp’s robust conversational messaging capabilities to engage with their audiences more effectively.

Uncorking New Opportunities: Alcohol Enterprises

For businesses in the alcohol sector, this amendment opens a treasure trove of possibilities. Whether you’re a local brewery or a swanky cocktail lounge, the ability to promote your brand on WhatsApp can significantly enhance your customer outreach. Here are some specific examples:

1. Alcoholic Product Promotions: Brands can now utilize WhatsApp to showcase new products, special editions, and seasonal offerings directly to consumers. Say goodbye to expensive advertising campaigns and hello to personalized marketing messages.
2. Grocery Businesses: Supermarkets and smaller grocery stores that stock alcoholic products can alert customers to special discounts, offers, and new arrivals. Imagine sending a quick message to customers about a flash sale on a popular brand of beer—pure marketing gold!
3. Event Venues: Whether it’s a music festival, a craft beer-tasting event, or a high-end gala, venues that primarily depend on alcohol sales can now keep ticket-holders informed and excited via WhatsApp.

Alcohol vertical – sample use cases allowed by Meta:

• Businesses using WhatsApp to promote alcoholic products or brands
• Grocery businesses using WhatsApp to promote alcohol products
• Venues and events in which the primary business model depends on alcohol sales

Alcohol vertical – sample use cases not allowed by Meta:

• Businesses using WhatsApp to directly transact in the sale of alcohol products or brands
• Grocery businesses using WhatsApp to engage in direct buying and selling of alcohol products

Alcohol vertical – Regions allowed by Meta:

WhatsApp Business messaging that promotes alcohol must comply with all applicable local laws, required or established industry codes, guidelines, licenses and must comply with age and country requirements consistent with applicable local laws. Messaging may not be sent to people under 18 years of age.

Please visit the WhatsApp Business Policy link to get a detailed list of countries allowed: https://business.whatsapp.com/policy

Over-the-Counter Medication: Enhancing Conversational Capabilities

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, which include a variety of common medicinal products such as anti-inflammatories, allergy medications, antiseptics, and more, have always needed a diverse range of communication channels to reach their audiences. Here’s how pharmacies and drugstores can make the most of this new change:

1. Pharmacies/Drugstores: Pharmacies and drugstores may use all WhatsApp features, including commerce product features for grocery and convenience items; however, for OTC drugs, they may engage in messaging only. Businesses are at all times prohibited from using the WhatsApp Business Platform for promoting, or otherwise facilitating the exchange of prescription drugs and recreational drugs.
2. Drugstore Networks: Larger networks can utilize commerce tools for products beyond OTC drugs while ensuring their messaging abides by the guidelines. A pharmacy could use WhatsApp to notify customers about an ongoing sale on antiseptics or topical creams.

OTC vertical – sample use cases allowed by Meta:

• Pharmacies or drugstores that also offer convenience and/or grocery items
• Pharmacies or drugstores that also offer over-the-counter drugs
• Pharmacies or drug stores using WA commerce tools for convenience or grocery items, not over-the-counter drugs

OTC vertical – sample use cases not allowed by Meta:

• Pharmacies that only sell prescription drugs
• Pharmacies or drug stores using WhatsApp commerce tools for prescription or OTC drugs

OTC vertical – Regions allowed by Meta:

WhatsApp Business messaging that promotes over-the-counter drugs must comply with all applicable local laws, required or established industry codes, guidelines, licenses and must comply with age and country requirements consistent with applicable local laws. Messaging may not be sent to people under 18 years of age.

Please visit the WhatsApp Business Policy link to get a detailed list of countries allowed: https://business.whatsapp.com/policy

Roll the Dice: Online Gaming & Gambling

Perhaps the most cautiously expanded sector is Online Gaming and Gambling. Here, the rules are more stringent, but the opportunities are vast:

1. Online Gambling and Gaming: With prior written permission from WhatsApp, businesses can promote real money gambling activities or gaming online. This is a golden opportunity for those operating in regions where online gambling is legal.
2. Physical Gambling Establishments: Think casinos, betting shops, and even state lotteries. By gaining authorization, these businesses can engage with their customer base, offering exclusive deals, event notifications, and more.

However, businesses must complete a contact form and comply with legal and WhatsApp-specific requirements to gain access to these new functionalities. Compliance is key, especially given the sensitive nature of real money gambling.

Meta defines online gambling and gaming as any product or service where anything of monetary value is included as part of a method of entry and prize. Monetary value includes but is not limited to cash or digital currencies like Bitcoin.

Online gambling and gaming activities include:

• All forms of online gambling. Some common types of gambling include betting, lotteries, raffles, casino games, fantasy sports, bingo, poker, skill game tournaments, and sweepstakes.
• Games where anything of monetary value is part of entry, and games where anything of monetary value is part of the prize. This includes games that require purchases to continue gameplay or to provide an advantage in winning prizes (in cases where the prize is of monetary value).
• Promotions for online gambling or games, even if there is no opportunity to gamble or game directly within the WhatsApp chat.

The following activities do not require permission from Meta to message on the WhatsApp Business Platform. However, organizations engaged in these activities must comply with all applicable local laws.

• Physical, real money gambling activity, or establishments like “brick and mortar” casinos, entertainment events at casinos, or the streaming of offline poker tournaments.
• State or government lotteries, as long as the business is directly or exclusively responsible for running the lottery.
• Prize promotions that involve purchasing a product at the usual retail price, so long as online gambling isn’t the primary business model of the business or any featured brand.
• Entirely free-to-play games.

Online Gaming & Gambling vertical – sample use cases allowed by Meta:

• Online gambling or gaming businesses (requires written permission from WhatsApp)
• Physical, real-money gambling activity or establishments
• State or government lotteries

Online Gaming & Gambling – sample use cases not allowed by Meta:

• Online gambling or gaming businesses that have not been approved by WhatsApp

Online Gaming & Gambling vertical – Regions allowed by Meta:

WhatsApp Business messaging that promotes online gambling and gaming must comply with all applicable local laws, required or established industry codes, guidelines, licenses and must comply with age and country requirements consistent with applicable local laws. Messaging may not be sent to people under 18 years of age.

Please visit the WhatsApp Business Policy link to get a detailed list of countries allowed: https://business.whatsapp.com/policy

New Verticals and The Road Ahead

This new policy adaptation by Gupshup represents a strategic pivot that promises to empower businesses across these newly included verticals. Leveraging WhatsApp Business API allows for direct, personalized conversational engagement, opening doors to innovative marketing strategies that hitherto seemed implausible.

As we look forward to the road ahead, businesses across the alcohol, OTC medication, and real money gaming sectors should start preparing to harness the power of WhatsApp’s direct messaging capabilities. With the potential for increased customer engagement and streamlined communication, the future undoubtedly seems exciting.

While the recent developments by Meta, allowing businesses from certain prohibited verticals to engage with customers on the WhatsApp Business Platform, mark a significant shift, it is crucial to underline that this access is still governed by local country laws. This means businesses must ensure they are fully compliant with national and regional laws concerning the sale and promotion of alcohol, over-the-counter medications, and real-money gaming. For instance, if a country has stringent advertising restrictions for alcohol or prohibitions on certain types of gambling, these laws will supersede Meta’s permissions. Therefore, businesses must perform thorough due diligence and possibly consult legal experts to ensure their communication strategies adhere not just to platform guidelines but also to the overarching legal requirements in their respective regions. By navigating these dual compliance landscapes, companies can better safeguard their operations and maintain consumer trust.

For more details on Meta’s policy on new verticals, please refer to this link: https://business.whatsapp.com/policy

In conclusion, this is a great opportunity for brands from the alcohol & beverage as well as Real Money Gaming and OTC industries to engage with customers on WhatsApp. And, while WhatsApp can help brands reach their target audience, delivering unique conversational experiences is equally important to ensure sustained engagement. As Meta’s Premium Business Partner, Gupshup provides the conversational cover over WhatsApp through Gen AI-powered chatbots and enriches WhatsApp’s features to help brands deliver superlative experiences.

Click here to register your interest to be on WhatsApp when the window opens and to know more about Gupshup’s Conversational Solutions on WhatsApp.