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5 Themes and Targets of Tobacco Advertising and Promotion As with any consumer product, tobacco industry marketing efforts show clear evidence of targeting specific population subgroups and using themes and strategies designed to build brand loyalty and market share. This chapter provides an overview of specific themes and population targets employed in tobacco advertising and promotion based on studies of marketing materials and tobacco industry documents. n Key tobacco marketing themes include taste and satisfaction, implied harm reduction, affinity with desirable social characteristics, brand loyalty, and smokers’ rights. n Specific targeting criteria for tobacco advertising and promotion can include age, gender, race or ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Such groups can be targeted directly—for instance, by focusing on rugged individualism for men or weight control for women—or indirectly through adult themes such as independence or peer acceptance that also appeal to young smokers. n Tobacco brands are frequently designed to appeal to specific market segments or population subgroups, such as blue-collar women, African Americans, and young adult smokers. In addition to advertising, promotional channels for tobacco products can include affinity magazines, direct mail, coupons for gift catalogs, and promotional booths at targeted venues as well as other niche-market efforts. Marketing objectives for these channels range from creating new markets to attracting young smokers who are making their long-term brand choice. Understanding targeted marketing is also an important consideration in designing tobacco control efforts. 141 5 . T h e m e s a n d Ta r g e t s o f To b a c c o A d v e r t i s i n g a n d P r o m o t i o n ban cigarette advertising on television Introduction and radio. The tobacco industry offered to voluntarily discontinue advertising As explained in chapter 3, the practice cigarettes on the broadcast media if of targeting marketing efforts to specific Congress would give the cigarette companies population subgroups is a general principle an exemption from antitrust laws to of marketing strategy and is therefore allow them to take this action in concert. common to most consumer marketing (Ultimately, Congress refused to grant such efforts. In addition, consumer marketing an exemption and instead passed a statutory seeks to develop and associate images or ban.) In testimony before Congress about themes appealing to the target audience the industry’s offer, Joseph F. Cullman III, with a consumer product, so that when chairman of the board of directors and consumers purchase the product, they chief executive officer of Philip Morris and subscribe to the image associated with it. chairman of the executive committee of the In these respects, tobacco is no different Tobacco Institute, explained how cigarette from any other consumer product. However, companies would market their products to the extent that such targeted marketing after leaving the broadcast media: efforts have resulted in greater smoking uptake and less smoking cessation in It is the intention of the cigarette the targeted subgroups, such marketing manufacturers to continue to avoid practices have contributed to the enormous advertising directed to young persons; to tobacco-related harms and costs faced by abstain from advertising in school and modern American society. college publications; not to distribute sample cigarettes or engage in promotional While chapter 7 presents details on the efforts on school and college campuses; effects of tobacco marketing on tobacco use, not to use testimonials from athletes this chapter aims to provide a descriptive or other celebrities who might have overview of population subgroups that have special appeal to young people; to avoid been targeted by specific tobacco industry advertising which represents that cigarette marketing strategies, and to give examples smoking is essential to social prominence, of how these strategies have been pursued, success, or sexual attraction; and to refrain so that readers can appreciate the nature from depicting smokers engaged in sports and scope of this activity. It also examines or other activities requiring stamina or the campaign themes and strategies conditioning beyond those required in used to reach these specific subgroups to normal recreation.1(Bates no. 2023375863) provide background and context to these targeted marketing efforts. The chapter is The themes and targets that Cullman said not exhaustive but provides examples of would be avoided in cigarette advertising images and appeals that have been made to were among those used extensively by specific population subgroups. In general, cigarette companies in the years to come. the chapter focuses on the United States, using data drawn from published studies Tobacco corporations have long identified of tobacco advertising materials and segments of the population with strong industry documents, but examples from potential as customers. Their research other countries are used when informative has produced tailored brand lines and or illustrative. sophisticated messages delivered through the communication channels with the In 1969, the U.S. Congress was considering greatest likelihood of reaching these groups. legislation that would, among other things, The objectives of these targeted marketing 142 M o n o g r a p h 1 9 . T h e R o l e o f t h e M e d i a activities are likely to include encouraging (cable television, Internet, etc.), which smoking initiation, establishing and makes it difficult to market effectively to maintaining brand loyalty, increasing the entire population. tobacco consumption, and averting cessation efforts2 (see chapter 7 for an Philip Morris, the largest tobacco corporation overview of effects of tobacco marketing in the United States, has developed on smoking behavior). Less direct but marketing plans and product lines based still potent public relations efforts are on consumer attitudes, aspirations, and aimed at the leadership of varied groups to lifestyles. According to Ling and Glantz’s5 discourage opposition to tobacco marketing review of industry documents, the young activities and to salvage tobacco corporate adult categories include groups such as reputations; such public relations efforts Enlightened Go-Getters, 90s Traditionalists, are discussed further in chapter 6. Mavericks, 50s Throwbacks, Uptown Girls, and Macho Hedonists. Marlboro, for example, would appeal to the 50s Throwbacks, while Segmentation, Marlboro Lights are for Uptown Girls. This same analysis describes R.J. Reynolds’s Tailoring, and Targeting plan for the early 1990s in which the From the early days of organized tobacco company identified young adult smoker marketing, there have been products and segments with personal concerns about messages aimed at particular demographic smoking, social guilt about their image and and psychographic groups, beginning with their sidestream smoke, “smart” or “quality” adult males in the 1920s, then moving or price-sensitive shoppers, and young to youth and young adults, women, and smokers with an irreverent approach to life specific ethnic populations. This breakdown or concerns about originality and status. is done, according to Pollay and colleagues,3 Both corporations tackle young adult price to maximize sales and profits, using unique concerns by using marketing strategies such combinations of advertising, packaging, as free samples and coupons in locations distribution channels, prices, and other where young adults take on new behaviors— strategies to catch the interest of specific for example, bars, colleges, workplaces, market segments. As discussed in detail and the military. in chapter 3, these segments may be defined by demographic variables such In a similar vein, Cook and colleagues6 as gender, ethnicity, or age. They may reviewed industry documents to identify also be segmented according to a group’s market segments based on psychological needs, values, and aspirations, described needs such as obesity reduction, stress below as psychographic niches, and once relief, and personal image. They found characterized by the industry as “tobacco­ that new tobacco products were designed graphics” population groups.4 and old tobacco brands extended to meet the specific needs of identified segments. Several studies (described below) review the Product design features may vary by taste, evolution of major tobacco corporations’ size, tar and nicotine levels, sidestream plans of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s for smoke, filtration, price, and packaging with market segments that are defined by the specific psychographic market segments in population, traits, values, and needs of mind for each set of features.5,6 potential smokers. Targeting becomes increasingly important as consumer Campaigns are tailored for these niches by presence is fragmented across a growing using special models, messages, settings, multiplicity of communication channels values, and product features. Camel’s virile 143 5 . T h e m e s a n d Ta r g e t s o f To b a c c o A d v e r t i s i n g a n d P r o m o t i o n male model of the late 1970s, the “Turk,” is a case in point of a campaign designed to grab the attention and appeal to the desires of male aspirants to the Turk’s lifestyle. His look was dark and handsome, and he appeared to live an adventurous outdoor life surrounded by sexy women.7 The stylish imagery of Winston’s metal­ flask–shaped S-2 cigarette package was aimed at young trend-setting males. Basic’s pricing strategies and folksy direct mail Copenhagen booth at PRCA Rodeo, Rancho Mission newsletters are geared toward a different Viejo, California, 2002 niche: price-conscious, established, older smokers. The new Camel Exotic Blends are expansions of the Camel line designed for trend-setting young adults and flavored to appeal to newer smokers. Campaigns target or reach specific groups via channels used by concentrations of these populations at times when they may be persuaded to initiate smoking or may be making other kinds of changes in their lives.

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