Tobacco I The cigarette industry has
The USA has come to terms well with the more restrictive advertising regulations.
Community-building events are booming.
Since 1998, when the tobacco companies in the
USA imposes extensive restrictions, especially in its marketing practices
imposed, the icon of the American smoker, the
"Marlboro Man", disappeared from the public eye. The next
generation will have erased it from their consciousness. In fact, Marlboro lost a lot of its public image in the eight years of
The fact that they are being hushed up hardly leaves the ground under their feet. Four out of ten
smokers in America reach for a Marlboro. 50 percent of the 69
Billion dollar industry dominated by market leader Philip
Morris, thanks to the pulling power of its top brands Marlboro, Virginia Slims and
Parliament. "The cigarette industry is bigger than the beer and
beverage industry," says Pascal Fernandez, Marketing Vice President at
Philip Morris, at a conference of the American Marketing Association
this year.
Fernandez also did something here that was not reported in the media, at
universities and elsewhere is much talked about in public:
How the tobacco industry operates in times of an extensive advertising ban and
the increasing taboo of smoking at all marketing
can operate. Under pressure from the government authorities, the 1998
Under the so-called "Master Settlement Agreement", a payment of
246 billion dollars within 25 years to the 50
US federal states, the public image of the US was transformed.
of the companies abruptly: If they previously had the image of a
manufacturer of exquisite luxury foods, their most important
mission from then on, an educational campaign about the risks of smoking
to cite. Television commercials about the health risks of smoking
These funds are used not only by the authorities, but also by the
the companies to this day.
Advertising for consumers only
Under constant fire from vociferous anti-smoking organizations
Philip Morris - like other tobacco companies - limits itself to
now officially refrains from selling its goods to the already smoking
consumers. The second focus is on the
POS advertising. To enable retailers to place the cigarettes at
attractive positions such as the cash register, they are given the opportunity to
and price reductions. Especially in the first three years after the
ban, this was a popular marketing strategy, says Tyzoon Tyebjee,
Marketing professor at the University of Santa Clara. "Everything you
achieved with the advertising ban is that the companies have found other ways of
to get their message out to the people," he says. "Instead of
radio and television commercials, you advertise through other channels.
channels."
However, the Settlement Agreement left some loopholes for the groups
open, as it explicitly distinguishes between advertising for
public events and functions that are only open to adults, such as bars and restaurants.
Nightclubs. "Marketing companies are allowed to use marketing in
to run locations that are only for adults," it says
in it. Advertising material such as direct mail and free sample packs
are still used today after the recipient has provided evidence that
had to be over 21 years old. The companies here make an effort to
special attention, since the topic of youth marketing is a
sensitive issue in the USA.
Loyal smokers rewarded
This was also emphasized during the 50-year Marlboro celebrations.
respected. Exclusive performances in 49 US cities by stars like Lenny
Kravitz and Marc Anthony were there for a hand-picked - adult - audience.
- audience. Most of the participants were smokers who
has been added to the well-maintained Philip Morris customer database
and among whom, as a reward for their loyalty, concert tickets
were raffled off. Other incentives for Marlboro smokers include visits to
the Crazy Mountain Ranch in Montana, where rodeos, snowmobiling and
Rafting are the order of the day. Evening campfires and free drinks
sweeten the authentic Marlboro atmosphere. In addition, there are
a "Marlboro racing school", where participants can drive real racing cars on
real race tracks with the help of real racing drivers. "Many
Marlboro smokers want to hear from us and want to work with our brands.
interact," Fernandez is convinced.
If you can't make it to the Marlboro adventure parks, you can still get
a catalog with clothing, riding equipment and other products. Who
diligently cuts out the barcode labels on cigarette packs,
collects "Marlboro Miles" and can then exchange them for a jacket.
or riding boots. On the occasion of Marlboro's birthday, loyal
smokers also receive a gift card worth 35 dollars,
Ashtray or cigarette lighter. Generous
Discount offers are gladly accepted by smokers: Did they get
their Marlboros for four dollars a pop in their birthday year.
carton, that's 40 cents per pack.
Such perks and exclusive events give the afflicted
American smokers also have the feeling of being part of a marginalized
minority, which makes them all the more united. "Many smokers
feel excluded and have the impression that they are being
discriminated against," says Norman Kjono from the consumer lobby
"Forces", which also stands up for smokers' rights. Kjono points out
also pointed out that companies such as Philip Morris have a "difficult
PR strategy": On the one hand, customers are presented with prices and
The carrot of the Marlboro Ranch experience, but with
the educational campaigns against smoking at the same time as the
Whip. "You are getting conflicting signals."
Another successful means of getting the message out to the people
the tobacco companies have invested in the comparatively inexpensive
Campaigns found: The customer of events or other perks,
via Internet chat rooms or word-of-mouth propaganda.
is distributed. One successful example was the "Marlboro Outwit the
West" campaign in the
last year, a contest in which the participants compete as in a
had to collect trivia about the cigarette brand
and at the same time through Montana, the home of "Marlboro Country",
were allowed to travel.
Methods reach Europe
Also in England, where a similar advertising ban applies as in the USA,
Marlboro is trying to introduce alternative forms of advertising. Here
increasingly working with "experiential marketing", a form of
blend of design and aesthetics that makes the brand more appealing to customers.
than directly invites him to buy. The owners of upmarket
Bars are offered here, in return for financial incentives, so-called
to set up "installations": Seating areas with red and white sofas and
screens showing videos of the rugged beauty of the
American West are shown - allusions to the "Marlboro
Man" and his cigarette, without the brand being mentioned directly.
will.
Competitor RJ Reynolds has now gone the furthest with this concept. In the
In January, the tobacco manufacturer launched its new luxury brand Marshall
McGearty, which are purchased exclusively in the associated tobacco lounge.
can be. This lounge, which has now opened in Chicago,
is not only characterized by red plush sofas and heavy
brocade curtains, but above all by the fact that the cigarettes from
hand-rolled by a "tobacconist" for eight dollars a pack.
The concept has generated a lot of PR stories so far and, if
successfully tried out in other cities.
Gerti Schön
