Strategic Bridging: Marketing Communication and Tobacco

Industry
Parth Modi · Nikita Sorokin

In the 21st century, Tobacco in the society is considered to be a health danger and
thus the companies are forced to be ethical and socially responsible (BAT, 2011). A
tobacco company cannot act similarly in all their markets as the regulations differ
everywhere. The companies have to be really innovative and yet socially responsible to
attract consumers. The questions that are assessed here are: How the future marketing
environment will change? How to increase profitability after following all government
regulations? How to conduct advertising for controversial products in future?

On one hand the governments spend billions of dollars to decrease the death ratio
and improve the life mortality, and on the other hand the 35 billion a year tobacco
industry kills 1000 people a day just in USA. It is essential to know how the
implementation of better marketing communication is beneficial to tobacco companies
and anti-smoking organisations.

Generally for all the products marketing is done visually through various media
channels like Internet, TV advertisements, public commercials, product placement and
events. But for the tobacco industry, the use of such media is prohibited.

The purpose of this study is to search how the companies attract customers
without usage of the public media and crossing the borders accepted by the society. We
would like to analyse different factors that may influence companies’ communication
strategies in order to provide different stakeholders with knowledge how the marketing
communication is conducted on controversial products with restrictions.

The results may be implemented by the anti-smoking organisations. To design

their further policy they have to take in to consideration, which of the advertising tools
and methods are more efficient for the target audience. Marketers of these products,
which can be also classified as controversial or offensive, would be interested in
knowing how is it done by the tobacco industry since the methods used might be similar.
The results will be beneficial for many parties like the tobacco producers, anti-smoking
organisations and society as a whole.
 Heikki T. Hiilamo 2007. The impact of strategic funding by the Tobacco
Industry of medical expert witnesses appearing for the defense in the Aho Finnish
product liability case. Vol. 102; Issue 6; No. 979
DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0433.2007.01794.x

Keywords: Tobacco Lawsuit, medical testifying, research funding, tobacco industry,

medical research

The purpose of this study was to recognize the evaluation of the Tobacco
industry by hiring medical expert witnesses.

A methodical research was done for internal tobacco documents accessible on

the Internet and at British American Tobacco (BAT). Lawsuits by petitioners with Cancer
filled against the tobacco industry of Finland were used as a study- to manipulate
science and its usage and placement in protecting a product liability claim.

According to the study, 33 of the 45 medical expert witnesses received funding

before or after the testifying. One of the plans was to employ those scientists as
witnesses who were working with the industry since 1960s. Another plan was to use
research funding for establishing contacts with new medical expert witnesses to
strengthen existing contacts or to pay back the helpful experts!

The Industry paid majority of the experts appearing for it. This may have
unconsciously influenced the testimony given by the experts. This article helped us to
understand that even after the hiring of the experts, scientific research, and time used, it
was not proved to be too efficient and useful but the study still gives us a better
understanding of the topic. So, it would be helpful to establish norms to guide courts to
understand the influences exerted by the tobacco industry in the preparation of cases
requiring expert evidence.

 M Wakefield; C Morley; J K Horan; K M Cummings (2002). The Cigarette

pack as Image: New Evidence from Tobacco Industry documents.Tobacco
Control 2002; 11:i73-i80 
DOI:10.1136/tc.11.suppl_1.i73

Keywords: Market competition, cigarette packing, brand image, health attention, social
visibility
 This study was undertaken to gain the understanding of the role of the packaging
of Cigarette on the decision making process of the consumers.

Traditionally, the packaging was provided to retain the quality of the tobacco of
the cigarette. Unlike other products, the Cigarette pack is unique as the consumer keeps
it with him for the whole day. It started being a part of the clothing. Due to the increasing
competitors and new brands emerging in the market every year, companies started
designing the packs uniquely for their products to create an image. Due to the high
visibility of the advertising on the cigarette pack, it was knows as badge product.

Research shows that due to the tighter restrictions on the conventional avenues
for the tobacco marketing, Tobacco companies view cigarette packaging as an integral
component of the marketing strategy.

Cigarette pack design is one of the most important communication device for
cigarette brands as it acts as an advertising tool. This study teaches us that people are
misled by the pack design thinking that the cigarettes may be safer. Thus the pack of the
cigarettes should be created attractive but with the visual warnings and threats that
won’t mislead the smokers.

 N Hafez; P M Ling 2005. How Philip Morris built Marlboro into a global brand
for young adults: implications for international tobacco control. Tobacco Control
2005; Vol. 12; No. 262
DOI: 10.1136/tc.2005.011189

Keywords: Lifestyles, global market, brand image, young adults, conventional tobacco
control

The purpose of this study was to define Philip Morris’ global market research and
international marketing strategies for young adult on the basis of analysis done in past
by Tobacco Industry.

The key study was based on the brand’s (image, positioning, equality and
identity); lifestyle and communication. Philip Morris pursued standardized market
research and strategic marketing plans in different regions throughout the world using
research on young adults with three principle foci: lifestyle/psychographic research,
brand studies, and advertising/communication effectiveness. Philip Morris identified
core similarities in the lifestyles and needs of young consumers worldwide, such as
independence, hedonism, freedom, and comfort. In the early 1990s Philip Morris
adopted standardized global marketing efforts, creating a central advertising production
bank and guidelines for brand images and promotions, but allowing regional managers
to create regionally appropriate individual advertisements.

This article helps us to understand that Values and Lifestyles play a central role
in the global marketing of Tobacco for young adults. Marketing initiatives, strong and
coherent global marketing policies such as conventional framework on Tobacco control,
are needed to break associations between young adults and tobacco brands. Effective
Tobacco Control message has to be passed that requests young adults to be cautious,
which can also be expanded globally by being adapted to match the regional values.

 Kelly D., Kenneth E. W. (2009). The Perils of Ignoring History: Big Tobacco

Played Dirty and Millions Died. How Similar Is Big Food? Vol. 81; Issue 1; No. 259
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00555.x

Keywords: Food Industry, ethics, tobacco industry, policies, obesity

“Frank statement to Cigarette Smokers”, it was an article that was published in all
the newspapers of U.S in 1954 by the Tobacco Industry! It was published to show that
the industry is concerned about public’s health above everything and promising to
implement some good-faith changes but nothing happened and these actions did cost
millions of lives. The purpose of this study was to highlight important lessons from this
experience and recommend future actions for the industry.

This industry had a playbook that highlights- personal obligations and concerns,
compensating scientists who delivered research that imparted doubt, disapproving the
Junk science that found harm by smoking, making pledges and introducing safe products.
The script of the food industry is both similar to and different from the tobacco industry
script.

Tobacco cannot be considered as a part of food and both the industries differ
from each other in many ways, though there are some similarities in the actions of these
industries in response to the harm caused by their products. Before some decades
tobacco was a rising problem and it wasn’t effectively controlled; while the current
rising global problem is Obesity, and such a repeat history as of the Tobacco use
negligence cannot be afforded.

 Tuckson, R. V. (1989). Race, sex, economics, and tobacco advertising. Journal

of the National Medical Association, 81(11), 1119

Key words: Tobacco industry, anti-smoking organisations, health problems,

competition, advertising.

The purpose of this article was to create recommendations to protect the health
of children, women, and minorities. In short, the main target was to protect the health of
all Americans.

The author mentions the scale of tobacco harm on society, tobacco producers’
marketing policy and their targets and the political anti-tobacco campaigns to show the
tragic impact of tobacco advertising. This article shows us the amount of harm produced
by the tobacco consumption highlighting the real predator face of this industry.

 Laczniak, G. R., & Murphy, P. E. 2006. Normative perspectives for ethical and
socially responsible marketing. Journal of Macromarketing, 26(2), 154-177.

DOI: 10.1177/0276146706290924

Key words: Ethical marketing, normative marketing theory, marketing norms and
values, socially responsible marketing, marketing ethics.

Purpose of this article was to provide marketers with an instrument for

evaluating and improving marketing ethics.

The essential business perspectives that companies have to consider for meeting
the baseline of society’s expectations are stated. The research helped us to estimate the
social outcomes attributable to the tobacco marketing system.

 Carlson, M., & Chris Luhrs (in press). The Ethics of Tobacco Marketing. Ethica
Publishing. Retrieved August 27, 2013, from
http://www.ethicapublishing.com/confronting/5CH9.pdf

Key words: Tobacco marketing, duty-based ethics, teens, Marlboro man, list of duties.

The goal of this article was to present the reader some deceitful marketing tactics
used by the main tobacco industry players.

The author considers modern tobacco advertising campaigns on the basis of

principles developed by the German philosopher Emanuel Kant. The article enhanced
our knowledge about the methods, which were implemented in the tobacco industry to
target teens. Also it was fruitful to understand the role of consumer satisfaction in
driving tobacco profits.

 Moore, J., & Reinardy, S. (2012). Liars, Killers and Bobbleheads: Behind the
Rhetoric of the Target Market Anti-tobacco Campaign. Journal of Media Psychology,
17(2).

Keywords: Rhetorical Analysis, anti-tobacco campaigns, social learning theory,

persuasive techniques, emotional proof.

The purpose of this study was to examine the central components of the
television anti-tobacco advertisements aimed at teens and to provide substantial
knowledge about effectiveness of different persuasion techniques.

In the first part of the article the author introduce us to the message of one of the
first anti-tobacco company, started by the Clinton in USA: “Only adults should ever face
the decision to smoke or not”. In the second part the author shows the real message and
the hidden effect of such advertisements. And at last the author demonstrates the key
elements of an anti-tobacco campaign that does not follow the traditional social
marketing approach. This article brings us up to date on anti-tobacco promotion and at
the same time showed us the problem of such attempts, the wrong use of teen’s
rebelliousness.

In conclusion, the biggest founding of this research is that the tobacco industry has to
change their strategy on how they can conduct marketing communication. They are
currently very focused on the B2B market since the restrictions have made it difficult to
reach end-consumers. The market is growing but the relationships and the
responsibilities are not the same. In the future the manufacturers will need to come up
with new strategies to keep being popular with the retailers since they are right now
depending a lot on them to reach out to the final consumers. It is well known that the
tobacco industry is highly flexible and responsive in accommodating restrictions to its
ability to advertise and promote cigarettes. Previous research has shown that the
industry is able to compensate for its inability to advertise in one medium by
transferring advertising dollars to other marketing activities.

The tobacco market is growing. This implies that the restrictions have not
affected the market or it implicates that the tobacco industry has managed to be creative
in order to retain their customers. The biggest change that has been made because of the
restrictions is that the manufacturers target most of their marketing communication
towards the retailer and depend on them to reach the end-consumers. The market
where the tobacco industry is operating will need to be even more creative and even
start with new channels of communication since there is no sign that the restrictions will
be lessened.

Due to governmental and cross-governmental regulations, which are trying to

secure society from the smoking, by keeping the restrictions of available media sources
and distribution channels, the business adapted to the new policy. It has changed its
distribution from B2C to the B2B2C as a result and the retailers do the biggest part of the
dirty work for the Tobbaco Industry. Gathered information allowed us to identify
current urgent issues of the tobacco marketing industry, influencers on the tobacco
market, it`s main trends and new challenges.

Different media analyses have shown that industry have nothing in common with
the principles of ethics and responsibility postulated by different authors namely-
Emanuel Kant, John Bishop, Williams and Murthy or organisation like American
Marketing Association principles through the history of humanity. More than that it is
important to stress that trends in tobacco marketing have rarely changed, now days the
main victims of the tobacco industry are the weakest members of society: women, racial
minorities, poor and developing markets and teens. Thus, gathered information allowed
us to identify current urgent issues of the tobacco marketing industry, influencers on the
tobacco market, its main trends and new challenges.