Tobacco marketing in the contemporary world

Résumé du document

After being brought back from the New World and being cultivated first in Portugal during the 16th century, tobacco has gradually become a good for mass consumption all around the world, passing from a status of medicinal plant to the one of a luxury product and eventually to something very cool, that everybody, even the poorest, can afford. But this sharp image that occurred during the first part of the second half of the 20th century, beginning with the American GI's smoking cigarettes and then spread by stars smoking, evolved into a new much less attractive image. The cigarette gradually stopped being something cool and became something that kills 500,000 people a year only in Europe. People realized that it multiplies the risks of lung cancer by 10, and reduces the life expectancy by 8 to 10 years for those who smoke more than half of packet a day and so on and so forth… As a matter of fact, tobacco companies have had to change their marketing strategies to face this new vision of tobacco among the public opinion.

Extraits

[...] Traditional ways of advertising no longer exist, or at least are not often used. This revolution was necessary for tobacco companies to survive. III. Coping with other kinds of legislation Legislation Taxes The state could merely ban the sell of cigarettes. But cigarettes are the most taxed products in France - approximately 70% of the cigarette pack price. The state would lose a great source of revenue if it banned it totally - about 10 billion euros. Cigarettes, like alcohol, are drugs: on the one hand, the state allows its selling and consumption, but on the other hand, it creates anti-tobacco campaigns and increases taxes on it. [...]

[...] (October 1997) : pp.88-104-105-106. Czaplewski, Andrew; Olson, Eric, “Adaptive strategies of tobacco firms subsequent to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.» Social Marketing Quarterly Vol Issue (Spring 2003): pp.3-17 Lancaster, Kent & Alyse, economics of tobacco advertising: spending, demand, and the effects of bans. International Journal of Advertising. Vol Issue (2003) : pp. 41-65. Thank you for smoking, Dir. [...]

[...] For example, the distribution of numerous products and services represents a significant sector for Altadis. This group is present in France with Altadis Distribution and in Italy with the recent acquisition of Etinera in 2004. It is also present in Spain with its subsidiary Logista: in 2002, Logista bought the Burgal group which is specialized in the distribution of pharmaceutical products. This is how the pharmaceutical sector strongly takes part in the growth of Altadis today. Conclusion Nowadays, everyone is concerned about the dangers of tobacco, whether one is a smoker or not. [...]

[...] Thus an increasing part of the citizens, whether they are smokers or not, were informed of the dangers of tobacco. This increasing worry about tobacco through the public opinion explains the fact that an always larger part of the political frange paid attention to it and especially to the advertisements. Advertisement against cigarettes As a matter of fact, the consumers associations have decided to play on the same field as the firms they fight against, which means they have undertaken to broadcast an increasing number of advertisements denouncing the dangers due to tobacco. [...]

[...] Why not organise events (sports, live concerts) or sponsor them? The main idea was to be seen in many places, during many different events, even if the brand itself had nothing to do in them. The buzz marketing was born. It is a part of direct marketing: activities directed at creating a one-to-one relationship with the consumer. What happened last November in America is a relevant example: in 49 cities throughout the country, people gathered to celebrate the 50th Marlboro's birthday. [...]