Tobacco Industry News

Research

Study finds that tobacco companies changed design of cigarettes without alerting smokers
A Harvard study of internal tobacco industry documents shows that tobacco manufacturers continually change their products’ composition and design without necessarily informing consumers of the changes. Tobacco products may undergo extensive consumer and market testing to ensure that they remain acceptable to consumers, yet product changes often occur without being accompanied by marketing. Documents revealed that tobacco companies assess their competitors’ brands for “non-routine changes,” and the researchers suggest that as the FDA begins to regulate tobacco products, regulators must use similar practices to develop standards for product evaluation. Find out more here, or click here to access the abstract of the study in Tobacco Control.

Open source marketing: Camel cigarette brand marketing in the "Web 2.0" world
Researchers compiled a case study on the use of “open source marketing” to develop the packaging for Camel Signature Blends cigarettes,a marketing approach that allowed R.J. Reynolds to engage with thousands of cigarette consumers. Growing restrictions on the types of marketing tobacco companies can use, along with rapid changes in web-based technology, have led the tobacco industry to adopt increasingly innovative marketing techniques. The internet has evolved into an avenue for both seeking and sharing information, and web users now produce a larger portion of online content. New opportunities for tobacco companies to interact with consumers online have blurred the line between marketing and market research. The researchers warn that new approaches to marketing may allow companies to exploit loopholes in tobacco marketing bans. The research was published in Tobacco Control. Click here to read the abstract of this article, or click here to download the full article.

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Reports

Altria introduces ‘richer, bolder’ Marlboro menthol cigarette
In June, Philip Morris USA introduced a new menthol cigarette called Marlboro Blend No. 54. According to a company spokesperson, the new product will have a “richer, bolder” flavor than the existing Marlboro menthol products. Although cigarette sales are declining overall, the market for menthol cigarettes has expanded, and this new product is part of a movement among tobacco companies to accommodate this consumer preference. Marlboro Blend No. 54 will be competing with Lorillard Inc.’s Newport and Reynolds American Inc.’s Camel Crush. Read more here.

Tobacco bill could snuff out RJR's smokeless strategy
As smokefree laws are becoming more widespread, tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynolds, have found ways around bans by marketing new products to smokers trying to quit, and recruiting new customers who wouldn’t ordinarily try smokeless tobacco. One Reynolds product, snus, comes in a pouch of flavored tobacco that looks like a tea bag and fits neatly between the teeth and gums. The company has now taken that concept a step further with tobacco products that dissolve like a mint. FDA regulation of the tobacco industry could put a damper on the growth of these new products since companies will not be able to make claims that smokeless tobacco is less hazardous than cigarettes. Alternately, the smokeless tobacco market could grow if restrictions on cigarettes and smoking continue to tighten. Click here to read more.

NPR: Tobacco's last gasp?
A recent NPR (National Public Radio) All Things Considered report on the new federal tobacco legislation included an interview with a spokesperson from Philip Morris. When asked why the tobacco industry continues to sell cigarettes, the spokesperson cited the need to meet the demand for cigarettes from the millions of smokers in the U.S. To access the full NPR story on FDA regulation, click here. Click here to listen to additional sound bites from the interview.

E-cigarette controversy arises amidst new legislation on regulating tobacco industry
Some companies are promoting e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative to smoking, or as a smoking cessation tool. However, neither advertising claim has yet been backed by science or research. It is not fully known what chemicals are found in e-cigarettes, or how much nicotine is delivered, and therefore the safety profile of the device is not clearly understood. Despite these lingering questions, e-cigarettes were overlooked in recent legislation that will mandate FDA research and tighter regulations on tobacco products. The controversy over e-cigarettes emerged around the same time the final version of the legislation was being approved, and e-cigarettes may also not have been mentioned because the device does not actually burn tobacco. Read more here.

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