Tobacco

Lawsuits, Light Cigarettes and Fear-Based Marketing Strategies

by Anne Landman — April 8, 2008 - 11:38am
  • Topics: Advertising, Corporate Campaigns, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, Ethics, Health, Human Rights, International, Public Relations, Science, Social Justice, Tobacco

    • The Second Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals missed a great opportunity this week to hold the tobacco industry accountable for one of its worst marketing tactics -- positioning cigarette brands in response to smokers' medical concerns. The April 7, 2008, issue of the New York Times has an article about the dismissal of a huge, class-action lawsuit against the tobacco industry that was brought by smokers of "light" cigarettes who claimed they were misled about the relative safety of "light" cigarettes compared to regular, "full flavor" cigarettes. The suit, and its dismissal by the court, brought to mind a little-recognized tobacco industry marketing survival tactic that weighs heavily on the public's perception of exactly what "light" means.

    The tobacco industry has long had a remarkable ability to rescue itself from damaging health claims by turning allegations against its products into marketing opportunities. Inside the industry, the fact that cigarettes cause widespread illness and death is referred to as the "smoking and health" issue, or "S&H issue" for short. Tobacco marketers consider "S&H issues" to be little more than "external marketing forces" that require re-positioning of products, through changes in advertising copy strategy, so that smokers will get an illusion of safety from the dangers they perceive.

    New Participatory Project: Maximum Weirdness: Tobacco Industry Brainstorming Documents

    by Anne Landman — April 7, 2008 - 1:25pm

    A rock cocaine cigarette filter? A cigarette that delivers birth control and sexual stimulant drugs to the smoker at the same time? A geriatric brand? All of these are actual ideas for new products and promotions that were recorded at cigarette company "brainstorming" meetings.

    Main Source: 
    Tobaccowiki.org, April 7, 2008

    Imaging Study Leaves Tobacco Funding Out of the Picture

    by Anne Landman — March 26, 2008 - 3:12pm

    The lead author of the largest lung cancer screening study ever performed has come under fire for accepting cigarette company funding for the study. Dr.

    Main Source: 
    New York Times, March 26, 2008

    Playing for the "Green" in Las Vegas

    by Anne Landman — March 24, 2008 - 4:41pm

    MGM Mirage's new $8 billion CityCenter project is a massive 75 acre, 4,000-room hotel-casino complex with condos and retail space currently under construction in Las Vegas.

    Main Source: 
    In Business Las Vegas, Tourism and Gaming, March 21-27, 2008

    New Participatory Project: Help Us Tidy Up the TobaccoWiki "People" Database

    by Anne Landman — March 18, 2008 - 3:05pm

    We can use your help cleaning up Tobaccowiki's database of people involved with the tobacco industry. Many of the descriptions in the database are currently in fragmented sentences. For example, the entry for Mike Malik says, "(Manager, Direct Communications, Philip Morris c.

    Main Source: 
    Tobaccowiki.org, March 19, 2008

    Anti-Taxation with Tobacco Representation

    by Anne Landman — March 5, 2008 - 11:56am

    R.J. Reynolds (RJR) may be funding a South Carolina anti-tax group to oppose a cigarette tax for health care. The Cover Carolina Collaborative, a group of health care organizations, is proposing that the state's tax be raised to $1.00 a pack, to help cover uninsured employees. South Carolina currently has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation, at seven cents a pack.

    Main Source: 
    The State (South Carolina), March 3, 2008

    Philip Morris Snuffs Out Controversial Research Program

    by Anne Landman — March 4, 2008 - 4:23pm

    Philip Morris has quietly disbanded its controversial External Research Program (PMERP), through which it funded academic and scientific research at major universities. The funds doled out by the program were substantial: in the 2006-07 fiscal year, the University of California system alone received around $16 million through PMERP.

    Main Source: 
    The Daily Californian, March 3, 2008

    Without Academic Partnerships, the Tobacco Industry Loses Power

    by Anne Landman — February 18, 2008 - 4:52pm
  • Topics: Third Party Technique, Children, Corporations, Ethics, Health, International, Public Relations, Tobacco, U.S. Government

    • A February 9 Los Angeles Times article about University of California, Los Angeles professor Edythe London taking a $6 million grant from Philip Morris to study the brains of child smokers and monkeys addicted to nicotine once again raises questions about the appropriateness of university researchers accepting tobacco industry funding. Philip Morris denied that they have a stake in this particular project, but the denial had little credibility since the company no doubt will benefit from understanding more about youth smoking and nicotine addiction. After all, the future of their business depends on these two topics. Still, we wonder why any person curious enough to be engaged in scientific research isn't also curious enough to find out what's in it for Philip Morris before they accept the funds? These days, the answer is as close as your computer.

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