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FTC Joe Camel Documents

Memo to F. H. Christopher, Jr. from D. W. Tredennick Re: To Answer the Question "What Causes Smokers to Select Their First Brand of Cigarettes?"

Date: 03 Jul 1974
Length: 14 pages
501899346-501899359
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~ly 3, 1974 ~:'°:~:~:~Th.___e purpose of this m~,orand~ :s to answer the question 4~uses ~okers to select their first brand cf cigarette?" :~ e discussion which follows will cover th(~ age at which people ~generallv start smokfng, their initial reasons for smoking, the bran~s they in~lally select for regular? ~se and their ~zeasons for selecting that brand. For legal reasons, we ha~e been unable to d[rectly,survey smokers under 18 years of age (as w~ll be sho%~ mos~ smokers begin s~klng regularly and select a u&ual brand at or before the age of 18). Therefore, much of our Info~atlon Is dra~ from secondary sources and we have to hypothesize to a considerable extent to what causes initial brand selection because no comprehenslvs study we know of has dlroctly address,d th~s ~ssue. STARTING AGE ~er 50% of men ~okers 'start ~~ fairly regularly ~e age 0F~B~I~E~iy a11 start by the age of 25, W~en tend to begin smoking at a slightly older a,ge. Here Is a brief s~a~y t.able; a more c~mplete age distribution Is attached (Table I). ~ge Started_Sm___o~n~: 17 & Under 54 33 18-20 30 34 25 ~ Over ~ ~__~8 Total 100% 100% Median Age: 17 19 Source: Department: of Health, Education, and Welfare. l CX 49-A RH0003268
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Mr. F. H. ":hristopher, Jr. • Page 2 July 3, 1974 STARTING AGE (Cont'd)_ The incidence of smoking among people 16.-24 years of age is 40%, according to the ].972 Yankelovlch "Monitor". Within this age group, smoking Incidence is 44% among men and 37% among women. Incidence of smoking increases in older age segments, peaking at 51% among people 35-49 years of age. INITIAL REASONS FOR SMOKING Published sources a~:e consistent in iden~:ifying one or more of the'followlng as the essential reasons for smoking cigarettes, at least initially~ -- Conformance -- Support, to 9a~.n confidence or security in stress situation (ofte, n social) --- Enjoyment, taste or other physiological benefits (after an initial learning period) -- To show off Often more than one of~ these factors ont,~r into a young person's decision to smoke and the reasons for a given individual are seldom clear cut and definitive. In addition, two less prevalent reasons are to rebel against authority (although a youth is most likely to smoke ~.f his parents smok,~), or to satisfy a "habit" which is developed from occasional smoking. Following are brief e:aborations on each of the major reasons for early smoking: Conformance: Probably the most prevalent r~ason that a young person starts to smoke is the influence of a close fri.~nd or "peers". One major study among youths showed that the best predictor of whether or not a young person smokes is to determine if he has a close friend who smokes. Peer group influence is very strong during the teen years. Men, particularly, report that smoking is symbolic of rugged masculinity and that they took up smoking because they wanted to impress and be aczepted by other young men who ~moked. Often the motivation is to De less the target of group aggression. Smoking is often a wa~ to gain entree to a group by effectlng an appearance of beln~ mature, sophisticated, sexy or manly. However, with respect to peer group influence, it is not clear whether smokers tend to forn a group or whether smoking tends to permeate a group after it is formed on the basis of sere other c~mmonality (e.g.. a common feeling of insecurity or interest ~n rock music). O ~~CX 49-B
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Mr. F. H. Christopher, Jr. Page 3 July 3, 1974 • INITIAL REASONS FOR SMOKING _(Cont'd) :~:~:::~oung smokers generally ag'ree that they diffsr from non-smokers i~ .....With respect to several p~rsonal characteristics. The most ~;pe~';asive of these ~s thought to be "nervousness", which is ~.-.~:~.~o~.-....~vDified by the need to do something w~th thslr hands. Smokers ~ :also view themselves to some extent as excessively verbal, ~....::.~.:~::::~m.xtroverted and easily bored Many yotmg smokers report that :~%hey first bec~e regular ~mokers at a time when a major :~%~:~.e~ansltion occured in the~.r flee, such as going away to college ~:~:::::~Or facing an educational or social crisis. These smokers :~:~:~:~frequently say ~at smoking at such times helps th~ to over- c~e stress either by bol~terlng their self-image (and how they are perce'ived by o~ers), or physlol~ically, by relaxing or st~ulatlng them. ~ 'Many young smokers, Indep{~ndent of group or o~er pressures, :~/:s~ply enjoy the taste and o~er physiol~ical benefits of ~oklng, having tried smoking to soe if they would enjoy It ::._ rather than for other festoons. The older a person is when he ~"'~:~starts to smoke, apparently, ~e more likely "enJo~ent" is .~::~ ........... ~hls reason for smoking regularXy. These s~kers often associate ~:~-- .smoking with specific occasions such as meals and work breaks. ~::~~d of course a ~riod of timo is often ne'cessary for an ~ .... :indlvidual to acquire a taste for cigarettes to the point of ~ .. ~::~.-~.~ .: ~:~ TO Show O f f : ~:~:~This reason shows up less frequently in the available literature ~:~ .......... ~and is reaXly hard to separato fr~ confo~ance or support. ~>:~:~ .OEten It is related to a hoed to project a tougher appearance ~~an would othe~Ise be possible, or In the case ~:.:~:~ g~r~, to spear se~ually precocious. .~ ...... O RH0003270
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Mr. F. }|. Christopher, Jr. Page 4 July 3, 1974 INITIAL BRAND SELECTION Younger smokers are likely to select either Marlboro or Keel as tbelr usual brand. These two brands enjoy a 50% share of users among smokers 18--20 years of ago as contrasted to a 24% share of market among all smoksrs. The Company has not surveyed smokers under 18 years of age, but ~nformal and secondary sources suggest even larger shares for Marlboro and Keel. Following is a brief sunumary of shares ~.ong smokers 18-20 years of age compared to shares among "all smokers". A more detailed table (Table II) appears in the appendix. The third column of the table below shows, brand shares among smokers 35-49 years old, a segment typical of older smokers. Among these o]der smokers, Winston and S~lem are relatively strong brands as Marlboro and Keel drop off to shares of 6% and 5% respectively. Further perspective on brand shares among various age groups is provided by the attached trend charts. All Smokers Smokers Smokers 18-20 35-49 Shares No~---~/ Flavor Filters W~nston Marlboro 44 53 35 i,T 1.4 34 6 2,6 35 26 lO 17 5 100 10o 10o Menthol Filters Salem Keel Other Brands Total Source~ R,~R Comparative Sales ("All Smokezs")l National Family Opinion Panel (smokers 18-20 and 35-49). Young smokers initially are unlikely to select a non-filter brand or a low flavor brand. They tend to select between a menthol and non-menthol full-flavor cigarette in abcut the same proportion as do all smokers (1.5 non--menthol to 1 menthol). Further, young smokers are less likely than older smokers to select a lOOmm cigarette. Share of total 100mm ciga~e~.tes is 15% among smokers 18-20 as contrasted to 22% ~,ong all sm¢.kers.
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Mr. F. H. Christopher, Jr. Page 5 July 3, 1974 REASONS FOR SELECT:NG A FIRST "USUAL" BRAND have focused earlier on the age people b~gln to smoke, their ~#ilnltlal reasons for smoking and the brands they first select ~i~"beceuse that information helps us draw reasonable hypotheses ~e absence of d~rect data /egarding reasons for initial ~":~ br an d selection. ~f~Br~dly speaking, we hypotheslz~ that the causes of initial ~:~br~d seloctlon relate directly to the reasons a yo~g person s~kes. The more closely a brand meets the psychologlca) ~'support" needs (advertising or othe~ise c,3~Icated brand or ~user ~age) ~d ~e pbys~ol~ical needs (pr3duct characterlstics), -- The influence of a friend or peer group. This is particularly evident in the case of young wo~en who quite often adopt the brand their husband or boyfriend smokes s~mpIy because it is more convenient. While friends and spouses are quite influential ~n a young smoker's choice of bran~, it appears that parents have very little influence on brand e~lection in today's environment. It used re, be that a youngster would smoke regularly his parent's brand because it was the most readily ave,liable to him and he became accustomed to it. Today we find a parent's influence much less prevalent as young peopl, have greater mobil~ty ~u~d often steer a%~ay from the "trappings" of the older generation. -- The user "image" that has become associated with a particular brand. To some extent young smokers "wear" their cigarette and it becomes an important part of the "I" they wish to be, along with their clothlng and the way they style th~ir hair. -- The product characteristics a bran,i has or is perceived to have. Often these product character- ~stlcs simply reduce a smoker's field of choice (a longer cigarette for example).
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Mr. F. H. Christopher, Page 6 July 3, REASOtlS FOR SELECTING A FIRST "USUAL" BRAND (Cont'd) -- Kool is often selected Initlally because (also a Judgment) its smoking chars¢,terlstlc~ make it appropriate for youths who feel that smoking a brand that is widely perceived as strong will satisfy th~|ir need for "support". ~ere is also evidence from focus g:~oup research that Kool has product characteristics that make it more acceptable than other brands to peol.)1~ who ~se drugs, and to blacks. .... ~.: ..... ~ $[~4MARY ~,~:~ If a person is going to smoke cigarettes, h.e generally starts ~:~ ....... ~:~ during his teens, prlmar~ly to confo~ with a close frlen~ or : ~.~.~.~...,,..:~ friends, to give himself clzeater confidence in stress situation, :::::~::::~,,~::: - : or to avail himself or the physical ehJo~ent smoking offers. ~. ~ Currently a young smoker ~s much more likel'f ~o selec~ Marlboro : ~{ or ~1 than we would e~,oct on the b~sis of these bran~' .;~%; overall £ranchiee. : ::~!: ThO main causes o~ initial br~d saleotlon; I.e., the Influence .~; .;~:~ of fr~end~, tho user ~g~ ~ b~a~d projects and differentiatod F:;~:::~.~- pro~ct characteristics, are logically relate~ to the reasons ;:~.~:~::;~::~:: a yo~g ~rson bogins to smoke. ~:>:<-:->:< ~:.:::.~:~ D. W. T~e~ennick : Marketing Research Depa~ent "DWT/nk
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TABLE STARTED SMOKING 12 & Under 14 15 16 18 19-20 21-24 25 & Over (Base) HALES FEMALES C~:. ~ ~ CUM. % S.8 2 .? 2.7 ~ 9.8 3.1 7.8 9.5 12,7 11.1 14.9 15.0 10.6 5.4 .I 100.0 2~',7 2,8 7,1 3C~.2 6.1 13.2 42,9. 10.8 24.0 94.5 14.7 81.2 99.1 18.4 99.6 100.0 .4 i00.0 TOTAL 10 0,0 Q. How old were you when you started smoking cigarettes fairly regularly? Source : Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Adult Use of Tobacc_o.l 1970_. O
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TABLE II SHARE OF MARKET AND SHARE OF YOUNG SMOKEKS SHARE OF MA:~KET SHARE OF SMOKERS 18-20 YEARS OLD % 15.3 11.5 13.9 33.8 14.7 7.8 ::~. MENTHOL FILTERS 26 o__~ 35.3 ........... ~.:.~ ............ Salem 8.7 8.7 :i!:~i~::iiiiiii~i::i!~i::~iNewportK oo i I 00 ." 81 1 6.3.08 ':~i~.~:~.:~:~::::::i:~:" Other Menthol 6,6 6 • 8 i~ .................. ~LOW FLAVOR FILTERS2 .~.7.__~2 9.3 !~:~.,~!:~.~! :~ Total ~02 ' 8 I00.0 ~ (I00~ cigarettes ) 3 22.0 I4.5 ::~:~.:~.~%.>:.:.:~.~ ~:~.~ lIncludes: Ral~igh, Vice, roy, ~nson & Hedges, L & M, C~el ~:::~ ~d others. : ~.~;~ ~Incl~d~s~ Kent, Tareyto~, Parli~ent, La~k, V~tage, True, Dotal, and others. Also includes low flavor ~n~ol brands ~:~:~: cause ~otal to add to more ~an i00%. .:::~ ~ ~;..~:~:~: :; ...... ~ 3Also included above. o -- L
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]:MAGES OF WINSTON - MARLBORO Likes outdoors/ggttlng close to nature Brave/tough Manly Is largest selling brand Darlng/adventurous Is a popular brar~d A take charge person/ a leader Convential res~rved Old fashioned Independent/sel f r(,Xiant Aggresslve/ambltlou s Is a strong smoke IS flavorful - neither strong/llght WINSTON MARLBORO DIFF. 21" 46 (25) 21 41 (20) 25 44 (19) 54 35 .19 21 36 (15) 68 58 i0 27 36 (9) 17 11 6 2S 30 (S) 26 31 (5) 24 29 { 5) 29 24 4 *Reads~ 21t of Non-Menthol Filter Sn~)kers say that the Winston user "likes the outdoors/gettlng close to nature." Source: RJR Use & Attitude Study (1974). o
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IM,%GES OF SALEH - Has a lot of menthol Is a strong smoko Has more menthol tast(~ than tobacco Has a light taste Is a mild smoke Is flavorful - nelth~z strong/llght Brave/tough Manly P1aln/llke simple thi|%gs Old fashion Sensitlve/has feellng for others Has refreshing ment~,l taste Has llttle/light me,,thol SALEM KOOL DIFf. 27* 55 (28) 11 35 (24) 28 47 (19) 23 12 11 24 14 10 35 25 10 lo 20 (10) 13 23 (10) 26 17 9 14 22 (8) 24 17 7 41 34 7 18 Ii 7 *Reads~ 27% of Menthol ~mokers say that the statement "has a lot of menthol" describes Salem. Source~ RJR Use & Attitude Study (1974).

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