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a)
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ALLEGED IRRITATION/BITTERNESS/DRYNESS OF SOUZA CRUZ PRODUCTS
First step should be to check whether this is a true sensory
observation, or a 'perceived' effect based on overreaction to consumer
complaints/spontaneous co~,~ent data, and/or a brand image effect.
The brand image measurement model can be used to show any consistent
sensory biases relating to Souza Cruz products when presented in
branded form in contrast to blind. It may be recalled, for example,
that UK low delivery products when presented branded in the image
measurement model'show a clearly consfs=enC bias to perceived
incTeaslng irritation.
b)
This brand image measurement exercise should be conducted as part
of an In-house DELTA market mapping exercise where the population of
cigarettes used is representative of major brands from the leading
manufacturers in the Brazilian market. Souza Cruz products should
cluster out toward the irritation parameters if a true sensory problem
is present. Note that extended cirritation vocabulary should be used
in such a DELTA exercise (see next point).
c)
Upon smoking Souza Cruz products (notably Free v Galaxy and JPS
v Marlboro) it was apparent that although irritation differences
in terms of magnitude are not notable, there are some differences in
terms of irritation quality. This is an important observation since
conventional sensory/product tests only use magnitude scales and may
therefore miss or obscure genuine irritation quality differences.
'Bitterness' for example may reflect a spontaneous'consumer attempt to
express differences in irritation quality in a sitdation where no
BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 18 May 1999
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differences necessarily exist in terms of irritation amount or magnitude.
It is therefore strongly advised that irritation quality scales are
incorporated in Souza Cruz In-house testing and consumer product test
approaches. The appropriate attributes to be considered (using graphic
scales) would be PITCH and DURATION.
d)
In the short term, pair~ise comparisons of JPS/Marlboro/Pall Mall and
Free/Galaxy could be made using OMEGA with the extended irritation
vocabulary. In all cases of extended placement sequential monadlc
exercises it is essential that an appropriate competitor referent
product be included in the exercise (this point partlcularly refers to
evaluations of 'Free' variants).
e)
In addition to irrltatlou quality observations during smoking of Souza
Cruz products, some physical quality differences were noted. It is
advised that the R&D OMEGA panel is used routinely to evaluate visual-
tactile performance of Souza Cruz products compared with the opposition.
f)
In the event that these exercises ludlcatlng genuine sensory problems
in the irritation area for Souza Cruz products, then adoption of
the FTIR approach would be strongly indicated as the firs= approach
to determining the objective (blend chemistry) basis for the subjective
(irritation) problem. Precedents for this approach are now established
in the U.S.A., Australia and Malaysia.
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BATCo document for Legal Services • Health Canada 18 May 1999

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.
a)
PROJECT TROPI~LIA
Since a prime objectlve must be to determine flavour quality/level
of appilcatlon i~teractlons, a number of samples at different dose levels
per flavour require to be evaluated. This points clearly to the use
of the in-house DELTA panel for preliminary screenlng.
It is recommended that a flavour quality parameter be built into
the DELTA panel procedure, and each flavour type be evaluated In
separate exercises to include several levels of application and an
untreated control. DELTA plots for each flavour type can be subsequently
consolidated statistically into one overall plot:
i , , ,,,, | , ,
PLOT 1 I PLOT 2
!
Flavour "A" at 5
levels of application~
plus I control. .
Flavour "B" at 5
levels of application
plus I control.
COMPOSITE PLOT
PLOT 3
Flavour "C" at 5
levels of application
plus i control.
b)
Since sldestream irritancy/aroma amelioration is also claimed for these
materials, a prime objective should be to flnd the trade-off point
for each flavour between mainstream and sldestream qualities:
Unobtrusive flavour in
mainstream
Negative or loss of
sidestream benefits
Obtrusive flavour In
• mainstream
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Positive sldestream
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It is recommended to convert two cubicles in the R&D panel room
to sidestream evaluation cubicles, which can be used together in
control v experimental dose/response studies of sidestream aroma and
Irritancy.
c)
In the event of Tropicalla products subsequently being submitted
for consumer product testing, it is advised that qualitative focus
groups will be an important precursor to any product testing. These
groups should comprise five types:
i) Low Tar Smokers
ll)
ill)
Males
Full Flavour Smokers <Females
Smoker/Non Smoker Groups
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a)
HOLLYWOOD BLEND RE-POSITIONING
Clearly on such a major brand any blend changes would be advi%ed to
be circumspect and guided as clearly as possible by an adequate
picture of the blend 'landscape' of the market.
The first step in mapping this landscape may be to treat the
routine Brazilian Blend mapping work conducted in house with a principal
components analysis. However, a shortcoming of this approach is that
it will not include a preference vector and will, therefore, only have
descriptive value. A parallel approach conducted in the marketplace
and including preference questions may give the necessary map, and
should indicate the preferred directlon, of Holl~o6d blend reposltlonlng.
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Once the direction of re-positioning is determined, the same
plot can be used as a background into which evaluations of prototype
products may be incorporated to show freshly achieved positioni=gs in
relation to the current Hollywood position and the desired new
position. Since it may be desired to move to a new position in stepwlse
changes, In-house duo-trio testing can be employed to ensure that any
changes are controlled to near threshold levels of perceived significant
difference.
.
a)
PROJECT SHERIFF
Since brand imagery response is generally a powerful component of
the Marlboro following, it is advised to use brand image mapping as
a background data base to inform the project. Ideally this should be
achieved through using image attribute vocabulary elicited from
consumers using repertory grid interview and consensus groups. It
should be possible to generate three maps if the interviews are
focussed appropriately:
i) general imagery
ii) expected smoker type
ill) expected smoking experience.
Maps can be produced by segment as well as for the overall
respondent population, and by comparing these maps it should be
possible to derive an understanding of relative image responsiveness
in the market. Suggested segmentation would be initially by age~
sex~ soclo-economlc class and brand smoked.
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BATCo document for Legal Services • Health Canada 18 May 1999

b>
Motivational and ~motlonal response to b~and is also an important
feature of the Marlboro phenomenon. In-depth motivational techniques
can be employed to examine consumer response to Souza Cruz brands
contrasted wi~h Marlboro. Most notable of these are Transactional
Analysis and EPSY, documentation on these approaches has been supplled
to Souza Cruz and iE is advised that EPSY is likely to be a more
productive approach in This case.
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BATCo document for Legal Services • Health Canada 18 May 1999

RPF/JP
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STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL v
16th July 19B5
VISIT REPORT:
DATES:
OBJECTIVES:
ITL, CANADA
gTH-IOTH JULY 1985
(i) To critically review draft questionnaire design for
Project VIKING
(2) To participate in a one-day synectics session
designed to generate
(a) product perception attributes for use in
the questionnaire and
(b) novel alternative product concepts for use
in an additional concept testing phase of
Project VIKING
BACKGROUND
#
Project VIKING was initiated in early 1985 under the auspices of Wayne
Knox, with broad objectives as Follows:
i.
To characterise the Canadian market with respect to smoking and
health and social pressure attitudes and motivations.
.
To examine relative perceptions of product classes within the tobacco
category (e.g. cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, etc.).
.
To examine consumer perception of the tobacco product category
relative to other product categories (e.g. food, alcoholic drink,
personal accessories, etc.).
To evaluate potential consumer response to radical alternative
presentations of the tobacco product.
Implied in this approach is an attempt to provide a prognosis of the
future Canadian tobacco market. Philosophically, the approach differs
from the GR&DC LIBRA/ARIES/NARINERS work in two respects:
(1),. NARINERS is designed around the contention that, to fully understand
the relationship between attitudes and behaviours in the marketplace
(i.e. quitting and switching), it is necessary to monitor the same
group of people across time. VIKING takes the alternative route of
using a large population in a "single shot" model.
(z)
Whereas VIKING is essentially a prognostic indicator with an emphasis
on seeking new product categories, NARINERS is aimed at developing
more refined and predictive consumer segmentation models to improve
share within a conventional cigarette marketing scenario.
Prior to Wayne Knox joining Hardees, the agreed budget ~or VIKING was in
the order of 300,O00"Canadian Dollars. Bob Bexon now assumes executive
responsibility for the project and tee budget, As still retained pending a
feasibility review.
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BATCo document for Legal Services • Health Canada 18 May 1999

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OUTCOME OF CURRENT MEETING
i, QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
The first draft questionnaire for VIKING has been produced by The Creative
Research Group of Toronto, with input from a previous VIKING meeting
(February 1985) and a series of consumer qualitative group sessions.
This draft was reviewed (RPF) and the following observations have been
made:
(a)
The questionnaire is too long (approximately 2-hour administration
time) and alternative means of administration will have to be
explored (including repeat visit and postal returns).
(b)
In current form, the questionnaire fails to cover several of the
issues originally identified as important to measure. This problem
can be resolved by building out to a questionnaire size unconstrained
by timing issues and then reducing by eliminating redundant measures
and non-discriminating or merely descriptive status items.
(c)
The inclusion of two lengthy personality inventories was questioned
since one questionnaire (EPI) is designed to measure a factor already
measured within the other questionnaire (16 P-F). It was advised to
use only the 16 P-F and as a postal return measure.
2. SYNECTICS SESSION
This synectics (brain storming) group comprised the following individuals:
BOB BEXON
DICK CROSBY
ROB FERRIS
PETER ILLYCH
BILL SANDERS
PAUL NESBITT
(ITL, Montreal)
(Retired President of Canadian Facts)
(BAT Marketing Support)
(ITL, Montreal)
(ITL, Montreal)
(Creative Research Group, Toronto)
The first half of the one-day session was devoted to developing the
product perception component of the VIKING questionnaire. This involved
the generation of judgemental dimensions which may be used to achieve
(a) a perceptual mapping of tobacco product classes relative to one
another and
(b) a similar mapping of tobacco products usage relative to uses of
products from other classes (food, drink, etc.).
Following this construct generation stage, the group was used to generate
new a]ternative product concepts. The aim was to identify'six concepts
which will be incorporated into a concept reaction test within VIKING.
The test itself is of considerable interest sinceitrepresents a form of
simulated test market (STM) methodology, an approach current]y being
evaluated (RPF) for its potential utility to the BAT Group.
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Briefly, the new product concepts generated were segregated into those
showing most promise and those having less promise:
MOST PROMISING
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EXTRUDEDS: Th~s covers a collection of presentations ranging from
snack food type shapes and packaging through chewing sticks to reel
dispensers or toothpaste tube type dispensers. In each case the
notion of individual control over how much of the material to break
off and use is paramount.
.
DRY SNUFF: Perhaps the most clearly endorsed concept of all, this
product would be presented bleached white and probably in an inert
carrier, formulated to eliminate the sneeze reflex and marketed in
high imagery/qua|ity containers.
D
MODULAR SMOKE DELIVERY SYSTEM: This concept would be a smoking
device somewhat similar to a pipe into which the basic fuel could
be mounted for combustion. Modular "clip-on" mouthpieces could
be used to provide such smoker control options as "dial-a-tar" or
"dial-a-flavour".
.
PIPE PLUGS: For the pipe smoker, this concept would be a pre-formed,
pre-tamped, drop-in tobacco plug designed to fit the appropriate
pipe bowl and sufficiently contained within the plug to allow
subsequent lifting out of the spent unit.
LESS PROMISING
.
AEROSOL DISPERSION DEVICES: The concept covers personal mobile
inhalers in combination with nicotine dispersing air humidifier/
freshener units which could be used in controlled social situations.
o
IMPROVED SMALL CIGARS AND AROMATIC CIGARETTES: The use of blending/
flavouring to ameliorate harshness/dryness and enhance flavour/aroma
of small cigars was seen as worthwhile. In addition, the use of
pipe grades or pipe tobacco flavours (e.g. vanillin) to enhance
conventional cigarette sidestream was endorsed.
DISCUSSED AND REJECTED
7. NICOTINE ADDITIVES TO FOOD PRODUCTS
.
SHORT "FAST HIGH" CIGARETTES: I.e. cigarettes designed to provide
optimum nicotine requirement in the minimum number of combusted
puffs.
In addition to these ideas, strong interest was shown in the identification
of "safer" tobaccos, regions, design configurations and synthetic smoking
materials. (RPF was requested to supply a retrospective review of the NSM
experience in the UK.) " .... - ""
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BATCo document for Legal Services • Health Canada 18 May 1999

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OBSERVATIONS
Without substantial revision of the VIKING questionnaire, this project is
unlikely to proceed (and it would be ill-advised to do so). The agency
involved was clearly so negatively impressed by the overwhelmingly anti-
smoking feeling coming from the consumer qualitatives that they themselves
are concerned about taking the project further.
It is suggested (RPF) that, with adequate questionnaire design, the
project is important and viable. The agency response to the consumer
group qualitatives reflects lack of experience with this type of data -
such groups are invariably extreme, representing, as they do, consumers'
theories about what their attitudes should be rather than their true
in-depth attitudes.
The "re-surfacing" of a concern for generating new product concepts is
interesting in the context of the R&D/Marketing conference experience.
Some overlap of concepts is apparent across the two sessions; the
interesting development here, however, is the commitment to moving on
to evaluate the concepts using the VIKING consumer population.
In terms of possible "knock-on" project work for GR&DC, the scope for
input is very high, given past recent history of exploring these new
avenues.
While Southampton-based interest in these concepts must be highly circum-
spect, given the confidential nature of VIKING, a potential feasibility
response timed to follow VIKING consumer response to these concepts may
be useful. This could be especially so for items I, 2 and 5 since these
were Southampton contributions to this synectics session.
R.P. FERRIS
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BATCo document for Legal Services • Health Canada 18 May 1999
