790111 Surgeon General's Report.

Anne Landman's Collection

790111 Surgeon General's Report.

Date: 01 Feb 1979
Length: 3 pages
774064903-774064905
Jump To Images

http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/1212025.html
Derived from: /bw/1212025.html

snapshot_bw 0001212025

Abstract

In this letter to the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, ad agency executive Steven Schwartz of Gray Advertising in New York proposes that the 1979 Surgeon General's report (which concluded that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer 90 times in some industrial workers, retards fetal growth in pregnant women and causes developmental deficiencies in children born to smoking women) presents new product "positioning opportunities" for the cigarette maker.

Fields

Quotes

Dear Pat,

The purpose of this letter is to present Grey's point-of-view based on the implications to Project G of the new findings released in the Surgeon general's Report on January 11, 1979.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

The 1979 report appears to be fare more definitive than the one issued in 1964. In addition to re-stating the previous findings, the new report concludes:

1. 54 million American smoke, and 75% started before age 21. Smoking has risen dramatically from 8.4% to 15.3% among young women and girls in the last 10 years...

2. A higher percentage of blacks smoke that do whites.

3. Blue collar workers smoke more than do more affluent occupational segments.

4. Asbestos, uranium, rubber and chemical industry workers who smoke run up to 90 times the risk of developing lung cancer than workers who don't smoke.

5. Women who are pregnant and smoke stand a greater chance of retarding fetal growth.

6. Children of women who smoke are more likely to have measurable deficiencies in physical growth and development...

IMPLICATIONS/DISCUSSION

To date consumer reaction and, for that matter, public reaction in general to the new SG report has been minimal of not almost non-existent. Whether this is because of relatively light media coverage beyond the 1/11 announcements, effective Tobacco Institute countering, or merely apathy on the part of the public because of an increasing distrust of the growing number of government reports "damning" everything from hamburgers to the air you breathe as being bad for you is hard to say...One thing is clear however, Secretary Califano and the anti-smoking forces will do their best to keep the report and the issue alive.

It is our feeling that the information in the [Surgeon General's report] will "dribble" out over time...As the information is released it will tend to have a cumulative building effect, increasing public awareness of the issues... Additionally, it can be expected that awareness...will ultimately build in the consumers' mind and therefore eventually be translated into new positionings/products by the cigarette industry to capitalize upon the opportunities.

Company

Brown & Williamson

Author

Schwartz, Steven (Gray Advertising Inc., New York)

Recipient

Tighe, Pat J. - Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co.

Region

United States

Litigation

10004026

Operation/Project

Project G ((B&W) Project to enter the low-tar market, c. 1978)

Gray Ad agency (NY) suggested using statements of illness from smoking in '79 Surgeon General's report to determine effective "product positionings"

Type

Letter

Correspondence

Subject

marketing

marketing strategy

Tar (Measures)

Document Images

Page 1: 0001212025

® GREY ADVERTISING INC. February i, 1979 M~. p,J. TighQ B~OWN & WILL~A~ON TOBACCO CORPO~TION 16~0 ~est Hi~I ~treet P.O. Box 35090 Louisville, ~ent ~cky 40232 II~ ax" Pat~ The pu~os~ of this lettsr ill to present Gcey's point- of-visw on the implic~ions to Project. G of th~ new fi~ldings • roleased in ~:he Surgeon General's Repo~ on January 11, 1979. Ill,pORT H~GItL'~GHTS The 1979 report appea~s to be far ~e definitive than the one issued in 1964. ~In addition to ~e-~:ating the i~l~- vi[ous fir~dir*~s, the new report Coflcl~dl~s~ J.• 54 ~i~.lic~n ~eric,ms ~m~k~, and 75% sta~d b~lfo~e a~e 21. Smoking has risen dr~a~atically from 8.4% to 1~.3% ~'x~n~ young ,~omen ~md g±~'l~ in the last l0 y~ars. The rate ~n~J older wog'en h~s ro~ained cn~st~t~ while ~ollg m~n it h~s fallen. In total, 6 million people I~nd~r age 211 s~ke (100,~100 12 or yQung~r). 2. A hi,~her percent~g~ of blacks smoke than dQ whi~s. 3. Blue collar worker~ sll~oke more thar~ do ~;~ 1~o~ al~fl~ent occupati~al s~qments. 4. Asbestos, uz~mi~, ~bb~z" and ch~nical ~d~s~:~y w~rk~rs who smoke run up to ~ t~es the ~sk of developing l~lg ce~r them w~rkers who do1%1~, smok~.

Page 2: 0001212025

rt Mr. p.J. Tiqhe -2- F~bruary i~ 1979 5. Women who are ~regn~nt and Smoke s~d a greats~ chance of retarding fet~l growth. 6. Children of women who smoke are ~e likely to hav~ m~asurable deficiencies in physical growth and devel- opment. 7. There have bee~ slight de~llnes in 1978 in both the percentage of A~ricons smokingl and in the total ~- s~m~tion of cigarettes. I~LICATION S/DI SCUS SION To dat~ ~ns~mer r~action and, for tha~ matter, public reaction in general to the new SG RspOrt ha~ been minimal if not almost non-sxist~nt. ~ether this i~ because of rel~ti~ly light m~dia ~verag~ beyond the I/ll an~ounce- • entsp effective Tobacco Institut~ co~teri~ 0f ~erQly apathy on the part of the public because o~ an increasing distrust of the growing number of government ~pQrts "d~ing" ~veryth~g from hamburgers to th~ air you breathe as being bad for you is hard to say, In all probability i£ was a combination of th~ three. One thing is clear hOWever, Secretary califano a~d the anti-smoking forces will do th@i= bes~ to ke~p the report a~d the issue mllve. Xt is our feeling that ths information centered in the report will "drlbble~' out over ti~e, i.s. the expected re- lease of the gas issue in June or there aborts. As the information is released it will tend to hav~ a cll~ulatlve building effest, increasing puSli~ awareness of th~ issues and forcing ~ore california Proposition 5 type ~nfrontatlons. Additionally, it can be expected that awareness of whichever issues surface as the most pro~inent~ bo they gas or sc~e others, will ultimately build in the cons%t~ers' mi~d and therefore ~ventually be t~a~sl~ted into new positi~nings/ prod~cts by the cigarette indnstry ~o eapit~llze upon ths opportlLnities. What %his all ~e~s to us is that we fully ~xp~ct the low delivery segment of the market to r~main "th~ ~ain ~rena" as smokers react to new i~o~,ation. The implication for Projech G aro clear...~reat potential with one major ~isk; that being mis~in~ the Opportunity bscauso Of faulty product positioning. We m~st attempt to clearly define where we are going early on enough s~ that w~ o~n capitalize on each and ~very eppsrtt*~%ity. The parallel develop~o~t of the "low tar/~ood taste" ~d ~low gas" positienings is a good ~irst step, What we need to do is ~et a handle on what is the best positioning within these two areas as soon as possible. \

Page 3: 0001212025

Mr. P.J. Tigh~ -3- February i, 1979 In the I~eantime, We have socured a Copy Of the full S~rgeo~ General's Report and plan to review it in the hop@8 that we might be able to identlfy potential areas which will be surfacing in the upcoming month~. Please give me a cal~ i~ y~u want to dis~sm this letter in any greater detail. B~Bt regard5 r stephen D~ SchWartz SDS~dls No attachments ccz P. Emst

Tobacco Documents Online

Anne Landman's Collection