Anne Landman's Collection
Social Smoking Project
Abstract
This 1977 memo from a Brown & Williamson product manager Vance Carter Broach describes B&W's "Social Smoking Project," which was a project to give smokers the "physical and psychological defenses" to keep on smoking in the face of the negative health information broadcast by the government and public health groups.
Broach states the background for the project:
"The 1976 Kalhok/Short report, 'The Effects of Restrictions on Current Marketing and Marketing in the Future' notes 'compounding negative pressures' may deter smokers from the 'pleasurable pursuit of the smoking habit.' They consider it the industry's job to either 'deflect' these pressures or to provide the smoker with more adequate defenses.
'Physical defenses' included designing cigarettes that generate no ash or sidestream (secondhand) smoke.
'Psychological defenses' would include product positionings that provide smokers with:
--A more positive self-image --More positive perceptions of the smoking habit --A statement of describable benefits derived from smoking: a reason why --A militant 'smoker's rights' philosophy"
The objective of B&W's "Social Smoking Project" was to
"...provide smokers with strong reasons to continue smoking."
This document shows that the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company actively worked to combat the decline in smoking rates that were occurring from dissemination of public health information about smoking in the 1970s.
Fields
- Quotes
Thsi memo presents a starting point for development of the Social Smoking Project
BACKGROUND:
The 1976 Kalhok/Short report, "The Effects of Restrictions on Current Marketing and Marketing in the Future" notes "compounding negative pressures" may deter smokers from the "pleasurable pursuit of the smoking habit." They consider it the industry's job to either "deflect" these pressures or to provide the smoker with more adequate defenses.
These defenses may be both physical and psychological.
Physical defenses are products designed to combat specific negative [social] pressures. These might include a low gas/low 'tar' produce that meets the Gori standards or a product that generates no ash or no side stream smoke.
Psychological defenses would include product positionings that provide smokers with
- A more positive self-image - More positive perceptions of the smoking habit - A statement of describably benefits derived from smoking: a reason why. - A militant "smoker's rights" philosophy.
Project Objectives
If we agree with the above thinking, the objectives of SSP are two fold:
1. Develop products that address specific social pressures. 2. Develop positions that provide smokers with strong reasons to continue smoking.
- Company
- Brown & Williamson
- Author
- Parrack, E. Ted, Jr. (B&W Marketing Dept., Sr. Brand Mgr New Products)Long history of product management
- Recipient
- Broach, Vance Carter, Jr. (BW Group Product Mgr. Raleign, Belair, Viceroy)B&W Group Product Mgr, New Products c. 1977 Wrote famous memo about positioning cigarette advertising to portray smoking as "initiations into the adult world," and in the "illicit pleasure category"; to associate cigarettes with beer, pot, sex, etc.
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