Anne Landman's Collection
Youth Program Test City
Abstract
This memo from Philip Morris' (PM) public relations firm in Colorado, Karsh & Hagan, discusses the strategies of doing a test "rollout" of two PM programs: the Accommodation Program and its youth anti-smoking program.
The key line showing that Philip Morris' youth anti-smoking program is a strategy to preempt further legislation comes in the fifth paragraph of the memo. It says:
"While we accept that both programs [Accommodation and youth program] have significant value as major tactics in a strategy to achieve a kind of pre-emption, we believe the clutter of messages...in one community wil make measuring success of either program difficult."
User-Contributed Notes
Fields
- Quotes
TO: RE: Karen Chaikin FR: Wendy Leavell RE: Youth Program Test City
I enjoyed talking to you last week regarding the status of the youth program. Now that vacations are over and Labor Day is behind us, I think we've got to begin focusing on preparations for the test market. On that subject-the test market-I thought now would be a good time to relay to you some B-M thinking. Several weeks ago our chairman, Jim Lindheim, asked that a number of senior stafffrom B-M/New York, Washington, Pittsburgh sad Chicago, as well as Cohn & Wolfe/New York and Atlanta gather for a day-long session to focus on the challenges of the Accommodation Program. A number of the new directions being considered to bolster AP came from that meeting. During the session I raised a discussion about the new attention and emphasis being added to the youth program. Even though our internal meeting preceded the presentation of the Youth Task Force program to Bill Campbell, we talked about the need to test both AP and Youth before a national rollout. When Laura Gongas and I raised the suggestion that the two programs might be tested in the same market, there was uniform agreement that the test markets must be separate. Most of the discussion supporting separate markets centered on the need to introduce new messages about the programs to business groups and the media without interference. While we all accept that both programs have significant value as major tactics in a strategy designed to achieve a kind of pre-emption, we believe the clutter of messages and information in one community will make measuring success of either program difficult. The last thing we need is to have a sedes of media stories about how "tobacco giant Philip Morris is pouring millions of dollars into this city on two major initiatives", etc. Further, we would prefer that our coalition-building effort, which includes law enforcement as a core constituency on the youth program, not feel political pressure from the mayor or city council because AP is working to head off a smoking ban.
In reality, we recognize that at such time as both programs go national we will not be able to avoid conflict. However, we need to know what works--and what doesn't--and correct as we go. I can't imagine that Philip Morris would test two new brands in the same market at the same time, even though--if successful--they will compete nationally, and I hope the same would hold true for these two programs. I look forward to meeting with you and Barbara soon to get our activities underway. Perhaps we can get together in Washington the week of the 12th.
Regards.
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Leavell, W.
- Recipient
- Chaikin, Karen (PM Trade and Business Programs Manager)Later become involved with youth smoking prevention programs at PM.
Document Images
