Anne Landman's Collection
Consumer Testing of B&W's Capri, 870202 - 870205
Abstract
Just as many smokers are under the impression that "light" cigarettes are "healthier" form them than full-flavor cigarettes, many smokers also mistakenly believe that slim and ultraslim cigarettes are healthier for them. This Philip Morris (PM) memo shows how cigarette companies use these types of mistaken notions to sell cigarettes.
In 1987, Philip Morris evaluated consumer reaction to a new, ultraslim cigarette brand introduced by Brown & Williamson called "Capri." Ultraslim products are targeted at women. In this 9-page report, Frank Ryan (a Senior Scientist at Philip Morris) explains that the results of consumer testing of Capri revealed that many female smokers they spoke to were under the impression that Capri cigarettes had extra health advantages over other cigarettes because they were very small. Ryan states,
"Overriding the perception of its stylishness is an impression that this cigarette has potential health advantages because there is so much less tobacco being consumed. For many of the women, the idea that they would be 'getting less' was a huge advantage. As one woman put it, 'It's so tiny, and it's so skinny, that I would obviously be smoking less tobacco."
Ryan adds,
"Remember that most smokers have little real notion of their own brand's tar and nicotine numbers...Perception is more important than reality, and in this case the perception is of reduced tobacco consumption. It would be easy to substantiate such a claim..."
Fields
- Quotes
Capri is a serious product entry.
Our interviews with 101 women in Fairfax and Atlanta suggest it may do reasonably well in its Louisiana test market, if appropriate emphasis is placed upon its advantages...
...The shape elicited amazement, skepticism and some awe. "It's so tiny!" and "It's so skinny!" were frequently heard...
[From Page 2]:
2. Health Implications
Overriding the perception of its stylishness is an impression that this cigarette has potential health advantages because there is so much less tobacco being consumed. For many of the women, the idea that they would be "getting less" was a huge advantage. As one woman put it, "It's so tiny, and it's so skinny, that I would obviously be smoking less tobacco."
This is an illusion, in a sense, for it is the actual tar and nicotine delivery which is the main factor of a health attribute, but most people ignored this. What they wanted and liked was a visible cue that they were smoking less, and such comments as "if it actually had lower tar and nicotine than my own brand, I'd buy it", were frequent. One woman referred to this as a self-delusion. Remember that most smokers have little real notion of their own brand's tar and nicotine numbers. Their idea is only a very general one. They seem to make a decision on their cigarette's delivery, perhaps based on actual data, perhaps on claims or names, and once the decision is made they forget about the incidentals. Perception is more important than reality, and in this case the perception is of reduced tobacco consumption. It would be easy to substantiate such a claim...
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Ryan, Frank J. (PM Scientist)Philip Morris scientist (circa 1973), developed smoker puff-profiles, compiled data on compensation and lip occlusion of ventilation holes. Associate Senior Scientist with PM, c. 1987.
- Recipient
- Gauvin, Paul N. (PM R&D)
Document Images
PHILIP MORRIS U. S. A.
I N T E R- 0 F F I C E C 0 R R E S P 0 N D E N C E
Richmond, Virginia
To: . Mr. Paul Gauvin
From: . Frank Ryan
c 'PI
~ ~ Date: February 24, 1987
Subject: . Consumer Testing of B&W'
bruary 2-5, 1987
Capri is a serious product entry.
Our interviews with 101 women in Fairfax and Atlanta suggest it may do
reasonably well in its Louisiana test market, if appropriate emphasis is
placed upon its advantages. You should be prepared for a request from New
York that you design a competitor.
Capri must be properly merchandized, and it is not without flaw. However,
we may be able to gain some advantage with a new product if we can overcome
these shortcomings and our marketing department can develop a way to sell
it. I have a few suggestions to make.
This is another great chance for us to be second on the market and later
first in sales, just as we were with Marlboro, Benson & Hedges, and several
other ideas which other firms were nice enough to show us had potential.
Certainly if we had taken the basic idea of Capri to Park Avenue we would
have met some justifiably skeptical resistance. Instead, B&W will do it for
us. Get ready to capitalize on this opportunity.
Some specifics follow:
1. Initial Impression of the Product
We showed either an overtipped or a branded Capri, noted initial
impressions, probed for possible advantages and disadvantages, asked
that the smoker predict how it would smoke, and requested a probability
of purchase estimate. (A more complete description of our methodology
has been appended.)
Capri's size is so astonishing that discussions of its dimensions and
their consequences dominated everyone's minds, including the
interviewers'. This is not necessarily an advantage, for when first
impression images are negative, they sometimes cannot be overcome.
Other characteristics, including taste, at first seemed of secondary
importance. They tended to be almost afterthoughts. I think that the
ability to see advantages in the shape depends on what problems you face
in your life as a smoker.
The shape elicited amazement, skepticism and some awe. "It's so tiny!"
and "It's so skinny!" were frequently heard. The reduced circumference,
97mm length, white tip, and the stylish package make this a cigarette
that appeals to many women on grounds of appearance alone, but some
rejected it out of hand for the same reason.
2
2. Health Implications
Overriding the perception of its stylishness is an impression that this
cigarette has potential health advantages because there is so much less
tobacco being consumed. For many of the women, the idea that they would
be "getting less" was a huge advantage. As one woman put it, "It's so
tiny, and it's so skinny, that I would obviously be smoking less
tobacco."
This is an illusion, in a sense, for it is the actual tar and nicotine
delivery which is the main factor of a health attribute, but most people
ignored this. What they wanted and liked was a visible cue that they
were smoking less, and such comments as "if it actually had lower tar
and nicotine than my own brand, I'd buy it", were frequent. One woman
referred to this as a self-delusion. Remember that most smokers have
little real notion of their own brand's tar and nicotine numbers. Their
idea is only a very general one. They seem to make a decision on their
cigarette's delivery, perhaps based on actual data, perhaps on claims or
names, and once the decision is made they forget about the incidentals.
Perception is more important than reality, and in this case the
perception is of reduced tobacco consumption. It would be easy to
substantiate such a claim.
3. Social Implications
Burning less tobacco also means less ash. Less ash means less mess and
less cleaning. It also reinforces the notion of smoking less. One
woman put it well, "I wouldn't have to dump the damn ashtrays so often."
Several commented on the ash reduction. It does leave less ash, and
again it would be easy to substantiate such a claim. The packages say
"Trim and Light." They might have been better advised to say "Trim,
Neat, and Light."
These factors combined to evoke a hope of reducing criticism of smoking.
Several commented that the cigarette would be "easier to hide." By
this they did not mean an intention to violate a rule so much as a
desire to be less obvious about their smoking. So many people face
restrictions on their workplace and social smoking that this is now a
major problem for many smokers.
If such a slim circumference cigarette could also have a reduced
sidestream, as some thought it might, then it would work on another one
of the major social problems. In order to preserve the right to smoke,
it is desirable that smoke be less obvious in many places where smoking
is not now prohibited but where it is threatened. One interesting
comment was, "I don't know if I'd smoke it all the time, but that's what
I'd smoke when I was visiting a non-smoker." Other such comments
involved workplace smoking.
We should check to see whether the total sidestream of an ultra-slim
product is lower than that of a regular cigarette. If light-scattering
measures do not reveal the answer, because of differential smoke
particle sizes, then we should employ a different procedure.
Demonstrably lower sidestream would be an important attribute for a
competitor to Capri.
S
S
3
4. Economic Resistance
The negative side of the less tobacco issue is that there is strong
economic resistance to Capri among some people. It is based on paying
the same price for less tobacco. Some women were quick to voice this
objection upon first seeing the cigarette. We have met this before in
the form of "100 mm cigarettes give you more for your money," and
"cigarettes in soft packs are longer than those in boxes." We later
asked whether people would pay a little more for Capri than for regular
cigarettes, and although a few said they would, most said "No!" at once.
"Cigarettes," they continued, "cost too much already, and these should
be cheaper, if anything." Thus, the same factor of reduced tobacco
consumption, which is a strong positive in the health area, is a
negative in the economic one. This could be countered by putting more
than 20 cigarettes in the pack while holding the cost down if possible.
With only about half as much tobacco involved in making a rod, that
should not be too expensive a proposition for us. Most who said they
would buy Capri were ready to pay the full price, but we'd have to do
more research into this area to feel confident about this issue,
including the benefits of extra cigarettes.
We heard a couple of comments on cigarette company profits. These were
pretty negative, and involved charging full price for so much less
tobacco. I suspect that upon opportunity to think about it, after they
are no longer full of the initial shock of the size and the perception
of Capri as a stylish woman's cigarette, there might be even more such
negative comments. Such larger issues as these are beyond our immediate
concern, but they are not to be neglected, and extra cigarettes might
somewhat alleviate the resentment and negative attitude.
5. Shape Related Burn Rate and Draw Problems
Many expected the burn rate to be such that the cigarette would be
consumed in just a few puffs, with the coal moving rapidly down the rod
both during the puff and in the static burn state. (It does not.) There
was a big difference between the expected burn rate ratings before
smoking and the later ratings after smoking the sample (over 2 rating
points). It was not infrequent to hear people volunteer, "I was wrong
about how fast it would burn, it burns slowly." It is as rare to hear
people say "I was wrong" during an interview as it is to hear them say
it under any other circumstances, so hearing such frequent retractions
made a big impression on the interviewers.
This refutation of an initial expectation immediately characterizes the
product as having an important attribute. It is quite possible that
being wrong about the rate will lead not only to the idea that it burns
slowly, but even to the idea that it burns slower than other cigarettes. ~
We did not ask that question. ~
Cst
The rod firmness led a few to expect that they would have a draw problem.
They did not, and again they changed their minds and admitted their '~
original guess was wrong. It has a good draw. ~
Z1Z
CP
~
O~
4
6. Apparent Fragility
We had anticipated hearing some comments on the fragility of the rod, and
we did. However, no one broke a rod, nor was any rod damaged during the
smoking. A couple of people tried to abuse rods while tapping ash into
ashtrays, and the cigarettes held up well. So did the coals. In no case
did we observe any coal dropoff and there was no evidence of loose ends.
People were impressed by how firmly the rods were packed. This helped
overcome the fragility impression. However, I carried a couple of half-
open packs in my pocket and one or two of their rods were damaged during
travel, probably by aircraft and automobile seat belts. In a purse there
would be an entirely different environment, but some purses are so full
that damage possibility is real. This means that a sturdy and attractive
pack would help a Capri competitor. Plastic?
7. Capri Packaging
I will not belabor the obvious. The package is a box, and that is a plus.
It is attractive. It has a good and contemporary design. It does not
necessarily imply that the contents are cigarettes, incidentally, but
could hold other feminine products, such as cosmetic supplies. For some
women this was a plus, for the presence of such a box on a desk would not
signal "Smoker!" in a non-smoking office.
Any changes in the number per pack should not risk losing one advantage of
the Capri box: it is smaller and less bulky than other packs, even with
its filler cushion of corrugated paper. It fits pockets and purses better
than regular cigarettes. Several women commented on this.
8. Handling and Feel in Mouth and Hand
When asked whether Capri felt comfortable in hand or mouth, the answer was
that it felt "Different." Not bad, not good, just "Different." But the
women assured us that this was not a problem, and that they would get used
to the feel without difficulty. Some suggested that they would adapt
after a pack or two, and some seemed to be adapting after a single stick.
A couple volunteered that their own cigarette would seem "fat" after
having had a Capri between their lips, and made a hasty little test of
this by putting each in their mouth in succession. If time permitted, I
later asked a half dozen who liked the cigarette to make the same
comparison, and they all agreed with the observation, all employing the
word "fat".
Without being overly paranoid about it, this implies that once a woman
adopts Capri, she may be awfully hard to win back to a regular product.
An often heard comment was about how "light" the cigarette felt in the
hand and mouth, and how generally easy it was to hold in either place. A
few women were not sure the light weight was always an advantage, for they
might forget they had it in their hand and accidentally burn something.
Without trying to reach for a point, it seems to me that a low delivery
cigarette that is light in weight is again offering confirmation of its
delivery, albeit in another sensory dimension.
®
5
Along the same lines, however, I have had some problems with rods falling
out of my office ashtray during static burn. The unbalanced rods then
fell to the floor. That's bad, and obviously dangerous. We had no such
difficulties in the field, but those ashtrays were differently shaped.
9. Possible Appeal to Men
When asked whether a man would buy the product, the answer was an
unqualified "No!" from most women, but a few were not so sure. They
suggested that men were changing, that some cosmetic changes (brown
paper? cork tip? a different length? less feminine package styling?)
would make it possible to sell this to non-macho men for the same reasons
(usually lower tobacco consumption) that made it appeal to the woman
suspecting that it could have male appeal. Macho-types, or macho-image
needers (the women didn't make the distinction), would stick with
Marlboro or Winston. Several women asked if it would appear in both
menthol and regular versions, as they had friends or husbands who would
be interested in the alternative flavor.
10. Smoke Characteristics
Important as the foregoing attributes and perceptions are, they would be
less important if the cigarette did not meet taste standards and so
required a major taste tradeoff to get the benefits mentioned.
But no such tradeoff is necessary. Capri tastes good, outperforming
initial expectations. We heard some negatives, of course, but they were
few and tended to be from people who were already negative about the size
or economic implications. In general the smokers praised the taste,
saying "It tastes a lot like my regular brand," and "It has a good and
satisfying taste." They gave it a general rating of 5.6 on "Good Taste."
And that's a good score.
This confirms the general notion held by several at R&D that B&W has done
a good job on this product.
The menthol was perceived as appropriate and good.
We asked the same questions we use in POL mailout tests, in the same
order, and with the same ballot, to get the smoking ratings (Table 1.)
Because we have little experience using this ballot in a one-on-one
situation, we do not know how to interpret the data in any sophisticated
manner. But taking the scores at face value, which may be a mistake but
seems a reasonable place to start, this is a pretty good cigarette. The
smoker ratings confirm the general comments made by people at R&D who ~
have smoked Capri. ~
~
~
~
~
C~
6
Table 1
Cigarette Smoke Ratings
(7 pt scales)
Means %6,7 or 1,2
Low Score Re~ Menthol High Score Rea Menthol
Does not have mild taste 5.5 5.8 Has a mild taste 64 75
Is not harsh 1.9 1.8 Is harsh 76 80
Not a good taste 5.6 5.6 Has a good taste 66 67
Not enough menthol na 3.8 Too much menthol na ~
Is not satisfying 5.6 5.4 Is satisfying 66 61
Is not cool smoking 5.2 5.7 Is cool smoking 57 73
Does not burn too fast 2.7 2.3 Burns too fast 57 65
Does not have easy draw 5.6 5.1 Has an easy draw 70 65
.
Not a good menthol flavor na 5.8 Has a good menthol flavor na 69
No dry taste in mouth 2.3 2.7 Has a dry taste in mouth 67 64
Not a good aftertaste 4.6 5.0 Leaves a good aftertaste 43 52
I dislike extremely 5.4 5.3 I like extremely 60 55
To explain the table, the end descriptors of each 7 point scale are
listed. The means from the 52 regular smokers and the 49 menthol
smokers are shown. The last set of numbers indicates the percentage
of smokers who made a rating of either 6 or 7, or 1 or 2, whichever
is the most positive attribute, on the dimension. Thus they refer
to: mild taste, not harsh, good taste, satisfying, doesn't burn too
fast, has an easy draw, good menthol, no dry taste, good aftertaste,
and liking. The asterisk (*) in the dimension of having enough
menthol indicates that the center of the scale is the positive point
Half of the 48 answers on this scale were in the middle box. (All
other menthol ratings are based on 49 replies.) The "na" indicates
that the question was not asked.
0
7
11. Intent to buy
We asked on three occasions whether they would buy the cigarette, twice
after seeing it but before smoking it, and once after smoking it. The
second pre smoking question referred to it as a two-fer. There were a lot
of top two box responses, and a tendency for the intent to buy to go up
after smoking the single stick. It seldom went down after the smoking.
As used, this is not a wonderful measure, because it implies a willingness
to commit yourself to purchase in the absence of extensive experience with
the cigarette, together with a lot of guess work and an opportunity to
tell the interviewer something favorable about the product. Many women
expressed some reservations about answering such a question because they
wanted to be truthful. They do not change their buying habits on a whim.
There were some "might or might not" answers which were, as a result,
probably less characteristic of the product than of the respondents.
I break out the data for the post-smoking answers in Table 2. The numbers
are small, but they are an indication of the general feeling.
Table 2
Post-Smoking Intent to Buy
(Data Show Number of Smokers)
All Rea Menthol 85s 100s 100 Slims
Definitely would buy 32 15 17 5 11 16
Probably would buy 35 20 15 8 9 18
Might or might not 13 7 6 4 3 6
Probably would not 11 5 6 4 4 3
Definitely would not 10 5 5 4 4 3
Percent in top box 32% 31% 33% 20% 37% 35%
Market Research (NY) suggests that Ad-Pack data indicate that if a new
product can lure 30% of respondents into the top box of the intent to buy
statements, then it may have a decent chance of success. Their testing is
based on showing ads with claims, having at least a pack smoked, and then
asking the intent to buy question. We showed no ad, made no claims, and ~
got the rating after a single stick had been smoked. There are not many ~
smokers, but there are enough to make the observed frequencies ~
interesting. ~
~
~
8
The before-smoking intent to buy data was not as good, with an overall top
box count of 10%. As a two-fer this figure went to 34% without having
smoked the cigarette. We did not ask about a two-fer after smoking. Note
that the generally positive taste and smoking experience raised the intent
to buy rating considerably.
12. Is It a Gimmick?
Novel products run the risk of being viewed as non-serious toys, which are
perhaps attractive to some (but seldom to the respondent) who are "not
really smokers." We do not know how to evaluate this component of any new
product. In the present case we decided to ask the question directly:
"Does it seem like a serious cigarette,
with maybe some advantages and some disadvantages,
or is it a gimmick?"
The women understood what we were trying to find out, and they did their
best to answer the question. For some it was no problem. They thought
Capri a ridiculous novelty item with no redeeming features. For others it
was also no problem, because they saw at once the advantages reported
above. They thought it was a serious cigarette to which they might
switch. There were a lot of fence sitters, who were less sure, but who
felt that Capri could not be dismissed. One of them said, "It looks like
a gimmick, that's for sure, but boy! it sure smokes like a real
cigarette!" Another said, "I think it's a gimmick, but then I thought
Virginia Slims and More 120's were gimmicks, so what does that mean?"
Before smoking the cigarette, 35% called it a Gimmick. Generally this
first impression led to low ratings and a low intent to buy, and some of
the women really didn't give the cigarette a fair chance. That is, of
course, a real marketplace phenomenon. About 40% of these people later
changed their minds, so that after smoking a single cigarette only 21%
said "gimmick."
Our only prior experience with this topic came in the Concord testing,
when a similar question was asked of people who had smoked a whole pack.
The Capri numbers are best described as analogous to those in the Concord
studies. We have our reservations about their meaning, but if they seem
to emphasize the role of the first impression, together with the fact that
experience can change that impression, then that is probably an adequate CP
interpretation.
13. Miscellany CP
The word "skinny" was used so often, by so many people, that it should be -11
considered as a possible name for whatever product we develop. Myron C4
Johnston has always nicknamed Virginia Slims as "Skinny Ginny", a phrase
he attributes to Frank Daylor. Here is an opportunity for us to transform
that nickname into a product name: Skinny Ginny, from Virgina Slims. Such
a name would have delivery connotations as well as those of style and
whimsey. Skinny is a good word, loaded with positive implications.
9
We have not as yet attempted an analysis of the "What kind of a person are
you" and "What kind of a person would smoke this cigarette" answers.
These will require a bit of thought, and are perhaps irrelevant to the
question you asked us originally.
It is obvious to me that B&W's research efforts have been headed in some
different directions than ours, and it may be possible for you to infer
what type of things they have been toying with on the basis of what they
must have investigated in the process of developing Capri. That might be
useful to speculate upon, for it could give you a clue as to what they
will come up with next.
CONCLUSION
This is an astonishing little cigarette with a lot going for it, but it will
have an uphill battle if it isn't marketed well.
It is feminine, attractive, and well-packaged. It has health and social
advantages. There is no major problem in handling it. It outperforms smoker
expectations, and it has a remarkably good taste. The intent-to-buy scores are
high.
It is not for everyone, and some reject it it on grounds of economics as well
as gimmickry. It has first-impression problems, most of which are overcome
during trial.
Its appeal to slim smokers means that our Virginia Slims market is more at risk
than such products as Marlboro, but if B&W can capitalize on the sorts of
things that the women volunteered to us, then a cigarette like this could have
some general underlying appeal to many smokers.
FR: f
Attachments
cc: Alan Confer
1 Dick Heretick
Willie Houck
Ken Houghton
Melissa Jeltema
Myron Johnston
Jan Jones
Peter Martin
Leo Meyer
Howard Spielberg
John Tindall
Faye West
Louise Wu
Central Files
0
