Anne Landman's Collection
Strategic Research Report. "The 1981 Brand Family Segmentation Study" (810000).
Abstract
This R.J. Reynolds marketing development report focuses on the "deeper" reasons that underly people's cigarette brand selections, describes the positive benefits people derive from smoking, how smoking facilitates social interaction, the symbolism of smoking, and how to market to both the problems and benefits of smoking. It lists the basic market segments for cigarettes, giving examples of each: "Traditional" (Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, L&M), "Virile" (Marlboro, Winston), "Coolness" (Salem, Kool, Newport), "Stylish" (Benson & Hedges, Virginia Slims), "Moderation" (Merit, Vantage, Tareyton), and "Concerned" (Kent, Carlton, Barclay). It further discusses the type of imagery used to sell these brands to each specific market segment, and uses the brand almost as a psychoanalytic tool to define the segment, for example: "Smokers of Moderation brands tend to use the act of smoking as a personal ritual. This ritual functions as a "security blanket." It gives them a means to occupy their time, something to do with their hands, something to do while talking, or just something to do when there is nothing else to do. Smokers of Moderation brands also benefit from smoking in the course of controlling their moods. They feel that it perks them up and gets them going -- and yet they also feel that it calms them down and relaxes them. They use smoking for a wide variety of functions, including thinking through a problem, and regaining their self-control in stressful situations."
This document is a must-read to better understand how the tobacco industry exploits human physical and emotional needs, and how they use psychology and imagery to market cigarettes to very specific target markets.
Fields
- Quotes
This document discusses central findings emerging from a major strategic research study conducted by R. J. Reynolds in 1981...it studied the relatively abstract and deep seated psychological and social aspects of smoking...
[From Page 11, Bates No. 500455045]:
All of these aspects of smoking provide the younger adult smoker with a highly desired benefit -- that of fitting into a group. Although cigarettes with clearly defined user images may bemore appropriate than others to the younger adult's goal of fitting into a group, nonetheless their role among these smokers is to facilitate group membership, not to project an image in its own right. This explains, for example, why very different brands such as Marlboro, Newport, and Virginia Slims all have high appeal to younger adults. They tap somewhat different social groups, but each can help the smoker fit in and be accepted.
Social Interaction Among Older Smokers
As smokers grow older, the importance of smoking as a means to gain acceptance declines. However, one aspect of social interaction -- the creation of social confidence -- remains important. For example, even among older smokers, a majority still agree that "they feel more comfortable around other people with a cigarette." Older smokers continue to derive benefit from their cigarette's ability to give them something to do while others talk, to help them feel accepted and confident among friends. " A smoker who finds himself in a discomforting social situation will tend to smoke a cigarette. Examples of such situations might be meeting new acquaintances, trying to forge relationships with members of the other sex, and any situation where social pressure is focussed upon the smoker (a job interview, subjection.to criticism, exposure to aggression, etc.) Several mechanisms contribute to a cigarette's ability to ease the smoker through, these difficult situations. The act of smoking is believed to be relaxing, providing a familiar sequence of actions that can help the smoker to calm feelings of anxiety deriving from social situations. Smoking is an activity that the smoker has performed many times before, and can now perform fluently with no risk of "mistakes" and no need for concentration.
Page 25: 500455059
In a sense, the benefits of smoking describe why the cigarette business exists. They define why people begin to smoke, and why they continue to do so. A number of brands have been positioned directly against one or another of these central benefits of smoking. The benefit of smoking which has most frequently and most successfully been exploited by brand families appears to be Social Interaction. For example, some brands, such as Newport, have focussed on the younger adult "peer group" aspect of social interaction. Other brands, such as WINSTON, have focussed on the more mature adult conformity aspects of Social Interaction. A number of approaches to Social Interaction app,ar to have been successful. While Social Interaction may have been the most fzequently addressed benefit of smoking, opportunities exist to position brand families against other benefits, For example, Benson & Hedges' "B&H and Me" campaign appeared to be addressing the benefit of mood enchancement: more specifically, the relaxation, contentment and enjoyment aspects of this benefit. We can "speculate that, in the future, cigarette brands may successfully be positioned against other benefits of smoking. ' Positionings may be developed to address other aspects of mood enhancement, the personal ritual "time management" benefit, and the oral and tactile gratifications that attend smoking. Moreover, benefits of smoking are not the only opportunities for developing new brand positionings. recent successful new brand introductions based on smokers' concerns about tar and nicotine prove that it can be equally -- if not more -- viable to position a brand against a problem associated with smoking.
[From Page 27, Bates No. 500455061]:
For example, the act of smoking tends to have a ruggedly masculine," downscale, image. This image is a positive benefit for many smokers, such as younger adults during the process of identifying with a group of peers. However, for other smokers, the downscale masculine image of smoking is a problem. Brands such as Virginia Slims may be positioned as solutions to this problem: they offset the blue collar masculine image of smoking that is unappealing to many smokers. However, in noting the opportunity for problem-oriented positionings, it should be stressed that smokers want their problems solved only in order that they may continue to enjoy the positive benefits of smoking. A brand that solved all of the problems associated with smoking, but that did not provide the positive benefits, would not truly be a cigarette...
- Company
- R.J. Reynolds
- Author
- Marketing Development Department, R.J. Reynolds
- Recipient
- Presumed corporate recipient, R.J. Reynolds
Document Images
