Tobacco Documents Online

Research Planning Memorandum on Some Thoughts About New Brands of Cigarettes for the Youth Market.

Abstract

From the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR), here is one of the most compelling documents describing efforts to market cigarettes to youth. In this document, Claude Teague of RJR's research department muses about how to attract "pre-smokers" or "learners" to smoking in a marketplace where the company cannot do so overtly:

"It should be said that we are presently, and I believe unfairly, constrained from directly promoting cigarettes to the youth market..."

"Realistically, if our Company is to survive and prosper, over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market. In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market..."

Teague discusses how RJR can exploit the psychological needs of youngsters by developing a new cigarette brand tailored specifically for this age group:

"Pre-smokers learn to smoke to identify with and participate in shared experiences of a group of associates. If the majority of one's closest associates smoke cigarettes, then there is strong psychological pressure, particularly on the young person, to identify with the group, follow the crowd...This provides a large incentive to begin smoking...Thus a new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the 'in' brand and its promotion should emphasize togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same time emphasizing individuality and 'doing one's own thing.' "

Amazingly, RJR considers how it's deadly products can be used to help enhance the "fragile, developing self-image of the young":

"C. Self-Image Enhancement - The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all of the support and enhancement it can get. Smoking may appear to enhance that self-image in a variety of ways. If one values, for example, an adventurous, sophisticated, adult image, smoking may enhance one's self-image...."

Finally, RJR gives us a dismal reminder at how health education, and even warning labels, can serve to actually drive youngsters TOWARDS smoking:

"The smoking-health controversy does not appear important to the group because, psychologically, at eighteen, one is immortal. Further, if the desire to be daring is part of the motivation to start smoking, the alleged risk of smoking may actually make smoking attractive. Finally, if the 'older' establishment is preaching against smoking, the anti-establishment sentiment discussed above would cause the young to be defiant and smoke. Thus, a new brand aimed at the young group should not in any way be promoted as a "health" brand, and perhaps should carry some implied risk. In this sense, the warning label on the package may be a plus."

While this is an older document, it provides an enduring and important lesson that is key to understanding the tobacco industry's need to recruit young smokers. Since adults rarely begin smoking, if the companies don't continue to recruit young people to smoke, one day there will be no more smokers.

Fields

Notes

This document was first posted January 24, 2000. The links have been updated.

Quotes

It should be said that we are presently, and I believe unfairly, constrained from directly promoting cigarettes to the youth market...Statistics show, however, that large, and perhaps increasing, numbers in that group are becoming smokers each year, despite bans on promotion of cigarettes to them. If this be so, there is certainly nothing immoral or unethical about our Company attempting to attract those smokers to our products...

Realistically, if our Company is to survive and prosper, over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market. In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market...

Several things will go to make up any such new "youth" brands...The questions then are, What image? and What quality? Perhaps these questions may be best approached by consideration of factors influencing pre-smokers to try smoking, learn to smoke and become confirmed smokers....

...For the pre-smoker and "learner," the physical effects of smoking are largely unknown, unneeded, or actually quite unpleasant or awkward. The expected or derived psychological effects are largely responsible for influencing the pre-smoker to try smoking, and provide sufficient motivation during the "learning" period to keep the "learner" going, despite the physical unpleasantness and awkwardness of the period.

In contrast, once the "learning" period is over, the physical effects become of overriding importance and desirability to the confirmed smoker...

I. PHYSICAL EFFECTS...

...The beginning smoker and inhaler has a low tolerance for smoke irritation, hence the smoke should be as bland as possible...For the beginning smoker the cigarette smoke should have a moderate level of tobacco flavor, but should be as free as possible from strong, unpleasant flavors such as stemmy flavor, etc...

II. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS...

These are the expected or derived gratifications which influence a pre-smoker to try smoking and which sustain the beginning smoker during the largely physically awkward and unpleasant "learning to smoke" phase...

...Group Identification -- Pre-smokers learn to smoke to identify with and participate in shared experiences of a group of associates. If the majority of one's closest associates smoke cigarettes, then there is strong psychological pressure, particularly on the young person, to identify with the group, follow the crowd...This provides a large incentive to begin smoking...Thus a new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the "in" brand and its promotion should emphasize togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same time emphasizing individuality and "doing one's own thing."

C. Self-Image Enhancement - The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all of the support and enhancement it can get. Smoking may appear to enhance that self-image in a variety of ways. If one values, for example, an adventurous, sophisticated, adult image, smoking may enhance one's self-image....

D. Experimentation - There is a strong drive in most people, particularly the young, to try new things and experiences. This drive no doubt leads many pre-smokers to experiment with smoking, simply because it is there and they want to know more about it. A new brand offering something novel and different is likely to attract experimenters...

A final psychological factor which also did not fall readily into Table 1 involves smoking and health attitudes. The smoking-health controversy does not appear important to the group because, psychologically, at eighteen, one is immortal. Further, if the desire to be daring is part of the motivation to start smoking, the alleged risk of smoking may actually make smoking attractive. Finally, if the "older" establishment is preaching against smoking, the anti-establishment sentiment discussed above would cause the young to be defiant and smoke. Thus, a new brand aimed at the young group should not in any way be promoted as a "health" brand, and perhaps should carry some implied risk. In this sense, the warning label on the package may be a plus.

Company

R.J. Reynolds

Author

Teague, Claude Edward, Jr., Ph.D. (RJR R&D Admin. Director 1987)

Assistant Director of Research at RJR in 1973 and Director of R&D Administration in 1987.(Source: RJR Who's Who NMLRP) Teague was Director of Research & Development

Recipient

Corporate recipient, R.J. Reynolds

Region

United States

Litigation

Minnesota Selected

Type

DRAFT

REPORT

Confidential

Subject

youth

youth initiation

smoking initiation