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ba tc: _ May 31, 1977 hU'1kKETING I:I:S1-ann1 PROJECT APhItOVAL ('To he fi] ]ed wut by 11ru I:ot i.tit; It(a:Olrcti Unpnrt.mmt) /~ 1~ PP.OJL•'CT ~~Di saster Check" ~ PR~ ,uCT Old Gold Lights _ TITN; T Taste Test Research rirm Incidence Research Design (N, Cells, Elcqihility, Design, Key Banner Breaks, Methodology, Cities) Since we are unable at this time to In-home product test our new Old Gold Lights product, '1RD recommends a simplistic consumer research study in the form of a taste test; the purpose ::yf which is to serve as a "disaster check" for our new 12.mg. product. In short, we recommend ;~IGL he tested against its mmior competition - Marlboro Linhts and Minston Lights among a , 1, ~; otal of 200 lo-fi 80 or 85mn1 non-menthol smokers. Additionally, all of these smokers must ,,~xhibit a "proneness" to lower tar and nicotine cigarettes. One half of the participants will test OGL vs. Marlboro Lights, while the other half will :est OGL vs. Winston Lights. All of those participating will he blindfolded during the taste `.:esting so that they will not be aware of the brands they are smoking. Furthermore, during the :esting, in an attempt to eliminate-any possible position bias, nld f;old Lights will be offered is the 1st cigarette tried and the second cigarette tried, on a rotating basis. As always, all of the respondents will he 21 years of age and smokers of at least z pack )f cigarettes/day. We are not establishing any quotas for males/females. The testing ;entatively has been scheduled for the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center in L.I. starting ,pproximately June 27, 1977. (If product cannot be available from R R D for testing by this ate---please alert MRD immediately) Key Criteria For Analysis "•is program has been developed to serve as a "disaster check" for our new 12mg. nld ol , ights product. MRD is of the opinion that should (1GL lose significantly to the ' nNetition based on preference scores, it should serve as a caution that further evaluation f the new product is needed before moving to market. Furthermore, for this taste test study, _ ~~~~ Research Limitations A sample of this magnitude and design should never be viewed as representative of ationwide perceptions of the brands being evaluated. Secondly, taste testina of this ature, because it involves a "limited" smoking experience for the respondent is not P,arly as effective as an exte ded use P roduct test in generating the best possible consumer ?gjdU c }~_ _ _ _(l,on.tintiPr1 nn_nPxt naaa) Cost I•:stim1te -tr1 sna " + - 10",, Contingency yes [aT no ;~ Final Report Inc. ycs(_,I no Final Length Int. 7 minutes 2 NONE 1 ylirCctqr ;irr/AFSist L Product ?.lana,;cr t-! Pr(6d{tc JOB y 5544/7170J Rurke Mkt4. Research 27% - lo-fi NM- ~ 80-85mm smoke rs 7 weP_kC a.£tAr fiel work completed.- 3 weeks after field work completed. (:: wcel:s 1 rom approved ques t.. )• 01842340 ~l

I ~# r MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT APPROVAL Cf1NT'D "Disaster Check" ~ ~ :ey Criteria For Analysis regardless of how well we do on preference, we are adding some diagnostic questions to the study, hopefully designed to highlight any glaring problems with our Old Gold Lights product. Should major problems surface, MRD recommends they be immediately addressed by R & D. Research Limitations The success or failure of a product should never be based solel on a taste test such as this one. 01842341 . y