Tobacco Documents Online

WEST AFRICA WORKING' GROUP (WAWG) Ivory Coast Code. The WAWG has continued to concentrate on finalising the. Voluntary Code of Cigarette Advertising for the Ivory Coast. This Code aims to reduce the amount of total advertising and promotion, and to demonstrate to the appropriate authorities,, as and when the need arises, that the companies in the markett are regulating themselves by voluntary agreement. The restrictions cover two main areas, qualitative andd quantitative. The: qualitative ones are: those that one wouldd expect.. Quantitatively, it was recognised'that, withithe limited aanountt of classical media avaiLable, a quota system by signatory company and by brand was inevitable. The main features of the agreement are that, for Cinema, Press, and Outdoor, there is a maximum allocation of time or space per signatory within which any number of' brands may be promoted'. However, because.of the prominence of Radio, only three brands may be promoted within the total allocation per signatory. Sticxers and other POSM may only be placed at tobacco points of sale. The Code was due to: become effective January lst, 1985. All companies have agreed to all the provisions except that one company has wished to change its signatory/allocation status.. As soon as this final point has been satisfactorily resolved~, the Code can be signed arnd'become effective. It is hoped that this wi11 entail only a short delay and that, in the meantime, the companies will, as of January lst, abide by it. It should be noted that the proj!ect to develop a code for the Ivory Coast dates from April 2'8th, 1982 and! stemmed: the

2. Industry's unfortunate experience in Senegal. This attempt proved inconclusive by the end of that year and lapsed. This current initiative dates from December 1983, with the first meeting~of the 8 companies involved held February 3, 1984' ('BAT',. Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, T.E.I., SEITA, Societe JOB, Gallaher International, London Tobacco Overseas). Advertising Code.for the Cameroon The Cameroon will be the next country to be tackled,, using the Ivory Coast formula as the basis. Also: involved and to be invited to particiipate.are Reemtsma and SOFICAL. Withdrawal of the ban on cigarette advertising on Africa No. 1 The Gabonese Africa No. 1 is the most powerful short-wave station in Africa, claiming an audience of,15 million listeners ini 14 countries. A ban was announced oni the advertising of cigarettes (and alcohol) as of January lst, 1985. The Industry met twice with! Africa No. 1 officials and with their Paris-based Regie. The Regie subsequently met with the Gabonese Minister of Information and, although the alcohol ban remained, the cigarette ban was relaxed. However, advertising was made subject to certa~in, constraints th~at most companies found unacceptable (no; use of the words "tabac", "fumer"' or "cigarette"). Action was left in the hands of those companies who were advertisers, and in December it was annoumced that, following, further negotiation between Africa No. 1 and the Minister of Information, the Gabonese Government hadisuspended the decision for a ban owing to "the Pan-Africarn audiience off the station" (out of the listenership of 15 millioni, only 400,000 are in Gabon). Thus advertising for cigarettes (and alcohol) will continue, though it has been requested that thiss be done "with moderation regarding to the form of the messages". The WAWG members generally a~greed that the satisfactory outcome of' this issue was principally due to the aspects of revenue- loss coupled with timing (imminence of new budget year) and'!thee coordinated Industry approach.