Tobacco Documents Online

INFOTAB WORKSHOP GROUP DISCUSSIONS - TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20 - Roger Byers Grou-2_4___'_Protect Marketing_Freedom" We were talking about protecting marketing freedom and we felt that the arguments against advertising are largely emotional ones. Most countries have built up authoritative cases that smoking does not affect consumption, but these really aren't carrying very much weight with the emotional arguments of the anti-smoking lobby. We feel that the industry should build up credible arguments, preferably done by independent research bodies, perhaps through Paul's I.U.A.A. or advertising and P.R. agencies, or whatever. We did recognise that perhaps other commodity fields do not wish to get drawn into this whole argument of restrictions in advertising, but it would help if they could be drawn into the whole situation as this would be in the interests of unity of all products as distinct from just the tobacco industry, but from which the tobacco industry would benefit. Poster companies for instance are badly organized, we felt, they need help and they could be an asset in the whole argument against smoking. The industry could help them by finding arguments for them to use. We found a little difficulty perhaps in answering the emotional arguments, but we can certainly give them the objective ones. The anti-smoking lobby produced strong medical arguments and then they just closed their book and said "well, that's it". The tobacco industry, however, has to substantiate their case. The anti-smokers don't have to do this, We felt we should try to argue that they produce positive substantiation for the anti-smoking arguments that they are using. Then we would be N t1'I prepared to sit down and talk to them in an unemotional and o ~ factual way. a x

-2- We felt that the tobacco industry should be responsible in its actions, because the writing is on the wall. As Michael Thompson was saying this morning, you can look around the world and find what is going to happen to you. If you are not presently badly restricted it will happen. We are saying don't push your freedom, if you have it, too far, because if you do you will be clobbered more quickly. This can be a problem of course because where there are no restrictions, companies can't necessarily agree to have voluntary restrictions. Belgium was cited as an example where, if the whole advertising scene were frozen, the brand that is the market leader stays at the percentage that it holds. That's fine for that particular company, but the other companies can't accept that situation. They want the freedom continued, whereas the major brand share leader wouldn't object greatly to a freeze in advertising. We should try nonetheless to get companies to be united. They should try to get together and think long- term. They.should use, as I said before, advertising industry organisations to fight for the freedom to advertise all products not just tobacco, because if this is an accepted situation, then the tobacco industry can only benefit. We felt that we were fighting for a principle and unity which is very important in that whole area of the principle of freedom to advertise. We also felt that Michael's presentation this morning was splendid and NMAs should build a case and be ready for any battle which may take place in their country. They should build this case as Michael showed us very well this morning and be ready with it all in the file ready to go at a moment's notice. We talked about FOREST. I think it was felt generally that it was splendid but it was very British. A very good idea-- Stephen put across his case absolutely splendidly this morning, with good humour and great personality. I think this came across 2501021715

-3- to a number of people that it was humourous and very British. They are however, I think, a very serious organization and they can do a lot which the industry can't do on its own. They can commission surveys and they can do various things which are more credible coming from an organization like FOREST than it would be from the tobacco industry. We thought FOREST could translate into other countries but it would have to be adapted to that particular country's needs. We thought that the tobacco industry is in the forefront of restrictions, that other product fields should be encouraged to consider this whole question of freedom to advertise and perhaps end up as having freedom organizations as distinct from just freedom in tobacco, and then we, and all product fields, can benefit from this.