Tobacco Documents Online

. August 27, 1991 ~ORll1~1DQlt TO: Marty Gleason FROM: Kay Packett RE: HBI Northeast Office As you know, HBI opened its Boston office two years ago with initial assistancs from The Institute of $8,000 per month, reduced in 1991 to $6,000 per month. The office has been underutilized since its inception. Fleishman Hillard did generate considerable media activity in 1990, including 20 media interviews following the opening of the office, two media tours and a number of efforts to identify speaking opportunities for the HBI-Northeast staff. However, despite the public smoking issue group's efforts, requests from State Activities staff in the Northeast region never met expectations for use of the HBI office. Activity in 1991 has been virtually non-existent. HBI has had what they describe as "calls here and there" to the Boston office, but Fleishman Hillard reports no activity at all on behalf of the northeast region in 1991 and State Activities Division staff, to my knowledge, have made no requests specifically of the Northeast office. As a result of the decline in the office's activity, HBI elected to bring Jeff Seckler back to the home office and maintain only the office itself and part- time secretarial assistance. Gray and I met in June to discuss, among other things, TI's continuing support of the Northeast office in light of the decline in activity. We discussed eliminating the support altogether but finally agreed to maintain it at a reduced level -- $3,000 per month beginning in the last quarter -- through the end of the year, at which time the program would be re-evaluated. I have budgeted support for the Northeast office at $3,000 per month for 1992 but based on more recent discussions with HBI would recommend elimination of TI's support for the office. Although Gray believes there is some benefit to him in maintaining the Northeast office, he agrees that there is insufficient justification for TI's involvement. Please let me know if you have questions or instructions. cc: Susan Stuntz ====== CONFIDENTIAL =___ = THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO A COURT ORDER AND THIS DOCUMENT AND ITS CONTENTS SHALL NOT BE USED, SHOWN OR DISTRIBUTED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THE COURT'S ORDER TI DN 0025058