Tobacco Documents Online

Concluding Remarks Stanley S. Scott Business/Media Dialogue NOVEMBER 15, 1985

1 I mentioned at the start of this dialogue that our purposes were to better understand each other's concerns,, and to explore ways to address them. I think we have accomplished that. We've had a lively give-and-take that began last night and never let up. Your questions challenged us and gave us valuable insights into how you feel about our company, our issues, and the way we do business with your newspapers and your readers. Everyone on the Philip Morris side of the dialogue jioins me in thankiing you for your forthrightness and candor. In the few minutes we have left, let me try to sum up... to put things in perspective. For nearly half acentury Philip Morris and the black press have shared~a relationship that's been mutually beneficial and, if I may say it, affectionate. We can't be America's number one consumer products company -- and we can't grow -- without the increasing support of America's growing minority communities, especially yours. You heard~from our marketing panel just how important minority consumers are to Philip Morris. Blacks spend 530 million (ck) dollars a year for cigarettes. You got a good indicationlof the role your publications have played in enlarging our share of black smokers, and of how our advertising works hand in hand with the efforts of our sales force to make our products available and'.visible. But all our advertising, merchandising and selling could very well amount to:nothing if consumers can't afford our products or use them freely. Our company and its industry are under unprecedented economic, regulatory, legislative and social pressure. It's being brought to bear by a determined group of zealots... whose stated goal is to put tobacco out of business.

1) They don't care how many distortions it takes. They don't mind enacting laws that discriminate in their enforcement against minorities and offend our sensibilities. They don't care how unfairly you and'.I are taxed. And they don't care how many of our constitutional guarantees are violated. The tobacco industry has been under attack since before this country was founded. We have not only survived every institutionalized'effort to put u~s out of business, but we have come back stronger than ever every time. The main reason for our resiliency is the support we receive from smokers who want to continue enjoying ou~r products. Many of those smokers, as you saw, are black, and Philip Morris enjoys a considerable mreasure of their support. To a large degree, that is because Philip Morris is a corporation that puts its money where its mouth is. Philip Morris people, money and other resources have been available to minority communities since this company began getting off the ground. To organizations ranging from the Congressional Black Caucus to the National Black Police Association to the United Negro College Fund to the NAACCP and the National Urban League, along with many, many other educational, cultural, professional and community organizations... Philip Morris has been~an enthusiastic contributor. We have also been a friend to minority communities in their times of special need. Literally hours after fire destroyed the Osage Avenue rowhouses in Philadelphia, I handed a Philip Morris check for $100,000 to a group of clergymen representing the Ecumenical Council that was sponsored by a public-spirited member of this group here today, the Philadelphia Tribune. You heard how minority representation on the Philip Morris sales force keeps growing. The same can be said for our officials and managers, professionals, and technici:ans -- in fact, our entire workforce. Of our total U.S. compliment of more than 10,0100 (ck) people, more than a quarter are minority employees.

3 We want to continue to work in partnership with the black press and black communities all over America. It is a matter of enlightened self-interest for us, if there is one point you heard reiterated time andagain today, it is this: your markets are our markets. When we strenghten the community, the community in turn strengthens the corporation. When we help bring prosperity to a community, we reap the benefits of that prosperity. For that partnership to survive in the future, we need your support on our issues today. We need your editorial good will andwe need~youir influential voices as publishers and!individ'uals. Above all, we need your belief in fairness, tolerance and freedom of choice. if we have that, we'll win a:very important battle together...and together, we'll continue to prosper. (pause) On that note, I hereby adjourn the first Philip Morris Companies Business/Media Dialogue. Thank you again for joining us today. It was a pleasure to see so many good friends again, and to make new ones. For Philip Morris, thank you... and Godspeed home.