Women's Collection from Marketing to Counter-Marketing
PHILIP MORRIS TARGETING ISSUES
Abstract
Presents a number of questions about targeting that could potentially be raised by "critics," and details Philip Morris' answers to those questions. Describes how Philip Morris attempts to avoid targeting youth with its ads. Summarizes strategies for targeting minorities and women. Explains the association between sporting events and smoking. Covers both print and outdoor advertising, as well as promotions and event sponsorship. Lists twelve attachments, none of which are included.
Fields
- Type
- Memorandum
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Nicoli, D.
- Landever, C.M.
- Recipient
- Sherman, Cary
- Reade, Claire
- Named Person
- Merlo, Ellen
- Stirlen, Rick
- Vera, Gigi
- Meurer, Meg
- Connolly, John
- Schwartz, Marvin
- Sullivan
- Butts, Calvin
- Price, John Wiley
- von Moltke, Nicholas
- Kennedy, Ted
- Aliksanyan, Alex
- Pearlstein, Laurie
- Remes, David H.
- Guglielmone, Lisa
- Winokur, Matt
- Broehl, David
- Malik, Michael
- Antonoff, Marla
- Luken, Thomas A.
- Yasuda, Scott
- Krivisky, Barry M.
- Foster, Dirks B.
- Raeburn, Paul
- Berner, Vicky
- Edmonds, Dave
- Powell, George
- Named Organization
- Leo Burnett
- Outdoor Advertising Association of America
- Gannett Outdoor Group
- RJR
- Brown & Williamson
- Lorillard
- Patrick Media Group
- Gateway Outdoor
- Whiteco
- Metrocom
- United Outdoor
- Cohen & Wolfe
- Covington & Burling
- Sega
- Namco
- Townsend and Townsend
- Brand
- Marlboro
- Kool
- Benson & Hedges
- Virginia Slims
- Parliament Lights
- Thesaurus Term
- Promotions
- Advertising
- Females
- Youth
- Ethnic Minorities
- Print Advertising
- Sports Events
- Sponsorship
- Keyword
- Marlboro Cup Matches
- Out of Home Advertising
- Virginia Slims Tennis
- Marlboro Indy Car Racing
Document Images
MEMORANDUM
PHILIP MORRIS TARGETING ISSUES
David Nicoli
Carolyn~M. Landever
April 4, 1990

TABLE OF CONTENTS
II.
Page
ADVERTISING
A. Theme 1 -- Cigarette Advertising
Targets Youth ...............................
2
i. Newspapers ............................. 2
2. Magazines .............................. 5
3. Out-of-Home Advertising ("OOH") ....... I0
Theme 2 -- Targeting Minorities
and Women .................................. 13
i. General ............................... 13
2. Newspapers ............................ 19
3. Magazines ............................. 21
4. OOH Advertising ....................... 22
C. Theme 3 -- Association Between Sports
and Smoking ................................
29
i. Newspapers ............................ 29
2. Magazines ............................. 30
3. OOH Advertising ....................... 34
PROMOTION AND EVENT SPONSORSHIP ................
37
A. Theme 1 -- Promotion and Sponsored
Events Targets Youth .......................
37
I. Promotions ............................
37
2. Event Sponsorship .....................
48
B. Theme 2 -- Targeting Minorities
and Women ..................................
54
i. Promotions ............................
54
2. Event Sponsorship .....................
56
C. Theme 3 -- Association Between Sports ......
57
i. Promotions ............................
58
2. Event Sponsorship .....................
58

MEMORANDUM
TO: Cary Sherman
Claire Reade
FROM:
RE :
David Nicoli
Carolyn Landever
Targeting Issues
Per your request, set forth below is a list of
the "targeting" issue themes that we have identified.
With respect to each major theme, we have further
identified various issues relevant to that theme and
provided background and other information concerning
those issues. In addition, we have also identified
further areas of inquiry concerning those issues.
I. ADVERTISING
"Advertising" as used herein refers only to
newspaper, magazines and out-of-home advertising. All
other activities PM undertakes as part of its efforts to
sell its tobacco products are dealt with infra under
"Promotion and Event Sponsorship." This division
roughly corresponds with how PM divides responsibilities
in its operational groups.
As a general matter, there is no doubt that PM's
advertising is targeted at demographic groups. Each of
the seven main PM brands have designated primary and
secondary target markets, including such groups as
smokers aged 18-21, minorities, and women. See
Attachment 1 for the key marketing and media objectives
of each brand in 1990.

- 2 -
Theme 1 -- Cigarette Advertising
Targets Youth
Critics will argue that certain cigarette
advertisements target youth. To assist in rebutting
critics' charges in this regard, we have identified
the following issues and developed the following
information.
1. Newspapers
a. How many newspapers does PM advertise in?
The number varies by market, but PM's total
number is over 1000. Of general newspapers,
PM advertises in the newspapers in the
specific geographic market, or national
papers (USA Today, Wall Street Journal), or
suburban weekly papers. PM also advertises
in minority newspapers.
Newspapers have very little demographic
skew, however, so generally they are used
much more for geographic targeting than for
demographic targeting. "Alternative"
newspapers like the Village Voice are
exceptions to this rule, because they are
much more like magazines, that deliberately
attempt to appeal to specific demographic
groups.
[Memo to PM (Advertising)
File, from C. Landever,
re: Phone Conversation
with Rick Stirlen, PM
Director of Media,
Concerning Newspaper
Advertising, 3/20/90
(hereinafter referred to
as "Newspaper
Conversation with Rick
Stirlen")]

- 3 -
Do
D~es PM attempt to run its ads in any
particular section or any particular part of
the paper? If so, why?
Brands like Marlboro often advertise in the
sports section, since it attracts the
desired readership of men and blue-collar
workers. Most often, however, PM advertises
in the general news section, since that is
the most read section of a general
newspaper.
[Newspaper Conversation
with Rick Stirlen, PM]
Co
Does PM have a rough idea what the under 18
or 21 readership is of the newspapers in
which it runs ads?
PM does not monitor youth readership, since
newspapers are overwhelmingly delivered to
and read by adults. Average daily
readership by younger adults (18-24) has
dropped from 73% in 1970 to 57% in 1989.
Among teenagers (12-17), 81% "make use" of
the newspaper at least once during the week.
Teens are less frequent newspaper readers
than adults; just 16% read the newspaper
five days out of five, and 40% read one or
two days out of five. Leo Burnett data for
newspaper magazine supplements lists under-
18 readership as: Parade (7.79%); Sunday
(total) (6.59%); U.S.A. Weekend (8.71%).
[Newspaper Conversation
with Rick Stirlen, PM;
Newspaper Advertising
Bureau memo, Newspapers
and Young People: Trends
and Industry Responses,
1/25/90; Newspaper
Advertising Bureau
Report: Teenagers and
Newspapers 1989; memo
from Leo Burnett U.S.A.
to PM re: Percentage of
Adults in PM's Total

- 4 -
Audience, 8/8/89 (herein-
after referred to as "Leo
Burnett memo, 8/8/89")]
do
Does PM have guidelines concerning when it
will not run ads in newspapers because of
youth concerns? If so, what are they?
There are no guidelines, because there is no
concern. Newspapers tend towards an adult
audience, more like that of Time Magazine.
[Newspaper Conversation
with Rick Stirlen, PM]
eo
Identify the types of ads PM principally
runs in newspapers, such as full page,
inserts, coupon offers, etc.
Generally, PM runs full-page ads, though
coupon offers may be included. Until this
year there was a half-page Marlboro ad in
the sports section, but since it was not
cost effective it was cancelled.
[Newspaper Conversation
with Rick Stirlen, PM]
Does PM run ads in college newspapers or any
other types of newspapers that may have
substantial audiences under 21 years of age?
No ads are run in college newspapers, in
accordance with the Advertising Code
provision that: "No advertising shall
appear in publications directed primarily to
those under 21 years of age, including
school, college or university media (such as
athletic, theatrical or other programs),
comic books or comic supplements."
However, PM does run ads in some military
newspapers. See Attachment 2.

- 5 -
[Newspaper Conversation
with Rick Stirlen, PM;
Principles Governing
Cigarette Advertising and
Sampling; 1988, 1989
Military Newspapers]
PM also runs ads in "Alternative
Newspapers," including such papers as the
Village Voice, City Pages, and the Baltimore
City Paper, which some may perceive as
directed towards readers under 21. See
Attachment 3.
[Newspaper Conversation
with Rick Stirlen; 1989,
1990 Alternative
Newspapers]
2. Magazines
a. In how many magazines does PM run ads?
PM has provided us with a list of 217
magazines used by PM for advertising.
Attachment 4.
See
What are the categories of magazines in
which PM runs advertising?
Magazine categories include: automotive,
entertainment, epicurean, fishing and
hunting, general editorial, home service,
men's general interest, motorcycle, music
news weeklies, science/technology/mechanics,
sports, tabloids, women's fashion/image,
women's general interest, women's service,
black, entertainment programs, hispanic,
military, and regional/local.
[PM Magazine Fact Book;
Memo to PM (Advertising)
File, from C. Landever,
re: Conference Call with
Rick Stirlen, PM Director
of Media, 3/14/90
(hereinafter referred to
as "Conversation with Rick
Stirlen"), pp. 7-9]

- 6 -
bo
Does PM have formal or informal guidelines
concerning when it will not run ads in
magazines because youth readership is too
high? If so, what are they?
There are no inflexible written guidelines.
Rick Stirlen describes the desired audience
breakup today as 75-80% adult. Rick noted,
however, that there are exceptions to this
audience percentage, because PM focuses
mainly on editorial content. Rick describes
it as "a common sense guideline with an
editorial focus" on articles, advertisements
and the age of models used in the magazine.
First, PM looks at the magazine's editorial
focus. Then, if it appears questionably
directed, PM looks at the teenage share of
audience. For example, PM advertises in
Ski, though it has a 34.7% under 18
readership; Sport, with a 28.5 under 18
readership; and Skiing, with a 28% under 18
readership. PM regards these magazines as
targeted at adults, since the sports have
broad age appeal.
Leo Burnett indicates in its memo that a
60/40% guideline was used in ascertaining
the propriety of TV advertising "during
tobacco's final years on television." Thus,
even magazines with youth readership higher
than the typical 20% may well fall under the
percentage formally deemed acceptable in the
past.
[Conversation with Rick
Stirlen, pp. 8-9; Leo
Burnett memo, 8/8/89]
Magazines not advertised in by PM include:
In Fashion (old version), Model, National
Lampoon, R&B Music and Entertainment
Monthly, Dirt Rider, Record, and Splash. In
particular, PM does not advertise in
magazines primarily directed at youth. See
Attachment 5. In some instances, the
magazine itself refuses to accept tobacco
advertising; in other cases, PM has

- 7 -
voluntarily chosen not to advertise in the
magazines because of a concern for youth.
[Leo Burnett memo,
8/8/89; Landever, list of
"Youth" Magazines Not
Used by PM, 3/27/90]
Co
Does PM attempt to run its ads in any
particular sections or part of the magazine?
If so, why?
Information needs to be developed here.
do
The "audience delivery" data provided by
Leo Burnett, in its memo to PM re "the
percentage of adults in the total audience
delivered by publications utilized by Philip
Morris, U.S.A.," discuss "total adult (18+)
audience." Is age 18 the ad industry
standard for determining "adult" readership?
Can PM make 21+ data available?
Information needs to be developed here.
eo
The PM 1990 Plan summaries, provided to us
by PM in a notebook indicating marketing
strategies for each brand, expressly discuss
"targeting" the 18-21 year old age groups
for certain brands. Is this a longstanding
practice?
Yes, that is the generally accepted
practice.
Nonetheless, this practice raises a concern
that PM may be perceived as not complying
with at least the spirit of the Advertising
Code, which states that ads shall not appear
in publications directed primarily to those
under 21. Query whether we should pursue
this further?
[Conversation with Rick
Stirlen, pp. 6-8; memo to

- 8 -
PM (Advertising) File,
from C. Landever, re:
Conference Call with
Ellen Merlo, PM Vice
President of Marketing
Services, 3/14/90
(hereinafter referred to
as "Conversation with
Ellen Merlo"), p. ii]
Identify the magazines with the highest
degree of under 18 readership.
A Leo Burnett memo to PM lists the following
magazines: Ski (34.71%); Skiing (28.31%);
Sport (28.5%); Rolling Stone (26.97%).
Leo Burnett also lists magazines with a high
percentage of young readers which PM does
not use for advertising, such as Seventeen
(5O.7O%).
[Leo Burnett memo,
8/8/89]
However, it is not clear that the Leo
Burnett memo provides a comprehensive
demographic survey of all magazines that PM
advertises in.
ge
Identify magazines that, although they may
not have a high degree of under 18 readers,
may present the perception that they are
read by a substantial number of those
readers.
Magazines which could be perceived as
popular with youth include: Sports
Illustrated (18.56%); Mademoiselle (18.04%);
US (?%); Rolling Stone (26.97%); Playboy
(?%); Penthouse (?%).
For many of these magazines, we may be able
to refute with audience statistics the
perception that these magazines have a
substantial youth readership.
