TSG REPORT
MARLBORO PAN-EUROPEAN STUDY
August 1992
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1. OBJECTIVE
Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of
Marlboro
KS with specific reference to its advertising and
the
role of the cowboy as a central motif.
2. METHOD
10 countries were im=luded in the study and a
common
methodology was applied in each case. Countries
investigated were: France, Germany, Greece,
Holland,
Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Russia
(Moscow).
In each country six extended qualitative group
discussions were he--.---- (average duration 2 34-
hours).
The constitution of the groups was designed to
allow
contrast and compari-son of
a) regular smokers cf Marlboro versus smokers of
alternate Interna:ional FF Brands and
b) ycunger versus cl--=-r smokers (13-24 / 23-30
years).
The fieldwork was cc=ducted in June and July 1992.
All -12cations were 4-::vigilated by Rob Ferris
(BAT Co.)
(4-A-T CF).
and Reiner War.-4tZ
3. REPORTING
Fully detailed repor:s to a common format are Ln
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available fcr each c=untry involved in the study.
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4. SUMMARY STR NGTHS
WEAKNESSES ANALYSIS
Strengths Weaknesses
Marl-L-cro is the international 17he monolithic
nature of the brand
brand, big and ubiquitous. It is brings associated
fears of aggressive
the most American of the Inter- icultural
chauvinism and "the big
national brands lAmerican capitalist mach;ne".
There
14 s a fear of national values being
Idebased by American values.
Soc-:a- assurance comes from be-
lcn~i-_g to the smoking majority
Quali-:y assurance comes from the!
idea that "so many people can't I
be wrong" and is supported by ani
actual perception of good qua Iity
Primary theme of freedom, inde-
pende=ce and male conpetance is
still contemporary, its consis-
tencv is reassuring in a
chancing world
The advertising evokes direct
emo:'on and vicarious sensory
pieasure. It engages the gut
r,cr=- than the mind
A mass brand is seen as contrary to
the spirit of individualism. It can
be seen as mindless and stereotypical
While the theme is powerful, the
execution is becoming vulnerable.
The cowboy is increasingly anachro-
nistic, the rigid consistency of
images is boring and there is growing
disillusionment with the American
dream.
Notwithstanding the power of direct
emotional appeal, the contemporary
trend in ad preference is toward
additional elements of humour,irony
and intelligence, which are notably
absent in Marlboro ads
The*advertising has
notivationallWhilelthesev*,notives are powerful
the
sop--istication, it focuses on vehic a is
ulnerable. The cowboy is
reward upon completion of a task an unrealistic
clich& (like a male
and 1:he experience of partici- model). His heroic
aspect is often
pat*::g in a group with a com.-nc:: undermined by
the perception that he
a; - is a solitary rural worker
The craftmanship of ad executi:-.,
~s zniversally admired
The cowboy and Fl sponsorship
symnergise on the theme of power
vitality. Fl contemporises
;'a'r-lboro and defers the clear
nz-e--: to update the cowboys'
hiszoric/mythical status
I~ the East, Marlboro is the
S*.--=Ol of all that is good in
t~_e West. Its perception is
mc=ey and prestige (rather than
advertising) driven
The synergy of cowboy a.%d Fl themes
is typically not perceived by fe-males.
Fl can only tamporar~ly defer the
7-
accelerating perception that the
cowboy is anachronistic and displays
exaggerated -machismo
At a latent level, the capital;st-c
values represented by Marlboro create
ambivalence. This is exascerbated by
the association of the brand with
opportunistic black-marketeers
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5. TO?LINE FINDINGS
a) General issues
- Marlboro has become the archetvpal svmbol of the
international cicarette commoditv
Characteristically Marlboro is referred to in
terms
cf a small clique of similarly dominant brands of
their class e.g. Coca Cola, Ray Bans and Levi's.
in some cases consumers use the word Marlboro
as a slang for a cigarette. The brand is typically
taken to be a yard stick against which other FF
brands are compared (irrespective of whether this
ccmparison is positive cr negative). Marlboro
segregates from other inzarnational brands by
leing the most overtly American.
The ubiauitous Dresence of Marlboro relieves the
consumer of the uncertai=ties of brand choice and
Drovides social and cualitv reassurance
The practical fact that Marlboro is more readily
available wherever you are, makes it a convenian:
brand.By the same token the continued
reinforcement
cf its social presence rsassures the smoker of i:s
'road acceptance. The fact and perception that
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Marlboro is the number cne selling brand implies
an inbuilt guarantee that the product is of
highest
quality ("So many people can't be wrong") .
?erceived product perfor--ance in fact appears to
support this.
- Consistencv of the Marlboro Theme is vositivelv
endorsed. Consistencv of execution is showin(i
clear evidence of wear out
The underlying themes represented by Marlboro
(e.g. = freedom, independence, open spaces)
create a general empathy which still strikes
a note in the modern world. Marlboro's consistant
projection of such values is a great strength,
nowever, the vehicle thrcugh which this is done is
beginning to lack a contemporary relevance.
- The cowbov is a summarisina motif of "American
values"
':e is a concentrated sym~bol out of which people
can imnediately unpack a complex set of
associations. By using hi=, Marlboro capitalises
cr,
t-e h4storical invest-nen: in selling
the American
dream. of freedom and independence via Western
(c--wboy)-films. This investment appears to be
reach-Ing the end of its 1--fe cycle as Europeans
begin to adopt a mcre rea-listic perception of
czntemporary America.
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For the younger generation the cowboy is becoming
an anachronism, increasingly isolated, not adapted
to todays society, incapable of change and
potentially a target for ridicule.
- Marlboro produces ambivalent consumer reaction
on
the issue of conformity versus individuality
By definition, to smoke Marlboro is an act of
conformity. It reduces the scope for expression
of individuality and differentiation from others
(in fact competing International brands find
success in their promotion of individuality e.g.
Camel). Nevertheless, conformity in relation to
Marlboro is still positively interpreted in terms
of the common sense in going with the biggest and
the best.
Even thouch the advertisinq is universally
perceived as a clich&, consumers do not read-41v
inacine alternate approaches and accept the
continuation of the clich6 as supportinq the key
brand motif of continuity, tradition, securitv
and authenticity
The paradox for Marlboro is that consumers
typically consider the cowboy to be boring, worn
out, outdated and going nowhere. But at the same
ti-e there is an acknowledgement that to change
will undermine the very theme that he stands for
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Marlboro advertisina with the cowboy is becrinninc
to show a mismatch with contemporary ex~)ectations
of advert-4sina
Marlboro is firmly locked into the gravitational
force of the cowboy which is its traditional
strength. There is clear evidence in Europe of the
emergence of a consumer trend desiring advertising
of a more intelligent, humorous, ironic and
playful
style. This was evident in references to other
commodity advertising and also, in relation to
cigarettes, the Silk Cut and Lucky Strike (sonst
nichts) campaigns.
Irresvective of brand lovalty, consuners can
universally acknowledae the competence of imaae
craftsmanship revresented by Marlboro ads
The outstanding aesthetics and filming execution
together with the music in Marlboro films and ads
receives a general approval and promotes vicarious
pleasure, irrespective of whether the viewer
*dentifies with the brand. Consumer reactions
'-ld-;cate that these ads convey a strong mood/
e=ct'c.-, in addition tc the rational message.
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- Marlboro advertisina invol-ies the consumer at
the
direct behavioural level and not simnly in terms
of rational appeal
The advertising is motivationally sophisticated,
it links smoking to a reward on completing a task,
to participating in a group which has a common
ai= and a hedonic world populated by rich flavours
and textures which the brand seeks to own.
- Toc of mind associations with Marlboro are
aenerallv positive, but in-depth crobinq does
reveal a neaative undercurrent
At the subconscious level, Marlboro has a dark
side
represented by fears of American Imperialism,
ercsion of national values, aggressive capitalism,
male dominance and extreme right wing values. Even
the cowboy can be associated with the idea of
suppression of nature and the native American
Indian. The brand is sometimes associated at
rumour
level w.th KU KLUX KLAN affiliation.
b) Specific results from subqroups
- COL:ntries
The ccuntries in the study fell naturally into a
Western/Eastern division in terms of sh'arply
cc.-Itrasted perspectives of Marlboro. in the East
(Fungary, Poland, Russia) Marlboro enjcys the C)
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staz-.;s -' high prestige, guaranteed
Western-style
quality and the association with businessmen and
other influential parties. This is specifically
money-driven given the significant price
differential of the brand. The potential role of
advertising (which has relatively good awareness)
is insignificant compared to the power of this
variable.
The downside of Marlboro in the East is a) that
the possession of money, notably in Moscow, is as
likelY to be associated with illegitimate sources
(blac', marketeers) as it is with legitimate
businessmen, b) the cowboy can contradict the
prest*ge inage through beeing seen as an
incongruous rural worker and c) the Americanism of
the brand can invite local ambivalence regarding
the negative features of capitalism which is still
a residual concern in these markets.
Withi= the Western markets, attitudes reflect
material economic development. The trend is from
less developed markets (Greece, Italy) where the
perce.ption of Marlboro is accepting, uncritical
and highly aspirational, to the nore develcped
markets (Germany, Switzerland, Holland) where the
brand get its strength from being perceived as the
brand for everyone (the contrary of exclusivity).
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Ir. these latter markets however, ccnsiderably
7-cre
c-,-.'cism applies to the core values represented
(A-=ericanism, capitalism, materialism).
- Gander
G--'7en the apparent dynamism, aggression and
machismo
of Marlboro it is perhaps surprising to note the
su'-stantial representation of female franchise.
The study reveals two bases of explanation a)
fe=ales are passive in early brand choice,
typically
sharing the brand of their partners/social peers
b) the ubiquity and normality of Marlboro is
a;===I4rg because it does not provoke strong
differentiation from the group and females in
general favour social conformity.
The relatively younger consumers are clearly mcre
adverzising literate and accordingly influenced.
While the older smokers effectively dismiss the
ad-.7ertising as irrelevant to a hablit
wh--:='-. is by now seer, as rat4oral/tasta
driven, the younger s,-,,okers are still inclined
to he
aware and critical of the growing anachrcnistic
nat-zre cf Marlboro advertising. There is an
op;=rtunity with these smokers to promota the Tcre
ccnts-m-porary advertising lexicon of
intelligence,
ir=7 and humour.
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- S=c%ters and non-smokers of Marlboro
Quite simply, Marlboro smokers of whatever age
behave as per the description of the older smokers
ia the foregoing section. Marlboro smokers
typically
rationalize their brand choice in terms of taste
quality and convenient availability. Their
attitudes
to Marlboro advertising are not significantly more
positive than the Non-Marlboro smokers.
c) Supplementarv issue
S,.Donsorshiv
In the eyes of the consumer, Marlboro sponsorship
(notally Fl) is a compensating function bringing
scme of the brand values into the contemporary
arena. We know that the ccwboy draws strength frcm
his mystical symbolic status as an archetype of a
free, independent and powerful culture, but this
archetype is beginning to lose relevance and
appears to be incapable of contemporising without
loss of credibility. The significance of F1 is
t'-at it allows the cowboy to remain untanpered
and
sepErately brings in up to date images of power,
success and dynamism. At the sarne time, F1
diverts
:he clear Americanism of the cowboy to a more
:~ru'y International theme and from a historical
mysticiszi theme to a more realistic
representaticn
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of t:days values. in essence che 71-sponsorship
has a strong synergistic relatiorship to the
cowboy.
This was very well felt and understood by male
respcndents, females in contrast have problems
perceiving this linkage. In the less economically
developed markets F! is apparently more
influential, possibly related to the history of
low level above line advertising in such markets.
6- CONCLUDING COMMENT
The themes represented by Marlboro retain popular
relevance, but the execution is in trouble. Having
ridder to glory on the back of the cc;wboy (a
ready
made A=erican Myth), Marlboro is now saddled with
a
stubborn anachronistic clich&. As with all Western
films r-he cowboy cannot dcn a business suit and
go to
the ci:y, he has to stay as he is, an increasing
icner.
The ccwboy is further trapped by the changes in ad
prefer-ence toward desire for intalligence, humour
a.-.d
'rcny, all of which are directly c-~.-.trary to
his
basic, sericus and heroic na~:ure. The abortive
"Red
's MEr:-'-crc and Marl!:cro is R_=d" and the
temporary fix
cf .71- Spcnscrship indicate that Philip Morris
rec_-g-ize this dilemma. Marlboro smckers and non-
so-cl-ar-c alike increasingly see the cowboy as a
boring
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