PROJ ECT CRAWFORD Phme 1: 7 Group r)kcussions June, 1982 ce r~l.~ Prepared for: IMPERIAL TOBACCO LIMITED Montrcal' aucbec :i" ','~: meCreafive (((())11)11) RP~se3rt~h Groclp, O FV · ·b Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Nol FOREWORD 1(1()(1()1111~111~1)1111)·)()1(111·)11)1I~(ll~(l)llt A BRIEF OVERVIEW 1)))1))(11)11(1)1·11 S 1~111111111(.1(1111·I·(I THE FINDINGS IN DETAIL 11(1.11·)111111~1·11(1)111111()(11··1 B Section A: The Route to Menthol ,..............~~~~~~~~~ II Section B: The Role of Menthol ....,.........~.~~~~~~~~~~ II Section t: Brands of Menthol )I Section D: The bpr in Menthol ,,..,......,,.~~ 1·1·111) 30 Section E: The Advertising for Menthol .........,,,, U Section F: The 1 Net Brands of Menthol ...,.,.,.,, Iq Section t: The Allemativel to Menthol ........,,,,,~~~~ 39 the Appendix O I 03 U1 : '" Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 1 f I FORBORD O N u :I ,1 C tPDF-v~~~~o~· ------~-- FOREWORD Background It has been a number of years since any intensive research ha been undertaken MI the menthol market. Activity in other segments of the cigarette market has meant, in effect, that the 2 Cameo entries have been largely ignored and virtually unsupported. Perhaps partly because of this, the menthol sector is experiencing marginal declines annually, and certainly (at less than 7% of the market) has not enjoyed the rapid growth experienced by U.S, menthols (now approaching a share of 301). Cameo and Cameo Extra Mild neglect the lower end of the T 6 N scale, At 17 and 11 milligramsof tar respectively, they have nothing to offer the 3 to Y to 5 milligram menthol smoker or, indeed, the regular 3 to S milligram smoker to whom a menthol Presents an increasingly attractive alternative. Cameo could simply spawn a third entry in the lighter sector. It could be recognizably a Cameo, obviously Wlighter", with the Cameo imprint clearly in evidence and all that this signals-both positive and negative. It could elect to remain with 2 brands, but to 'lighten" CEH both technically and perceptually. It could 'sponsor" a totally new brand- brand X by Cameo, in effect. 01 ITL could launch a different light menthol totally unnlsted ta Carneo. A further dimension to the flavoured segment could be added by inlro· ducing other navour notes: spearmint, for instance, Before pursuing any of these avenues too far, it was decided to review the entire menthol market in some detail. what ore current perceptions rU a\' CI I:PCF -~~;·~::: lasl 2.; on -~----- and attitudes! From a consumer's point of view, where pre the 2 Cameos today! How do they relate to con~pe(itive brands! What is tht'meaning' Of menthol! What is its role! Thir slun~l nvi8r the rauis tl Ihe 6rn p*le of thil undorbking. Objectives the essential objrtive is to investigate what amounts to oil aspects Of the menthol market-first on a qualitative basis, later on a broader quantitative basis. A detailed listing of the specific topics to be addressed can be found in the Several briefing and review documents put together by IT1 as background for this research. They will not be repeated here, (A copy of the YDixussion Outline" in the Appendix itealles these same topics and questions.) Methodoln9y In..i, i group diKuo~. llln rmdu~*-I in ipnjxl, tin Saskatoon, The groups were sueened to meet the;riteria set out below : london Monday, Males 18·34 years June 11 6:00 p,m, Potential and occasional users O h) 2- C~ Q3.. Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 Monday, Mixed males Ifemales June 21 B:00 p,m, 25-50 years Over )1 mg, (12t) menthol smokers Users Tuesday, Females ZS-50 years ~ June 22 9: 30 a,m, Mixed T/N menthols smokers 'emphasis under 12 mo, Users Sosbtoon Wednesday, Hales 18-50 June 23 6:80 p,m, Mixed f/N smokers Users Wednesday, Females 25 6 under June 23 i p.m. II mg, menthol smokers only Users thursday, Females June ZP 9:30 a,m, Under 25 years Potential and occasional users Thursday, Females lune 2U 1:30 p,m, 25-50 years Potential and occasional users With some (inevitableJ exceptions, the criteria were met reasonably well, Most groups consisted of 7 to lo participants, but one of the London sessions. a morning one, pmceeded with only 1 respondents.` ((ronically, it proved to be one of the more productive discussions,) As part of the procedure, respondents were given the opportunity toward the end of each discussion of smoking a spearmint-flavowed cigarette, 13. · CO : I a $ As mentioned earlier, a copy of the discussion outline appears as an Appendix to this report, Coloured photos of 2 prototype brands are included as well (Cama, Super light and Cameo Avanti), The Fi~dings the findings are presented in the following pages under two main headings: i, A Brief Overview 2, The Findings in Detail The reader is reminded that 7 group discussions does not constitute a quantitative study, These findings should be viewed as directional only: essentially hypotheses or insights which require validation in a larger investigation, July 12th, 1982 THE CREATIVE RESEARCH GROUP Study No~ 609-820 Limited OI ·:. 1 i·~:·· · CI I:PUF -\:11I!::, f~silo.;:om A BRIEF OVERVIEW O 0\ c3 u Co I . : I I· ·, I C: i I; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 A BRIEF OVERVIEW Menthol · conversion to menthol seems to be circumstantial rather than deliberate: borrowing a friend's menthol, trying a package during a cold and staying with it afterwards, Rarely do people make a rqsific \o priwi decision to switch to a menthol cigarette. · Once having made the commitment, however, it seems to he an unusually slmngone. Even when they try, as they sometimes do, they typically are not obk to revert to a non-menthol brand, · It is the cooling effect which constitutes the major attraction, Us and the concomitant reduction in both harshness and tobacco taste, L ThC actual menthol flovoor, while pleasant, is not itself a signifi- eant reward, · At a deeper level of consciousness, there seems little doubt that smoking menthols functions also as a guilt-reducing mechonirm, Since it ~ucFersfully alters the total smoking experience, providing its own kind of 'filtd, as it were, it manages in some small measure to subtly disguise the sin, · Some smokers go further, ascribing medicinal properties to the lnentholatl'on. · current menthol users are either happy with their present levels of mentholation, dr would welcome a heightened impact, · Non-menthol rnokur express mild interest in a very lightly mntholsted products O rU 0\ 03 0\ U ·5· Co rV Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 fhe Cameo Family i This research confirms that tameo and tD~, whatever their former merits, are currently perceived as part of the "establishment"- behind the times, that is. This image is generated largely by !he packaging, considered to he unimaginative, dull, and old-fashioned. It also makes a distinctly feminine statement, · Caneo itxlfis known to be a "strong" menthol cigarette. 8ut because the segment Is a whale tends to be perceived as Urailder" (than regulars), Cameo is actually thought of a lower in T G N than is, in fact, thecase, The sameis trueofCameo Extra Mild. · Thus, to introduce a new, still lighter Cameo would seem irn- practical, And to further "lightenY CEM would seen risky. Moreover, wy new Cameo, or for that matter, any Cameo-sponswed brand is not an attractive prospect to the non-Cameo smoker. Comeo Avonti 1 Ccaneo Super light BPth of these prototypes illustrate clearly the constraining in· fluence of the Came, name-at lease insofar as broadening the menthol market is concerned, i Cameo Avanti, bever, provides useful insight into what can be accomplished potentially with a dramatically different package, Although this particular execution is not without its problems, the concept of a radical departure is well worth pursuing-~ot not with a Cameo affiliation, LI O 6· O1 03 h U 03 ...C~J )·' Clil;PDF - !::!!::!!T.t3TtlC.;:nlil Other FlovouFs · Fllvourr other then nenthol genlrate polite interest, in concept. i In petllpl spesmmint product, however, rhitves wide support, some of it qdte enthusiastic, · F$vour alternatives, including rpuninl, Jlwld be punued further, b h) ·7· ii · 03 P :I ~':·, . · ·". ~·· Ciil;PDF - !::!!::!!T.t35tlC.;:nlil .. fHE FINDINGS IN DETAIL O ru 03 0\ u VI i:. 't., '·I~ Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 THE FINDINGS IN DETAIL INTRODUCTION The attempt in this analysis will be to summarize and consolidate the results of all 7 discussions. in many instances, of course, no consensus was forthcoming and therefore opposing points of view must both be given equal legitimacy, wherever possible, the marketing implications of the findings are pursued, As is always the caje in analyzing group discussions, every effort is made to extract what people meon rather than what they actually soy, In many easer, the analyst's judgement becomes important; in other instances a certain amount of speculation is employed. It is important to recognize that this kind of study is intended to produce a Yfetling" for the terrain rather than to articulate definitive answers to specific questions, Liberal use will be made of direct quotations to illustrate particular inferences and to provide the reader with some feeling for the emotional content of people's pastures, SECTION A: THE ROU'FE TO MENTHOL i, Trio, The means by which people gravitate toward menthol cigarettes, perhaps more than is the ease for other choices in the tobacco market, is to a large extent haphazard, It is not, that is, a conscious or deliberate choice. Often, trial of 1 menthol is occasioned by a cold. It is almost axiomatic among the smoking fraternity that the onset of a head cold is the signal to switch to a menthol, at least for temporary relief, This is not true for everyone, of course, but it is standard practice far those smokers whose regular cigarette presents too vigorous an attack on -a- ·'' '' -- Clil; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: Dill mucous membranes during periods of congestion, The "cwling", the Uxoothing' effectJ Of menthol permit smokers to persist in the practice without incurring undue distress, 'Even someone WlM smokes on Export 'A' with a cold they will turn to o mild menthol,' 1Thly ~~ rp0~r~a~i~· an h Lh~rm.'7 Borrowing someone else's cigarettes from time to time constitutes the other maior introduction to menthol cigarettes, 'I bum one off my ~dom·~he smokes them, ' 'Maybe 1'11 take 2 or 3 if I mn going out somewhere," Not every menthol trier, olcourse, is introduced to this genre by pore happenstance: occasionally it happens that someone will actually seek out a menthol brand, And generally this is in the belief that, by and large, menthols are somehow less intrusive or even less harmful than regular cigarettesl 'I got tired of Export 'Acjbo stnwlg, fhe menthol is o littl~e~eosie;ltol~oI~ wsier to smoke-didn't appear to be as st~ng~ sort 0f coaling effect at EFst.' 'I do think ci9anttcs ore harmful, but in my opinion it (a menthol) is o lesser evil,' -9· 0\ : r · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 Thus, whereas in the main initial trial of menthol cigarettes appears to be largely a matter of circumstance rather than deliberation, there is among some people [a minority, it would appearl a basic conviction that mavin0 to a menthol brand constitutes moving to same extent away from the problem, 2, Adoption Conversion to a menthol cigarette is primarily a matter of whether one likes or does not like the actual flovour of the menthol itself, Mast people welcome the sensory effects other than navour; only some welcome the taste itself, And quite clearly there is little likelihood that a snaker who objects to the taste of menthol will adopt a menthol as his or her regular brand. The fact that some smokers clearly identify a menthol cigarette as an escape hatch is illustrated by the following: 'Yeors ago you smoked Export, Pbycrls: ctc~- and then you wonted to cut back so you went to a filter cigarette; and once you got on filter cigarettes, at that time if you were thinking of quiting yov'd go to Matink which is what we considered at that time a lady's cigarette, And I think o lot of menthol smokers went to menthol because they heard that if they did decide to quit, it would be a iot easier than a heavy cigorettel " 110· 01 ,...,...-~,-··· · · .. : i :.i ClbPDF-\:IIII::! fasiio.2om · ' ` Although the logic here is perhaps more supportable than the syntax, it is important to recognize that this rationale would appear to be a minority view, Not to put too fine a point on it, there is a good deal of evidence to suggest that adopting a menthol brand does not constitute a difficult transition, People sea not to be obliged to "work at it" in the same way that they often have to struggle to move from a high 'f E N brand to a lower'T t N brand, The transition to menthol is much easier- perhaps because people's reactions are more categorical: they either like it or they don't! And since the motivation is more sensory-based las opposed to health-based), there is little need to put up a struggle if the smoker simply fans to respond favourably to menthol, bne of the deterrents to converting to menthol, even among some number of those who do like the taste, is the fear that their smoking volume will aulenltiglly atal,8. Oime tiu vUl~?eup!imuir umlb as it were, there is the assumption that one's capacity will increases The number of cigarettes per day will escalate, Some smokers, in fact, believe that they have experienced this very phenamenon~ Menthol smokers, themselves, however, largely discount such a theory because they t~mselves report not having experienced it, This concern, never· theless, does constitute a significant barrier to the potential menthol smoker who finds other aspects of the menthol experience satisfying and pleasurable, 'I seem to smoke mon Imenthols), and thenf6Fe you on getting mon nicotine and ~r into your body, ' -11- 03 " "Well, I find them easier, so it's easier to pick one up and light one, whereoJ if there was on ordinary cigarette I would pFobobly turn it down, " There is the opposite point of view as well, though it is considerably less predominant. That is to say, there are people who dislike the navour of menthol and who deliberately force themselves to smoke a menthol brand in the hope that this will serve as an aid to reducing their consumption. A somewhat dubious pasture, to say the least. 7 ~olly don't like the taste of menthol, but I smoke them becwse it helps me cut hack in the number of cigarettes I smoke a day,' An interesting aspect of adopting a menthol cigarette is the apparent fact that, withinin this category, the specific brand selected is just as important to the smoker as this brand selection is to smokers of regular cigarettes, It might ~uve been hypothesized, for example, that menthol would sc severely mask or modify other aspects of the smoking experience that brand selection would become a matter of lesser importance within the menthol segment. This seems not to be the case at all-an important finding, 3, Occasional Versus Regular Ose There would appear to he far more opportunity for menthol cigarettes to obtain incremental volume by encouraging occasional use than is the '12- Clil;PDF - !::!!::!!·.t35tlc.;:nlil -- case for regular cigarettes, That is to say, users of non-menthol cigarettes do not object to the occasional menthol nearly as much as menthol users object to the occasional non-menthol. Although non- menthol users find that the whole menthol experience pails rather quickly, they are quite open to accepting a menthol cigarette, or 2 or 3,ahen 1 regular one is not immediately It hand, 'Once again you ore going for the toste~ With a cold, the taste is good, When you don't have a cold, the flovour sticks in your mouth-it's rounchy, ' "You don't choke on it when you have a cold, I just find it nQtUKoI to 90 to a milder cigarette with o cold, " (Note equating of menthol with milder, ) 'I don't find them harsh at the beginning, It's when you get down to the end of the cigarette, It seems to get really strong and rounchy. It hurts my throot,' 'Agoin, it seems to be more when you ore out o/ cigarettes that you try menthols. I get them from people, os opposed to buying them, I bought them a Tew times-mainly because I had o sore thfwt, -13- .·, · -· · :·~ ·· : . .· ·.·1 'I find thot if my friends offer me a menthol, ~'II take it-but i/ I offer them one of mine, they won't because they find them to horsh on them ofter smoking menthol for awhile," The consistency with which the above experience is expressed, both by smokers of menthol and non-menthol cigarettes, would tend to suggest that there ought to be a continuing development of the menthol segment of the market, All of the pressure is toward menthol; none of the pressure is owoy from menthol, 'That this is clearly not the case in Canada may be a function of several factors or combinations of factors: 1, Menthols are failing to generate a sufficiently wide trial, tl Menthols are appealing to an increasingly older segment, failing to keep pace among younger, newer smokers, 31 ~he menthol taste is not right in the lead- ing brands, There``may be something wrong with the quality; there may be something wrong with the quantity, The fairly widespread occasional usage would in itself suggest (to leap ahead to a subsequent topic) that fiavour alternatives to menthol ought to stand quite a good chance of success, provided that they can, in fact, be developed with the required levels of authenticity, consistency, and quality, -Is- ·:, i. :.1 SECTION 8: THE ROIE O~ MMTYOI The menthol component in a cigarette is a many-splendoured thinq~ It represents different things to different peoplel 'the discussion to follow will attempt to isolate its various attributes and discuss each separately at first; it Will then present a simple overview by way of attempting to make a kind of summary statement, 4, Masking there is no qwstion that menthol has a significant marking effect on both the taste of the tobacco and the harshness of the smoking exper- ience. Some menthol smokers reek as much masking effect as possible, attempting to eradicate the tobacco taste altogether, Others wish a somewhat lower level of masking such that they can still appreciate the tobacco flavour and thereby enhance the total smoking experience. "As ~br os I am concerned, I wont the menthol to completely cover up the taste of the tobacco, I don't like the taste oT tobacco, "I~ the menthol wos gone, i wwldn't be oble to Stand the cigarette!' ", don't like to hove the tobacco taste covered up completely, " -IS- - -- · . · ·· · · L' (· : · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 An interesting aspect of mentholation is that it can still function in its masking role and yet can have last a large portion of its own flavour. It is almost as though people build up a tolerance to the menthol taste and then cease to experience it as i taste sensation. They would notice it only in its absence, as it were, It is difficult to attach a value judgement to this phenomenon, but it certainly does seem to exist. DWhen I first started to smoke them, I could taste the mint, As you get used to them, there is no way YOU are going to taste the mint, "If you woke up first thing in the morning ond take a cigarette, a menthol cigarette, you taste it, After t~t, forget it~ It is not only the absence of menthol that reminds smokers that they have been smoking menthol: it is also any change in menthol-from one brand to another, that is, People detect definite differences in bath the quality and the quantity of menthol, s, Refreshment The refreshment aspect of the menthol experience is an attribute more noticeable to occasional smokers of menthol than to those who use menthol cigarettes regularly~ it is almost akin to a tea lover occasionally being compelled to try iced tea as a special refreshing treat, In effect, it seems to cleanse the mouth, revive the taste buds, restore the entire oral cavity to what they remember it to have been as a non-smoj~e~~ -16-· · ·· ··· b·- ··· · 6, Taste Versus Cooling The cooling "rush' of menthol is perhaps the essence of the menthol experience, Certainly taste is an important component as well, but it is the peculiarly ice blast which appears to constitute the prime reward. 'For me it's the cooling effect I liker' 'Fpr me, when I toke thot initiol drog it's like o blost of Rlen~ol, w "The menthol, the cooling effect the menthol had on my throat, " Concomitant with the cooling, and almost part of the sie phenomenon, is a reduction in harshness, 'rYhen I changed to menthol, there wosn't near the harshness, even ofter the cold left," the whc~ Smoking experience, for the ca.itled menthol mw~kv, thu~ becomes much more pleasant, .Negatives are minimized (tobacco taste and harshness); positive attributes are superimposed (coolnns and menthol taste), In fact, given the menthol smoker's explanation, it . becomes difficult to understand why everyone would not switch to a menthol brand! O Co ·17- Cn \· ·. ----------, Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 7, Level of Menthobtion Although not all menthol smokers notice differences in level of menthola· tion among brands, there who do are generally in agreement that Cameo stands out as among the highest in mentholation (Elosely followed by MacDonald Mentholand KoolsJ. Cameo is alleged to have a stronger, sharper menthol, an impact that is too pronounced for many menthol users, Generally speaking, however, when the discussion turns to level of mentholation, menthol smokes would welcome a trifle more menthol, while non-menthol smokers show some interest in a menthol cigarette with just a touch of menthol, In fact, one gets the impression that the non-menthol smoker just might be attracted to a brand that offered a gentle cooling effect without the menthol navour [like Northwind, only at a lower level), The almost universal complaint that cigarettes leave a bad taste in the mouth would seem to constitute an ideal opportunity to offer the nan-menthol smd(cer some reduction in this problem without, at the same time, penalidng him by giving him a menthol flavour w~u'ch he dislikes. IOne could almost imagine 1 brand named to signal thing but Ucodness"-wordr such as glacier, iceberg, bm2e, lephyr, glade, spring, dew, and so on, come to mind,) To some extent, designations such as "mild" or "lightu; attached to a menthol brand, suggests that the level of menthdation is somewhat lower than the sibling which is not tight or mild, In other words, some people feel that eameo Extra Mild ought to contain less menthol than Cameo itself, This view, however, would appear to be a minority one: ~18· Q~ CI ITP.U.C~L,~ I __ more generally expressed is the opinion that a milder or a lighter version of a given menthol brand would be lower in tar and nicotine, and that this would constitute the sole difference between the two versions, 8, Ment~l and Health This is a complex issue, and opinions and attitudes vary considerably, Generally speaking, menthol is held to be a #naturalw product, and as such it should impose no threat of its own to the smoker, The opposing point of view, a minority position, is that it is nevertheless an additive, and anything added is bound to be bad. On balance, as indicated, menthol as an entity escapes as quite an innocuous addition to a ci garettel there are still some vague fears and concerns in the back of people's minds, however, But this reservoir of skepticism is considerably shallower than was seen to be the case a number of years previously, The "crystals" in the lungs syndrome seems largely to have disappeared, Concerns are far more general, "I heard scmething years back, and I would like to know if anyone has heord that menthol con give you hardening of the oFteriesl' "I've heard it's had for the heart, " -14· ~C CI I:PD~· \:llllit~i~iL·.;:oln - 'Well, I've heard that menthol eigorettes ore worse than plain cigarettes-but I haven't heard why. Y 'Dh, I've heard it, ta~·never heard the reason.' By far the majority, however, are aware of no negatives, even vaguely. Since menthols undeniably impart a cooling influence, and since a by- product of this is to reduce harshness and to modify or mask the tobacco taste: and further,since these effects are more appreciated when the user has a cold, there exists the question as to whether menthol has a genuinely salutary effect an the smoker~ If it manages to alleviate symptoms, is it, in fact, a less harmful method of ingesting tar and nicotine! Or does it simply seem to be less harmful because it is more palatable! Here the issue grows more complicat~d~ Thereis a very strong underlying binon the partof menthol smokers to genuinely believe that they are assaulting their bodies less with menthol cigarettes than with regular cigarettcJ~ Same go so far as actually to accept this proposition as given. Others are unable to go so fat, pointing out that the tar and nicotine are still present, and that menthol simply serves as a gentle palliative, reducing the symptoms but leaving the long-term effect unchanged, The others remain uncon- vinced, however, pointing out that if they actually doug~ less with menthols land no one seems to dispute this), that accomplishment in itself is worthwhile~ Some even go so far as to attribute a medicinal aspect to the effect of menthol. -20- · ~D ''·. ~·:·'·· '.. C: I i I; P D F --!::!!:!·!:!·f·;i~~t~l e:en re "When I hove a cold my throat gets that Fough texture to it, and when I lind that I go to a menthol it doesn't get that scratchlness in the throat, It kind of soothes it,' "I think t~n is a medicinal aspect,' 'Eu~~olyptvs is kind of a medicine, isn't it~w 'It's not e heeling erfectjust o soothing effect,' 'it's not going to cure the problem, but it is going to moke the problem a little bit easier if YOU have to smoke. W "It helps you in the some way that a cough candy does, " s, Ment~l and T Ib N Menthol cigarettes, taken as a group, are still perceived as being samel what 'milder" than regular cigarettes, this despite people's knowledge that certain brands of menthol [Cameo, for examplel are positioned quite high on the T E # scale, Their essential coolness, their masking of the harshness of the tobacco, the reduced tobacco taste, all contribute to this image. An integral part of the perception is that menthols are cigarettes for people who are trying to cut dawn or trying to quit- ·21~ ~D ~· ' : · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 ----L allaf which ought to augur sell for the menthol market as a whole. It ought to be growing as it is in 1~ U,S, there exists some conviction that in brands of cigarettes which have relatively low T I N levels, menthol functions in a coolpensP(ory lathion- serving, that is, to replace w at least to make up for the lower T i N jolt with an impact of its own, this is not a widely held belief, but it does exist, "If you smoke o real mild cjgwctte with menthol you get a lot of taste out Of it With a menthol in it: whereas, if you smoke the some mild cigarette without it, you wouldn't get os much taste out of it so you would have to smoke a stronger cigarette, " Since the above was stated by a non-menthol smoker, it could be that, at least for the minority who hold this opinion, menthol might be per· ceived as a satisfactory Ybridgeu to help then move lower on the T t N scale without compromising too much in terms of overall sensory impact, 10. Inherent Femininityl Although some brands of menthol cigarettes are perceived as more masculine than others, a a group they still project an owrall aura of femininity. This Peens that some males write Ihem off eompktely as inappropriate for them, much as some men would never consider a lg millimetre cigarette, this is an important feature to bear in mind in -22- "' :· ·-- designing any new menthol entry. If one of the objectives is to construct a brand which is more androgynous than the menthol segment as a whole, that brand should strive deliberately to lean on the masculine side so as to compensate for the segment's continuing femininity. The menthol segment can be expected to grow more masculine over time, and it could be no bad thing to establish a leader for that parade, 11, the Menthol 'Commitment" Although menthol and non-menthol smokers alike are equally habituated to smoking, it would appear that menthol smokers habour a much;tmnger level of commitment to that segment of the market than do non-menthol smokers to their segment. Thus, one would hypothesize a good deal more switching into the menthol market than switching out of t~t sector. Regular smokers are much more receptive to a menthol brand than menthol smokers are to a regular brand. And the fact that the regular market is so much larger than the menthol market provides menthols with a much larger base from which to draw switchers. Quantitative data refutes this hypothesis, however, The segment is known nbtto be growing, Thus, more powerful attractions are dive~t- ing those nan-menthol smokers who might otherwise be ittra~ted to a menthol brands It stems probable Iand I~L has the data to verify this) that it is the lower "r t N brands which are interfering with what might Otherwise be switching into the menthol segment. This suggests that one way for menthols to enlarge their franchise would be to introduce a "light Ijghtu brand-light taste, light menthol, -23· 0~ ClbPDF-\:IIII::! fasiio.2om . ' Once having switched to a menthol cigarette, the smoker finds virtually any regular brand completely unacceptable-even the one used immediately prior to switching, This is a peculiar pherxwnenon, fhe "addietianY to menthol would appear to be based as much on the absence of harsh tobacco taste as on the p~sence of menthal~ Thus, in reverting to a regular brand (or attempting to], the menthol smoker experiences more than simply a loss (of menthol, of cooling): the harsh tobacco taste re·enters and obtrudes-a double penalty, as it were. 12, Menthol In SommoFy Menthol, then, affords the smoker an opportunity to satisfy his need for tar and nicotine Without suffering the harshness and the unpleasant taste associated with regular cigarettes. And although opinions vary as to whether menthol actually renders a cigarette less harmful, there is general agreement that it at least has a positive effect on some of the symptoms associated with smoking. People also wish to believe that menthol cigarettes as a group are typically lower in t G N than regular cigarettes~ It becomes increasingly clear'that smoking a menthol cigarette is one way of reducing the smoker's guilt over having adapted the habit. Whether there is any medicinal effeit or not, smokers feel more at ease with their conscience having switched to a ment~nl brand- in much the same way that moving to a lighter brand serves to assuage the guilt of regular smokers. It is the cooling effect that seems to be most predominant in people's list of benefits, followed by reduction in harshness and masking of tobacco taste; but it is probably the guilt reduction which is the most powerful, though unspoken, incentive. ZP~ O~ .~ u Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!, f3StlC, i: nill SECTION C: BRANDS OF MENTHOL 13, The 2 Cameos Cameo and Cameo Extra Mild are both perceived as highly traditional brands, verging on the old-fashioneds They are also perceived as particularly feminine, st least to some extent by virtue of the c~meo symbol Itself, To qwte two non-menthol smokers: UWhen menthol cigarettes really started coming around, the advertising stated basically it was O WCIIIPII'S clgorette, OS I seem to recall. " YCamed is like laura Secard, you know-sd~nething feminine about it, " WThe Comeo package does look feminine~" "When I think of comeos, I think of little aid ladies with a comeo on, " "I think of Cameb os on old standby, " "It's stability, You know it's a good product, w "lt stands wt very well," Thus, part of the notion of being Yold-bshioned" is the ancillary concept of being reliable, stable, consistent. But exciting it is not- neither eameo ·2f- tV 1 ~ ,)3:' .··, Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StjC.i: Dill . . itrelfnor Cameo Extra Mild. Although Cameo is held to be oneaf the strongest among the brands of menthol, it is typically positioned lower in actual numbers than is, in fact, the ease. Even Cameo smokers rarely assign 17 milligrams of tar to the brand, Similarly, CEU is positioned lower in numbers than is actually the case, Cameo is placed generally in the'eampany of YacDonald Menthol and Alpine, Camea tetra Mild is plac~l on the higher side of Craven M, almost in a category by itself. There is I good deal of conflicting opinion, however, on just where CEM should be positioned, It would appear that to some extent Cameo Extra Mild suffers from the generally negative views held about Cameo's pungent ~arte~ In terms of both tobacco and menthol, it is alleged to attack the smoker with an impact which is too greet for many. Simply as a cigarette, it is less than acceptable to smokers other than its committed users, This is perhaps mole true of Cameo than of other brands of menthol-with the possible exceptions of MaeDonald and Alpine, This is not to be construed as a plea for altering the recipe for Cameo, It does have implications, however, for considering another CamM entry or an entry endorsed by Camec, Such an introduction would commence its career with b significant strike against it-in the eyes of all except Cameo smokers, O N 126- 0~ M CO O · ' --- Clil; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 tul Competitive Brands This is not an image study, but a few comments about competitive brand imagery may be useful. Alpine and PacDonald Menthol are probably perceived as the nest masculine among the menthol entries. Bensan G Hedges has a ronew~t fractured image MI this dimension, seen as masculine by some and feminine by others, The Craven Menthol entries are positioned as quite feminine, very "Joh", neither contemporary norold-fashianed, though perhaps a little more for older age grdups, Craven M Special Mild, in particular, is felt to look like "a lady's Cigarette", With the exception of Select, there seems to be an absence of sophistication or class attaching to most of the menthol brands-an absence which one might do well toponder, As a group, they seem to havebeen so determined to communicate mentt~l coolness and freshness that other dimensions have perhaps been overbked. It would be interesting, therefore, to observe how Select settler into the market fo some extent, the same can be said of the Hattractivcness" of menthol packages: that is, with only minor exceptions (again, Select, and possibly Benson E Hedges), these packages are not considered in any way outstanding in terms of visual appeal or design. is it absolutely necessary, for example, that menthol cigarette packaging limit its scope of colour to blues and greens and turquoisesl One cannot quarrel with the logic of this part of the colour spectrum, but some dramatic ·2fl Q\ m ,o ' · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 departure would appear to be well worth considering, ~he menthol aspect can always be signalled by a touch of green or blue without having the package dominated by these li~nitationr, 15, Fcml'licl Aspects To what extent do smokers perceive members of the same family to be similar in taste-both in the regular cigarette market and in the menthol cigarette market and in there instances in which a given brand has representatives in bath sectors! Opinions an this score are quite diverse. And the answer Ktms to vary from brand ~ta brand and circumstance to citcvrnstance, for example, the fact that Camea so long dominated the menthol market and that it has always had a very well-defined image and a well recogniled taste leaves people to believe that there is, in fact, a "Cameo" taste which would appear also in Cameo Extra Mild-or in any other representative of the Cameo family, in faet~ Qne might also expect the same to be true of Export IA' and MacDonald Menthol, It is not, however; Mast people would think of them as quite unique entttics- probably with quite different tpbaecos~ Craven A and Craven M ate perceived as identical, for the most part, with Craven M simply Craven A with menthol added, Craven M Special Mild, on the other hand, could be quite different, it is allowed~ The important aspect of this in terms of Cameols future is that there does exist the assumption that there is a distinctive Camea tastel -28· 0~ ----· ~~ ' · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: Dill On a relited r~pir, current prcq~tioo~ of Cain. ExM Mild ruggat Ihat it would be very difficult to reposition this brand farther down the T 1 N ale. I~h mater vill rpull that thir i~ ore priibility uidtr rpn- 'idaslion.l The evidence in tHI audy indiot. dul ~ccP~ aireidy think of the brand a lower in T E N than is, in fact, the case-at le~t in bmr o( nobw. ~nd lq therefore tend, by ad lugl, to place it in the uxnpany of brands which ate actually considerably below its ii milligrams of tar, Thus, if there is any repositioning to be bone ior tmca Extlp Mild, it could bc.glrd Ib( it wght to be ~pa~iticEal hiphu ralhr Ihan bu~w. Such in inference really seel beyond the scope of this studyl ,,d these hypotheses should be validated an targer numbers , Q -zs- Co 04 03 O '· '' I ' ·. L .. \' I ..: ., · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 SECTION O: THE CAPS IN MENTHOL 16, locfe o~Consumer Aworeness It is perhaps worth stating that smokers, like consumers of other goods and services, are rarely themselves snare of any particular "gaps' in the market. This is not to say that such gaps do not exist. In fact, almost inevitably they do exist, but they most either be derived from marketing information or inferred, either from what consumers do say i ~r (nn list Iry iii mlrti~uBll. Neither the menthol user nor the nan-menthol user expresses any specific wish that a particular menthol cigarette could be made available and which would have certain specific characteristics, This would be to expect too much in any event, tf, Con A Coo Be Inferred Or Derived! As suggested in a foregoing section, the menthol market could well benefit from something dromotie in the way of packaging-something wh~h removes itself from the traditional greens and blues of menthol brands: silver blue, silver Ice, blue white, if such colours exist, The point is to attempt to differentiote a new brand from existing brands. Implicitly, the consumer is drawing attention to the fact that current packaging is "pretty much of a muchnssY~ A dramatic departure would have enormous impact, and would undoubtedly generate a high level of interest and trial, '03 U1· O~ ...,.CO · ···.::·· .:· i·:~l ~- CI I:PCF · i ~··~::: lasic. on - ' --c~--- A new entry should certainly be located in the'lower than 10L range of tar levels. Just how far dawn it gws is probably much less important than the taste of the tobacco and the level of mentholation and the packaging, The apportunities for a new ITTLentry wwldappear to be 4'ealer if the brand is divorced from any relationship to Cameo, Cameo endorsement would certainly confer a certain stability or reliability on a nm brand, but as has bun seen the probability is that it would also burden the fledgling with at least its share of historical Cameo'baggage'. More- over, eameo endorsement would serve only to distance potential non- menthol switchers from adopting or even trying the new brand, As has been mentioned earlier, there may be greater opportunity among current non-menthol users for a menthol brand particularly low in mentholationin effect, a 'double lightw brand: light in mcnt~oi, light in ~ E N, There is no evidence to indicate that a new entry should be available in a 180 millimetre length, ttlthwgh this should be further;etiC~d. Kingsire and regular would seem to be quite suffident~ And consideration sh3uld probably be given to inclining any such new entry more in the direction of masculinity than femininity so as to compensate to same extent for the strongly feminine aura hislically surrounding the menthol category, ~311 '' ~~.· '': ·.:I~----~-~ Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 SECTION E: THE ADVERTISING FOR MENTHOL Several print ads for menthol cigarettes. were exhibited to each group of respondents, This was undertaken purely to obtain their overall reaction to a number of different approaches, not to probe their responses in any great depth. 18, Comeo and Craven People react very similarly to the two butdoorsy" advertisements for the Cameo family and the Craven Menthol family, Both are serene, tranquil, attractive, cooling, healthy. Some feel that the Came6 approach is a little too misty and fanciful and that the colours are unrealistic; while just as many prefer this approach to the rather more literal state- ment made by the two Craven Menthol bands~ In general, they appear to be cmamunieating much the same message in a very inoffensive, under- stated fashion, is. Other Advertisements The Northwind ad people find intriguing, · They like the name; they like the frozen north;`far the most part, they even like the bear, The concept of a mx~·menthol cigarette with a chilling effect they find dif· ficult to comprehend, but there is no question that it generates a good deal of cutiosity-sspeeially among non-menthol users, .32· 1. ··- ·. 1--~J-----c~ Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 ~h jl2l amphwlr(, ar(pkHnan fpr Xmlr brgpiy niaor iii audience, With gone exceptians, people rail to see the point and dairn that they would be quite likely to overlook the fact that this it 1 cigarette ad, flamlr hiling klc' ii judged albeing Ilyp~l Imeriun idver(irirg'. It cwld be an ad fw ~laor~ Anything'. The'hd that it recn~r nut tp relate particularly well to cigarettes in general or to Salem in particular is held against it, Tb "irt cube' d~nrtralila of Bd-Airdaer not ~v~ke Ih? aamdic amusement that it is perhaps intended to. It does communicate what is presumably the intended nessage, hut a cigarette through an ice cube is judged to be nether cute nor witty, d CO .33. Co · ~ ·,·: 1..·, · ' ' ·~ ' Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 SECTION F: THE Z NDY BRANDS OF MENTHOL As an aid in helping consumers to think in terms of a new brand of men- thoi cigarettes, 2 mock·up packages were exhibited: i, Cameo Avanti-a modified KIM package (see Appendix) 2, Camec Super light lan extention of the existing Camea family -see Appendix] The 1 brands were presented in alternating reeluenee from group to group, The reader rh3uM understand that these packages were in no way intended to be final executions, They were intended to serve rather in the nature of a "for instance", Nevertheless, they did provide some useful directionl 201 Comeo A vonti Not surprisingly, the Camm Avanti package is seen as highly distinctive, very different tron other menthol packaging, To some, this dramatic departure constitutes a welcome change; to others it goer too far- even in some opinions, moving the package outside of the realm of cigarettes entirely, Nevertheless, there is agreement that it con~muniots coolness, lightness, menthol-and it unquestionably has a high level of visual impact. Sam~e direct quotations will illustrate: '3'1" N ;'· · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 "light and cool, 'RefFeshing-lo~ks likea lake, water, " 'Attroctivc, I would say, "Different fof u'gorettes. " ~'Modern-young, " Ylt looks like mo~c~·upl" "It looks like candy cigarettes-those little white things, " Ylt suggests perfume to me," Wlt reminds me of soap,' "l thin~e ofAquofresh toothposte," "I like that,'" 'No, I don't like the junk at the bottom,' "No, I can't handle that, " "It sounds Europcon to me~nd sophisticated," -351 - I : , It .I ' ' Clil;PDF - !::!!::a::!.t3stlc.;:nlil 'Il's outdoorsy-sort of on obstroct design, not so traditional, " "It looks like p P-tip package,' ',t doesn't look like o pockoge of cigarettes, Y There is general agreement that the brand would be positioned somewhat lower on the tar and nicotine scale than Cameo Extra Mild-but not as law as Vantage and Accord, The YAvantil part of the name seers to convey a certain sophistication and even mystery, and is generally quite liked, Except to current smokers of Qmw, the YCamet,' affiliation constitutes more of a deterrent than an incentive, 21, Cameo Supu light Rempni~d Ir lir an ~radi~nJ 1 packag~ and oo~ Rlrh non obvio~illy related to the existing Cameo pair, the Super Light presentation generates a more uniform level of response, People are neither excited nor offended by its visual statement, It is clearly intended to be milder than Carneo Extra Mild: the package says this and the Usupor light" descriptor says this, And the reference to Usuper" is considered to be very clear and very aceeptable, 'Ihe use of xript is applauded as well, Q IV CO IX -36· C3 P · :; ~c~ce Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 This package is far mere feminine than is the Cameo Avanti, It is also a little farther down the T 6 N scale. 'Lboking at the AvcKlti, it looks like a heavier cigarette than this one-better quality tobacco, or a better testing tobacco.' "~his one would not be os much for younger people as the Avanti would, I could see a young guy picking up the Avonti, but not this one, " 'The Avonti is also more exciting than Comeo Super Light, it's not os traditional, "lt's a nice packoge-pretty~ I like the colours, ' 'It looks hkeo lady's cigarette, " 'Yery simple, not cluttered,' 'It looks sort of cheap to me-because it's all white, It looks like they spent very little time on design," 'Nothing ey~cptching about it-a very plain packoge, ' - ~7 c 03 ·· ···~~'~' "'` ~· ... -----~c' Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 WYou wouldn't want to see a guy with it, " It seems safe to infer from these reactions that the Avanti approach is well worth purruing-thwgh, st the same lime, rfaetions ID thir spKiL exeeutien an ruffidently ~rptntered that pne might question the valw of pursuing this particular departurel O ru o\ ,CO 0\ 03 0\ ·38- :. ~':·. · · '':'=' Clil;PDF -!::!!:!!:!.f3stlc.;:nlil SECTION G: ~HE ALTERNATIVES TO MENTHOL Group participants were encouraged to imagine cigarette navours other than menthol, they were then invited to sample a prototype spearmint- navaured cigarette produced specifically far these discussionsl 22, Interest in the Concept Typically, people are amused when asked to consider the possibility of · flavours other than menthol, Fruit navours seem to occur to them initially, and this they find (aoghable, they do move on, however, to ponder the merits of hickory or cinnamon or spearmint or mouth~arh- type flavours, liqueur flavours also make an appearance, It is perhaps not unfair to say that their consideration of such possibili- ties is not an enthusiastic one: at best, they remain dubious (with the usual 1 or 2 exceptions)l Menthol smokers are not interested in giving up their menthol; non-menthol smokers are not interested in compromising their tobacco tastes 231 Interest in o Prototype Product In view of the foregoing, it is surprising that the actual product wat received uniformly favourably-in some instances, even enthusiastically, A high proportion of those who tried the product indicated that they would certainly e interested in purchasing such a product were it to -39- c~ .I ' . .I ~· Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 appear on the shelves, at least to give it a chance and see whether they wished to adopt it or 16 try it ·frM time to time, h alll preporticn nmJniad Ihe pnrence o( men(U Ikng wlh t~r spearmint, but these were the exception, there was general agreement that the spearmint provides less impact to the oral and nasal passages than is true with menthol cigarettes; Moreover, the actual spearmint taste becomes more apparent during exhaling, as opposed to inhaling, "It docsn' t have that cool fec~ng. " "It reminds me of Fe9UJOT cjgOFeffeS, "'lhe tobacco taste seems Co be coming thrwgh- I like the taste," "Yoo get the tobacco taste, then the speonnint, ' "After ybO have blown wt the sr~ke, then you taste the spwrmint, " fhe above comments were made by current users of menthol cigarettes, It is they who miss the greater impact oitheir usual menthols, Non- menthol smokers are generally more positive in their views: "Not bed," 'It does something for you, ' -10- CO ·· :·:,1 Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 "T~t's a nice smokel " 'Il's closer to ~nenthoi ng~.' "fherels a taste in your mouth ofter you blow the smoke out, " 'like you were chewing gum,' "Thot's a nice aftertaste," "I find it easier on the throat than Craven M's, " YI know that my fhFO(lf feels cwler, It stays cool, ' these surprising positive reactions to x,radical a departure in cigarettes provides good evidence that~the matter should be pursued further, One might imagine, 20 years hence, a cigarette market in which "reqular" cigarettes are as outdated then as plain end cigarettes are today! ·011 : ,'~;' · · Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 APPENDIX the Discussion Outline The Z Pmtotype Brands .O IV CO 0\ e0 IU O I'' : I ' · ' Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 The Crea~ve Research Group Lirml~d Study No. 609·820 lune 8, 1982 PROJECT CRAWFORD Discussion Outline A. CURRENT HABITS a RECENT HISTORY Ils minutes) Current brand[s) used and why Recent switching behaviour and why Trends'or patterns in respondents' smoking habits B~ THE ROLE OF MENTHOL (SO I PS minutes) Are menthols perceived as intrinsically milder! better! Physical sensations! satiation! duration! addictive! Reasons for using (or not using)menthol cigarettes Regular versus sporadic use · reasons, occasions Perceived relationship (if any) between: - level of mentholation and 'IIN level - mentholatjon and tobacco taste - menthol and "naturalness" Differences perceived among brands in level of mentholation, and level preferred personally Desire for a level above or below current brand UBreaking-in" period for switchers to menthol-similarity to period of adjustment to lower T/N brandsr Menthol-lower ~IN· oilt reduction; is there a relationship! Refreshment versus presumed health benefits What art the negatives in smoking mentholsr Theeffect of perceived femininity: is it a function Plmentholper s~, or of bnmd~r of both! Does menthol, by definition, emasculatel The familicll aspects of menthol offspring: - menthol to menthol - non-menthol to menthol - menthol with endorsement The meaning of "mildnessY in menthols! O positives and negatives of mentholation Desirability of milder menthols ~3 ··~ I ~I . · · · ,~ Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111 ·2· CI tHE 2 CAMEOS (30 minutes) Current perceptions of Cameo and CU(: TIN Content, level of Icn~hakti6n, ilmgery, taste delivery, oeaning of 'Extra' in C~H bpedally to non·uJu~j Cuparispns with eleior competitors Image "permanence'; could CUII he r~-positionedl Ad~aglng: whet re the 2 packagcJ projeetingl Comparisons with ma/ar competitors Perceived similarities and differences between Camro and CEH Importance of the Cameo name! What does it stand for! D, NEW MENTHOL POSSIBILITIES (1S to 20 minutes) Is there a gap! a needy at what tlN level! Perceived value of Cameo endorsement! [versus"eraven', versus anything elsel) Desirsbility of 1W mn kngth, kingsi~e, regular j presentation of KIM ;n~#k·up (if avdbbk) Reaction to other navour passibilith: e,g, spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon, cloves, eucaIyptua 1 0\ '·; · "', · :·:,. · ''· · ..· ·.·· .; ; · -~-·'*'·· ..ri. I~· Clit; PDF -!::!!::!!::!.f3 StlC.i: 0111