En 41 N6 ?I I BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 sichrmcrevetw-7 partnem BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 Schreuder petrescu partners STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES OF MARLBORO AND rrS ADVERIISING Client B.A.T. agarettenfabriken GmbH. Project no. 209 Date 18th.Tuly 1992 Vq , -, , -,4?rl ti6o -1 V F V, TO B.A.T. Cigarettenfabriken Gmb P.O. Box 300660 D-2000 Hamburg 36 Deutschland Attn: Mr. Rainer Wernitz JanLuykenstraaos 1071crArnsterdam L-4 telefoonm-ws46is teiefax=.6761121 C) van Lanschot Bankiers 632SS64" G\ BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 . 0 CD -~j BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page. INTRODUCMON 1. Commission 3 I Objectives 3 I Methode and Sample 3 4. Procedure during the group discussions 4 OUTCOMES A Priori 7 L Smoking history and smoking behaviour 8 Ll 'Me first smoking experience 8 L2 Smoking history 8 L3 Reasons for brand choice and switching of brands 9 IL Attitudes towards cigarette brands: a hypothesis 11 IIL The perception of Marlboro 12 IV. The perception of competitive full flavour brands 15 IV.1 Camel 15 IV.2 Pall Mail 17 IV.3 Caballero 18 IVA Lucky Strike 19 IV.5 Gauloises Blondes 20 V. The advertising of Marlboro 222 V-I Description of the advertising 22 V.2 The symbolism in advertising 23 V-3 Attitudes towards Marlboro advertising 24 VI. The advertising of competitive brands- Camel, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike 25 V1.1 Camel 25 VI.2 Pall Mail 26 VI-3 Lucky Strike 28 VIL Final remarks 29 Addendum CD (--J (.n CD cc BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 Z, - INTRODUMON - 0 U"I BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 3 L RNMODUCTION Commission In May 1992 B.A.T. Cigarettenfabriken GmbH commissioned the Market Research Agency Schreuder, Petrescu & Partners to carry out a qualitative study on Marlboro and its competitors. 2. Is The objective of this study was to: gain an insight in the present position of Marlboro within it's competitive field analyse in depth the strengths and weaknesses of Marlboro, with special attention to it's advertising, it's imagery and consumer attitudes towards Marlboro. 3. Methode and Samol Six group discussions have been carried out at our office in terdam on June 9,10 Ams and 15, including 44 respondents. The groups took 2 to 21/7. hours and were conducted by Anjo Schreuder and Robert Petrescu. The client attended four groups by means of a closed TV circuit and simultaneous translation. Tle groups have been quoted according to age (18 - 24, 25 - 30 years old), sex and main brand: 2 groups had Marlboro as a main brand and the other four groups were full flavour filter smokers of Camel, Pall Mall Export, Caballero, Lucky Strike or Gauloises Blondes: 3 groups of 18 - 24 years old: a group of 8 men, main brand: Came] Filter 4x, Caballero Filter, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall Export Filter and Gauloises Blondes a group of 7 women, smoking as a main brand: Camel Filter 3x, Caballero Filter, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall Export Filter and Gauloises Blondes a group of 8 Marlboro smokers, 4 men and 4 women BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 4 3 groups of 25 -30 years old: a group of 7 men, smoking as a main brand: Camel Filter 3x, Pall Mall Export Filter 2x , Lucky Strike, Gauloises Blondes a group of 8 women, smoking as a main brand: Camel Filter 3x, Pall Mall Export Filter 3x, Caballero Filter, Lucky Strike and Gauloises Blondes a group of 6 Marlboro smokers, 4 men and 2 women. 4. Procedure 'ne next checklist served as a guide line during the group discussions: introduction: family status, occupations, hobbies warming up when did they start smoking, how old, how did it come about what did they start smokina,; ry.o./cigarettes or orily cigarettes brand history: which brands did they try, first main brand up to present brand, reasons for switching (idem for Marlboro) how many a day of the 10 packs how many are of the main brand and how many of another brand who considers him/herself a loyal smoker, do you think that you will remain loyal, do you think that the brand suits a specific aspect of your life ideas on the most important brands on the Dutch market make up an inventory of the most smoked brands in the Netherlands, order in size or classify big - moderate - small why are they so big, why might this be so per brand: (at the most 4, including Marlboro) successfully growing - stable - slightly declining reasons for smoking the brand (projective) perception of the user (age, gender, brand that suits him/her, how are they dressed, what kind of house do they have, what kind of person are they, how do they come across in company, trendy or not really) do they consider the brand to be international, European, English, American, Dutch or how does it come across (--4 CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 5 per brand: what kind Of cigarette is it, ideas on the taste, kind of tabacCO, nice or not per brand: what do they think of the pack, how does it come across, what impression does the packet give about the brand~ is it apealing or not really N.B. conversations about advertising were listened to. but at this stage not taken up, as to prevent repetition familiarity with advertising in general which advert has drawn a lot of attention lately why does the advert stand out what is appealing and what is less or not appealing cigarettes brands: ideas on cigarette advertising which advertisements for cigarettes brands have especially drawn attention lately why do they stand out what is appealing and what is less or not appealing per brand: what does it look like, what is it about, what is characteristic for the advert, what are they trying to suggest about the brand, does it appeal to they personally or not really, what does and what does not about Marlboro advertisements in more detail the cowboy, what kind of man have they used for the advert, what does he represent, what does he symbolize describe what is important in his life, how does he consider his work, his house, if he has a family, how important is that to him, how does he spend his leisure time, how does he behave in company, does he prefer to 'hang out with the guys" or does he prefer women's company, what kind of character does he have how is the intention of the campaign understood, what kind of image is created, what else is suggested play of fantasy: associations with an animal, flower, planet the target group of the advertising, who are they, people who feel they belong to this style of advertising, younger or older people, is this contemporary advertising, something that moves people of today or not if you compare it to for instance Camel, Barclay, Lucky etc, in what way are they different, what do those brands represent, what do they symbolize do they appeal more or less than the Marlboro adverts, to whom more or less U14 BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 6 do they appeal more or less than the Marlboro adverts, to whom more or less Formula I racing, who knows that Marlboro sponsors it, when was it last seen what does it do for Marlboro does it suit the advertising or not really place the Marlboro, Camel, Lucky Strike and Pall Mail advertisements (3 of each brand) on the table spontaneous reactions describe especially the differences things that are appealing and not so appealing what do you look at the longest and why, and what don't you look at which one appeals to you personally which one is the less interesting how can they be improved, what needs to be improved which advertisements would most easily attract new smokers three words for each campaign For black and white copies of the advertisements, see the addendum. 9-0, U4 U1 BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 0 - OUTCOMES - 0 (JI BATCo document for Legal Services: Health Canada 22 October 1999 7 A PRIORI It is usual to point out that outcomes of qualitative research serve to get an insight in and affinity with the subject at hand. A qualitative study gives rise to indications and hypotheses and does not lead to statistically proven facts and figures. I 'ne objectives of this study indicate that the nature of this report is not so much problem-solving but descriptive. Ile following areas will be covered: - Smoking history and smoking behaviour - Attitudes towards cigarette brands: a hypothesis - 7lie perception of Marlboro - 7be perception of competitive brands: Camel, Pall Mall, Caballero, Lucky Strike and Gauloises Blondes - Ile advertising of Marlboro - 'ne advertising of competitive brands: Camel, Pall Mall, and Lucky SL-ike - Final remarks 0 CD (-4 Lr. (--J BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 8 L SIMOKING HISTORY AND SMOKING BEHAVIOUR The following areas will be covered: Ile first smoking experience Smoking history and present behaviour Reasons for brand choice and switching of brands Ll The r1rst smoking experience Respondents start smoking in their teens when they are 11 to 21 years old. There is some evidence that current Marlboro smokers start at a later age than current smokers of competitive full flavour brands: 9 out of 14 Marlboro smokers started at 16 years old or older, only 9 out of 30 smokers of competitive brands were 16 years old or older. Taking up smoking seems to have two important reasons: smoking is (at this young age) seen as a symbol of maturity, of being a strong and capable person, of almost macho behaviour. This idea has a lot of appeal to youngsters the need to conform with the majority, to do what everyone else does. To be part of your peer group or other social groups is important at this age. One has to adapt to the behaviour of the group, if not you will run the risk of staving an outsider. 0 1.2 Smoking history The role of Marlboro in the smoking history is quite remarkable. Marlboro proves to be a cigarette for: starters and young smokers: only 1 out of 3 smokers of competitive brands has no experience with Marlboro. And for I out of 2 Marlboro was their first brand Marlboro smokers have less often experience with other brands. They tend to stick to their first (5 out of 14) or second (6 out of 14) choice: Marlboro. (-fq CD Ln CIN BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 9 These figures are about twice as low in the full flavour groups (6 resp. 7 out of 30). Tlere is no difference in smoking frequency between Marlboro smokers and smokers of competitive brands, but younger smokers seem to smoke less (i.e. less than one pack a day) than older smokers. Brand loyalty is high, but it has to be kept in mind that loyalty was one of the selection criteria: at least 5 out of the last 10 packs had to be of the prescribed brand. rt should be noted that "loyalty" is perhaps not the right word. In general these smokers do not feel very attached to the brand as such, but they are convinced smokers of the product 1.3 Reasons for brand choice and switching of brands Brand choice and brand change is brought about by taste preference and again by the environment. The first brand but also next brands are brands smoked by "everyone", at school, or elsewhere. Quite often speciflc persons play a role: the brand was also smoked by friends, a parent, often family members- At a conscious level, the taste is quite often a decisive factor. We have the impression that other elements such as reputation, imagery, pack, have become relatively less important. People may smoke a brand because it has their preferred taste, although it may have an unattractive pack and no appealing advertising. Smokers seem to realize that one brand may be stronger than the other. Choices can be made about strength, but also about flavour. Some brands can come across as sharp, sweet, perfumed, or are said to have physical side effects (nausea, headaches). Only a few times the pack is said to have had a function in the brand choice, because of the design, more often because of the preferred numbers per pack or the pack material (soft pack or box). Sometimes availibilty is mentioned (is always in the vending machine, the only brand for sale at the grocery). CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 10 Within the reasons for brand choice and switch Marlboro has again a specific Position. As an omnipresent brand smoked by starters and more seasoned smokers, Marlboro can quite well fulfill the need to belong, the need not to be an outsider. Moreover the Marlboro pack (and the Marlboro imagery) comes across as eye- catching and as strong and masculine. Younger smokers want to show to the world that they are smoking as a sign of adult behaviour. Tle pack also meets the wish to impress others as being a strong and independent person. 0 L4 CD CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 il 11. ATrITUDES TOWARDS CIGARETTE BRANDS. A HYPOTHESIS I There seems to be a change in attitudes towards images of cigarette brands and their usefullness to consumers. Consumers use images to illustrate, emphasize or enhance certain desired aspects of their personality. They can do this either on a personal level (this is me), or on a aspirational level (this is as I would like to be) or rather as an escape or dream (dreaming about the unobtainable). In our view the consumer's need to use images of cigarette brands to identify with seems to have decreased during the last five years. An explanation might be found in the change towards smoking itself. We feel that a V smoking has become less acceptable, smokers can not be proud anymore about 01 smoking. They show the symptoms of a minority group (i.e. withdrawal). Consequently the images themselves have become less lively and vigorous. Images still exist but have become of lesser interest to people. Respondents spontaneously describe two attitudes: People who want to distinguish themselves when smoking and consequently in their brand choice. They tend to go for small brands which have an image of individuality (being small), of a successful introduction and of possible appeal. Brands that seem to fulfill this need are Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, Gauloises Blondes and even Barclay, though the taste of Barclay is not acceptable to full flavour smokers People who do not want to distinguish themselves as a smoker. 'ney look for main stream brands, disregarding the imagery of those brands. See remarks such as-. Big brands do not have anything to do with personality. I smoke a brand for its taste although the advertising does not appeal to me. I don't identify with a brand, all cigarette advertising is dull. I don't want to make a conscious choice so I choose main stream brands. Advertising has no function anymore, it only serves to keep brand awareness at a certain level. Le4 CD (-~j (J-1 \.a BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 12 111. THE PERCEPTION OF MARLBORO In this chapter will be described how Marlboro is perceived, how people spontane- ously describe Marlboro, what is foremost in their minds. Marlboro advertising is also top of mind, but will be discussed in chapter V. Subsequently will be dealt with: - size - origin - for starting smokers - a mass brand the product the pack other imagery - size Marlboro is seen as big, quite often as the biggest brand on the Dutch market. It's size is demonstrated and explained by: so many people smoking it it's availibility everywhere, not only at conventional outlets but also in every vending machine, bar, disco, restaurant. Says someone: "You ask for a cigarette in a restaurant and you get Marlboro" it's availibility internationally. The Dutch go abroad a lot and know from experience that Marlboro is available in other countries as well, even in remote parts of the world. This idea is further supported by Marlboro being smoked in movies and TV soaps the omnipresence of the advertising. Wherever you go you will see Marlboro, on billboards, in print, in the cinema, formula I racing etc. Marlboro's promotional activities: clothing, posters etc. the perceived popularity of Marlboro Light It's size makes Marlboro a mass brand and almost a generic brand: "Its like Coca 4(, Cola, everywhere, bi-a a ,,, generic and American." People say: "Marlboro is big and will stay big". Such big brands are not really expected to grow. Though on the other hand, there is no general feelina that Mari- boro is about to decline. (__4 CZ (__4 ui (_^j BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 13 - super-American Marlboro is said to be thoroughly American, much more so than any other brand. Its being American does not only refer to it's country of origin, but is also very much an image aspecL Ile cowboy as the central figure in Marlboro's advertising is seen as a symbol of America at ies most traditional. A cowboy is a key figure in American foiklore and a perfect vehicle for conventional American values. Stil4 Marlboro is also said to be very international. This has to do with Marlboro's dominating presence and availibRity everywhere, also in other countries. - for starting smokers Foremost in people's mind is that Marlboro is a cigarette for starting smokers, for very young people. 7be reasons why seem logical. Marlboro is a mass brand and when you are young you want to belong, do what everybody else does. Moreover, in reality Marlboro is being smoked by a lot of young people which makes the choice even more obvious. It is said that being young and feeling insecure you do not want to smoke a more opiniated brand. Feeling safe, a sense of security is important to young people. 7bey do not want to be an outsider. Moreover, Marlboro has a rather masculine imagery suggesting ideas such as being your own man, being strong. 17his sort of imagery is said to appeal particularly to young people, because at a young age you want to come across as confident and macho. It could be argued that the fact that Marlboro is an obvious choice for the starting > smoker represents both one of the strengths but also one of the weaknesses of the brand. For at least half of the respondents in the 4 full flavour groups Marlboro had been part of their early brand history. A hypothesis is that a choice - for Marlboro - made in your early teens (13/14 years old) does not stick when becoming an adoles- cent. Then a more "adult" choice is made. a mass brand Although Marlboro is primarily seen as a brand for starters, (note: within the age group 18-30), it is also seen as a mass brand, being smoked by everyone, by men and women, no specific types, by the majority. 71is impression of Marlboro being a mass brand makes it safe to smoke Marlboro also at a later age. It means that Marlboro offers the opportunity to smoke a quality brand without any self expression. Says a Marlboro smoker: "When you smoke Marlboro you don't say anything about yourself, you just smoke what you like". (._4 CD (-Jq Ln BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 14 - the product Like any othercigarette Marlboro is primarily smoked because of its taste. ne taste is said to be somewhere in between strong and light depending a bit on what you smoke yourself. Marlboro is said to be stronger than Pall Mall and Peter Stuyvesant but milder than Gauloises Blondes and Camel filter. When people prefer another flavour it is not so much because they dislike Marlboro, but because they want some- thing milder or stronger. - the pack Respondents suggest that the pack of Marlboro lias a number of typical characteris- tics. It comes across as: very recognizable. Also without the brand name the logo is quite strong and easy to perceive also from a distant, particularly due to the triangle. Conse- quently the Marlboro pack is said to have identity of its own eye-catching, a bit sportive, masculine, aggressive, macho. Particularly young people and starting smokers are thought to be susceptible to this ldnd of imagery. They are proud of their smoking so they want an eye-catching pack. Moreover they identify with the pack, wanting to come across as masculine, macho etc. However, people who are oppossed to imagery in general and/or who have no affinity with visual elements may say that the pack is nothing special does not convey specific ideas. After all, the pack has been around for such a long time and it could have lost ies significance. - spontaneous image It is difficult to sav if there is some sort of spontaneous image of Marlboro. T"he only descriptions repeatedly used are masculine, tough, self confildent. Other imagery aspects coincide entirely with the advertising imagery and are almost exclusively contributed to the advertising. (__4 BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 is IV. THE PERCEPTION OF COMPETITIVE FULL FIAVOUR BRANDS ' Each brand will be dealt with seperately. Chapter VI will cover the reactions and attitudes towards the advertising. IV.1 Camel Camel is also one of the market leaders in the full flavour segment. C=el is said to have quite a lot in common with Marlboro. It seems to be difficult to talk about Camel without referring to Marlboro. Particularly respondents who are not interested in the emotional value of brands say over and over again that Marlboro and Camel are one of a kind. 40 The following areas will be covered: size the product the pack users imagery spontaneous imagery - size Camel is said to be about as big as Marlboro or perhaps a little bit smaller. It's size only refers to the amount of advertising, in which the Camel Trophy plays a dominant role. For Marlboro, size has also a psychological meaning in the sense of omnipresent and all over the world. For Camel, the word big is much more factual. Camel is a big brand and may be even growing. Camel has been on the market for a very long time just like Marlboro and it was already a big brand before respondents started smoking. This implies that also Camel is a very well known brand in The Netherlands. - the product The product of Camel is more outspoken than the product of Marlboro. Respondents use more words to describe Camel's taste- Camel is said to be stronger than Pall Mail or Marlboro, to be rather strong or too strong, depending on your point of view. The taste seems to be rather different and typical, difficult to define. A few times negative descriptions are used- "Sharper in your throat, gives you a dry throat." (-1~… CD (J-J BATCo document for Legal Services: Health Canada 22 October 1999 16 - the pack Ile pack of Camel is generally liked, also by smokers of other brands. Ile pack comes across as: pleasing, pretty, beautiful colours distinguishing and different, it is the only pictural pack, it is the only pack in a yellowish colour entertaining, there is a lot to see on the pack a bit exotic, eastern, warm conveying peace and quietness, relaxation users imagery Whereas Marlboro is seen as a cigarette for starters and at the same time for the silent majority, the users imagery of Camel is much more psychological. The Camel user is seen as a mature person, as someone who has reached maturity. An iRustrati- on of Camel's maturity is that it is associated rather with pubs than with discos. The Camel user is not seen as a beginning smoker or as a youngster but as someone who has accepted social responsibility and who has achieved something in Ufe- He is not just confbrmistic~ but he has a mind of his own. He does not follow the herd. He is not the nervous type but a quite person who has found some inner peace. The users typology is rather masculine in a sense that Camel is associated more with men than with women. The Camel user has no feminine connotations. - spontaneous imagery The key word for Camel's spontaneous imagery is adventure. Adventure is very much part of the Camel Trophy campaign but has also become a typical Camel trademark. It should be noted that this idea of adventure is not typically American. In a way Camel can be seen as American (see the name, the commercialized Camel Trophy approach), but Camel is not as intrinsically American as Marlboro is. Camel could also be just an international brand or maybe European or English or maybe even a Turkish brand (see the Turkish blend indication on the pack). Other image aspects are (even) more advertising imagery than part of the spontane- ous imagery. We conclude that the opinions and ideas about Camel are quite positive and that it has few weak points. (.14 CD L4 Un Ni -Z~b BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 17 IV.2 Pall Mall Unlike Marlboro and Camel, Pall Mail Export is not seen as a main stream brand. It is thought to be medium sized and certainly not as big as the two full flavour market leaders. Everything about Pall Mail Export is quite different and not always positive. - the product PaLl Mall Export smokers describe their brand as nice and not too strong. Smokers of other brands may have some experience with Fall Mall Export and describe the taste in negative terms: too light, too sharp, sweet, a funny taste, tastes Re tea, perfumed, too specific taste. Some compWn about physical side affects: gives me a headache, throat ache. Some others complain about the smell. - the pack To an extent the pack of Pall Mall Export is said to be similar to the Marlboro pack because it uses exactly the same colours. But the Pall Mau pack has by far not the power of the Marlboro pack and conveys a very different sort of imagery. It has no vitality or liveliness. The pack is said to be not very specific and quite boring. The colours; may come across as cheap and anyhow the pack has no appeal. Pall Mall smokers find it difficult to defend their pack. They feel that the pack still has some quality (see the "coat of arms"on the top of the box) and that it is decent and sound. users imagery Also the users imagery of Pall Mall Export is not very attractive and quite modest, even vague. Users are seen as mainly women and particularly older women (.3 )0 - 50 years old) or maybe also very young girls (12 - 13 years old) who are just starting experimenting. The Pall Mall is user described as "rather nice", quiet, staying in the background, shy. The brand is obviously not very extrovert and lively. The users imagery is rather bourgeois which may be perceived as rather upper class by others, see expressions such as: it is rather sociable, a bit chic, maybe a bit arrogant, it is not a pub cigarette but a brand you smoke when people invite you for dinner. There are no traces of any other sort of imaggery and it should be noted that the users imagery is not at all in line with the current advertising. CD LN BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 is IV.3 Caballero Not many people in the sample smoked Caballero and the brand does not seem to be very popular. Still it is said to be medium sized. Caballero is certainly not seen as a small brand and it's market share is seen as rather stable. Caballero is only for sale in The Netherlands, but ies nationality is vague. Quite often the country of origin is unclear. Some people who know that Caballero is not for sale in other countries may give it a Dutch nationality. Others go by the sound of the brand name and associate with Mexico or Spain. Anyhow, nationality is not part of Caballero's imagery. - the product Remarks about the product are few. The taste is said to be quite different~ perfumed and rather strong. - the pack The pack is certainly not very well appreciated. Mie pack is not very attractive to look at, also according to Caballero smokers. The brown colour is not very well liked and the overall impression is dark, grey, grubby, vague, not inspiring. The pack is said to be not strilcing and quite anonymous. - users imagery Users imagery is certainly not up to date. It is mainiy associated with old people, particularly older men, granddaddies of 40 years and over. If associated with women, they are definitely not the elegant and feminine type. - spontaneous imagery Caballero does not have any spontaneous imagery, apart from the fact that it is seen as a very old brand that has been forever on the market. Like Pall Mall Export the perception of Caballero is not very positive. Still the modesty and bourgeois of Pall Mall Export and the lack of aggressiveness and pretentiousness of Caballero may attract it's own target group. (-14 CD L^4 (il (J4 Nj C\ BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 19 IVA Lucky Strike Lucky Strike belongs to the group of small brands that during the last five years have drawn a lot of attention by new advertising, promotion and new packaging. Like Gauloises Blondes and Chesterfield, Lucky Strike is said to be a small brand but still quite successful. It is not expected to make a real break-through, but still it is obviously there. The vfsiblity of Lucky Strike seems to have increased. Lucky Strike is clearly not an outsider anymore but tends to become a serious proposition. According to respondents it belongs to the category of brands for people who want to distinguish themselves by chosing a specific brand of cigarettes, for people who want to enhance their personal identity by their brand choice. StilL awareness of Lucky Strike may be quite low in some groups, particularly among people who just follow the main brands and do not want to use brands of cigarettes as some form of self-expression. - the product rdeas about the product are rather vague. 7he product seems to be quite strong but not too much so, and not so. sharp. - the pack Ile opinions about the pack differ a lot. Some people find the pack quite attractive and pretty. Particularly the red colour and the circle in the middle are thought to be appealing- However, others think that the pack is unattractive and ugly, that it has no appeal, that the circle looks like a red seal. Some are impressed by the straight- forward classical simplicity of the design. Others find the design too simple and quite boring. Some think that the pack is quite striking though others doubt if a pack with so much white can be very eye-catching. T'he pack is also seen as different, definitely not a pack for every Torn, Dick and Harry. users imagery Lucky Strike does not have a users imagery in the proper sense of the word. Still, people who choose for Lucky Strike are thought to be no main stream persons. Lucky Strike is said to be smoked by people who want to be different, who make a con- scious choice for Lucky Strike- Moreover, the Lucky Strike smoker is expected to be mainly found amongst men- - spontaneous imagery Lucky Strike seems to be a brand with a history. Although not generally known, stories from the past are attributed to the brand: is 'for over fifty years on the market, LA Ln LA BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 20 is from the thirties, my father used to smoke it, as well as my favourite professor. nere are some second world war associations: the Canadians brought it over here, it has been dropped over Holland during the war. , As a brand Lucky Strike sounds American. United States is seen as the country of origin, but also the brand name itself has an Axnerican ring to it. We conclude that Lucky Strike seems to be an interesting brand in a world where traditional images seem to be relatively less effective. T"he brand comes across as concrete, straightforward, simple and strong and offers the opportunity of distinguis- hing yourself without the obligation to identify with a certain brand personality. IV.5 Gauloises Blondes Also Gauloises Blondes belongs to the group of small brands, perceived as rather successful and as actively trying to get a higher market share. However the brand is not generally known to respondents and the ideas about the brand are a bit scanty. - the product Remarks about the product vary and are contradictory (sharp/not so sharp; rather mild/too strong; a nice smoke). Connotations with the parent brand - Gauloises Plain - do play a role here. - the pack The pack seems to play quite an important role in the attractiveness of the brand. The most important aspect of the pack is that it is a very beautiful pack from an aesthetic point of view, see the use of three different shades of blue. An all blue pack is unusual on the Dutch market and consequently eye-catching and different. Ile pack is not seen as typically feminine. - users imagery Unlike Lucky Strike, the user of Gauloises Blondes will rather be a woman or a girl although it is thought to be suitable for a man as well. This implicates - and some people say so explicitely - that the brand does not have the masculine overtones of brands such as Lucky Strike, Camel and Marlboro. Some people associate with beginning smokers or occassional smokers. Uri N.) BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 21 - spontaneous imagery Obviously France is the country of origin of Gauloises Blondes. T"he parent brand is also quite French. The French origin may be associated with something chic~ a bit elite, trendy, modern and fashionable. We conclude that the present position is a bit more volatile and delicate as compared with the position of Lucky Strike. Lucky Strike seems to have more substance. Gauloises Blondes seems to have more sophistication. But both can be used to distinguish yourself from the faceless majority. 0 0 (,-J CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 22 V. THE ADVERTISING OF MARLBORO Subsequently will be dealt with: - Description of the advertising - The symbolism in the advertising - Attitudes towards Marlboro advertising V-1 Description of the advertising The advertising of Marlboro is said to consist of three elements: a man or cowboy, on horses or with several horses, somewhere in nature, on a plain, a prairie, a desert etc. Tle cowboy is of course the central figure of the advertising. He is described as: rugged, tough, masculine a strong personality, someone who solves his own problems, someone who will achieve what he wants to achieve, he is his own master not a social man, he is a loner who likes to be on his own, who does not want to be tied down, who prefers to be a bachelor and if he would have a family he will seldom be at home a rather introvert person, a man of few words, not very open, who prefers to lead a solitary life a man whose work is his life and is most important to him, he is a hard worker, conscientious, without much creativity but loyal a person who prefers the company of men to women, but even with men he is not a talkative person a man to whom the simple things in life give pleasure, he enjoys living a natural life, being in harmony with himself and his surroundings, he enjoys his cigarette. a person whose freedom seems to be a intrinsic part of his life, mainly accor- ding to Marlboro smokers (-P~A CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 23 V-2 Ile symbolism in advertising I This picture Of the cowboy is rather rich in symbols and values. ne most important are: a strong link with the traditional side of the United States. A cowboy is so unmistakably American. He is a symbol of old American values freedom is one of such values, and closely linked to the life of a cowboy. Ibis idea of freedom has become almost historical. Some respondents say literally that this impression of freedom is so dated and has become old-fashioned the sense of reassurance, security and safety. 7le life of the cowboy is very predictable and very stereotype. In a way he leads a conservative and quite shielded life: this reassures people that tomorrow there will be another day, that no unexpected things will happen and that life will go on as it always has the masculinity of a strong personality. 77his may still appeal to people, particu- larly to young people. In our society macho symbols are to a certain extent desirable. to work bard. It should be noted that the life of the cowboy is only on the surface some what adventurous. Afterall a cowboy does not stand for adven- ture, but for a life of hard work. In a situation where it is difficult to keep a good job this is certainly not a negative notion. conformistic, socially adjusted behaviour. 'ne life of a cowboy does not leave room for much individual initiative, creativity or change. The routine of every day life is rather fixed and asks for a sense of duty and loyalty to the task. 77hese values have less appeal for people with an outspoken individualistic attitude in life. smoking as a reward after a hard days work. The advertising quite often suggests that the cigarette is to be enjoyed -after finishing the job. This rather calvinistic idea of reward after work is still valid and quite recognizable. CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 24 V.3 Attitudes towards Marlboro advertising Over and again smokers remark that this sort of advertising is so very far away from reality and that the pictures have absolutely nothing to do with their personal life. The cowboy is just a symbol and not even a symbol of our time. The world as portrayed is definitely unattainable. This does not mean that the values as conveyed by the Marlboro advertising are not valid anymore but the advertising itself is so far removed from reality that people cannot identify with Marlboro advertising. ne advertising is also said to be very stereotype and boring. This has two reasons. First of all the life of a cowboy can be intepreted as quite lonely, routine-like, dull, nothing special. In the second place Marlboro's advertising has never been changed over the past twenty or thirty years and people have seen it so often that it has almost lost its meaning. Says somebody: '71c advertising of Marlboro is not informative anymore, it could be just a general smoking campaign, but of course everybody knows it is Marlboro". We conclude that, although the branding is still very good, the campaign itself has got a lot of generic aspects. 'Me advertising is Still the advertising is not seen as old fashioned or out dated. rather timeless. Perhaps there are two explanations. One is, that the photography is highly professional, even to the extent that people find ;9 it difficult to see if this picture has been taken today or ten years ago. 717he other is, that these stereotypes refer to eternal values which are also valid today. There are also people who have a certain admiration for the consistency of the advertising. To stick to the same advertising for so many years can be seen as a sign of strength, even if the advertising itself has lost it's appeal. Some respondents say that Marlboro creates it's own style for itself, not for the consumer. In a way, the consistency of the advertising gives the impression of continuity~ a sense of security: 'Marlboro has and will always be around". NJ BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 25 VL THE ADVERTISING OF COMPETITIVE BRANDS: CAMEL, PALL MALL AND LUCKY STRIKE VL1 Camel The advertising of Camel is at least as well known as the advertising of Marlboro. Generally speaking people have a clear picture of Camel advertising and are opinia- ted about it without having to be shown the actual advertising of Camel- In general, while talking about advertising for cigarettes Marlboro and Camel advertising are often mentioned in the same breath cq. described as advertising that has much in common. Ile following similarities are mostly noticed: Marlboro as well as Camel have for years and years, always used the same A advertising; they are consistent in their advertising campaign ("Since I can remember, both Marlboro and Came] have been advertising in the same way. By doing so, both Marlboro and Camel advertising are very recognizable"). It is true that a few people realize that over the years adjustments have been made ("A different Camel man~) but the general mood, the tone of voice, the contents and the symbols used have remained the same. in both campaigns, elements such as sturdiness, roughness, masculinity and individualism are very dominant. both campaigns are often typified as being rather stereotype; standard 1it advertising for cigarettes. In this sense these campaigns act also as "bench- mark" to judge other cigarettes advertisements. Tbough on the other hand, if people discuss the advertising a little longer and . concrete examples of Marlboro and Came] advertising are put forward, people do 40 prove to be capable of pointing out the differences which mainly concerns the differences between the Marlboro man and the Camel man and the two worlds they represent. the Marlboro man and the world in which he lives is considered to be rather unidimensional. His world is a closed universe in which values such as simplici- ty, tradition, hard work, masculinity etc. are important. The world that the advertising shows us is the actual world in which the Marlboro man lives and out of which he does not wander. It is nevertheless an archetypal world that offers little room for personal identification. L-4 C:) BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 26 the Camel man, however, lives in two different worlds. On the one hand the world that the advertising shows us. 11is world especially, symbolizes values such as freedom, going your own way, individuality, adventure, discovery, sturdiness and masculinity. It is however, not the world he spends the whole year in. What we see in the advertising is getting away from it aB, escape from the hectic everyday life or 'maybe he is out to try and cope with alost love in his life". ill any case it is clear that the Camel man also has an existence in the normal civilized world. In that existence he is succEssful; he has a good job or he is a independent enterpriser. He can afford to go on a long, adventurous and undertaking trip. He is also considered to be someone with a decent educati- on and with whom one can have a good conversation. Against this background, it can likewise be stated that Camel represents a more aspirational world than the Marlboro world. It is also a world that appeals more to the imagination, that stimulates the fantasy. By the same token it is also a more attainable world which is appealing to especially adolescents with a positive approach to life, who still have many expectations from life. V1.2 Pall Mall 7be present advertising of Pall Mail appears to be relatively unknown; has as such not really wedged itself in the memories of people as in the case of Camel and Marlboro advertising 7bere are specific spontaneous memories of =lier advertise- ments (cinema commercials) in which especially elements such as water sport, sailing, surfing eta have stuck. Once the advertisements were shown people recognized the advertisinZV more. In any a case it is clear that this approach contrasts sharply with the Pall MaR image sketched above, a rather ridged, pristine, droll and dull brand that is: trying to loose its old image trying to rejuvinate, to blend in with our age The perception of this approach and the level of appreciation varies considerably between the different groups used in the research. Especially the male full flavour CD smokers (young as well as the older men) react strongly against this approach. They perceive the advertisements and the world projected as ty . pical advertising clichds: (.0q CD BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 27 a pretentious, empty and fake world a typical advertising world could have been an advertisement for leans it is impossible to make up a story around this Idnd of advertising; it is purely about appearances. Ile reactions towards the leading man in the advertisements are also very critical: the typical macho advertising man totally wrong kind of character much too cheerful and happy too good looking, too much money, too successful no substance or text; pure appearances, no personality, stands for nothing is aimed at young girls who fa for these types. Ile reactions of the female respondents to the Pall Mall advertising are a lot more positive. ne atmosphere is typified as following: fun loving and making a good evening ahead an relaxed atmosphere a nice, recognizable atmosphere The leading man is also described in much more positive terms: a nice happy-go-lucky character a relaxed chap; an "epicure* character in Amsterdam you would see his type about 10 times an evening I would not mind going out with him some time. On the other hand, there are also indications by the female respondents that the campaign is experienced as some what pretentious and shallow and therefore has no staying power. (.ei CD (.~M4 Un ` BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 28 VI.3 Lucky Strike In many cases it can be said that people either remember and/or recognize the advertisements of Lucky Strike, probably tkanks to the recent billboard advertising. Advertisements mentioned are '70th Century Box", "Queensize* and "Ooh, what a night'. Apart from these, a few people also remember a recent cinema advertisement of Lucky Strike: the cigarettes pack doing a striptease. Generally speaking this campaign is described as following: eye-cathing; recognizable distinguishing; obviously different to what Marlboro and Camel do doing a good job; experimenting with their image; are on their way up comical, funq Elements that people mainly pick out of this campaign are: American; place of origin is America Ik straight forward simple approach individuality' wilful; a character of ies own. . I This seems to link up well with the image of Lucky Strike as described ealier individual choice; a brand you consciously choose and with which you can distinguish yourself. In general, this approach is therefore appreciated; although people do often indicate that some advertisements are funnier, nicer, more original than others: not all the jokes are as funny. Of the three advertisements shown "Ooh, what a night" is generally assessed as being the funniest; while the two other advertisements ("Columbus" and "Born in the USA") are often described as less successful or even a little corny. 40 Futhermore there is a group of people that as such appreciates the "different approach'. of Lucky Strike, but ultimately still feels more attracted to the life style approach of either Marlboro or Camel. . CD (-4 Un BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 29 VII. FINAL REMARKS It is more than likely due to the influence of changing attitudes towards smoking itself - being socially less acceptable - that the consumer's need to use images of cigarette brands to identify with seems to have disintergrated Consequently' there is a increasing group of people who do not want to distinguish themselves as a smoker and in their brand choice. They tend to look for main stream brands, disregarding'the imagery of those brands. Ile strong position of Marlboro and Camel could partly be attributed to this. Notwithstanding this development there still are groups of younger people who do want to distinguish themselves when smoking and consequently, in their brand choice. T'hey tend to go for small brands which have an image of individuality, making your own choice. Brands like Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, Gauloises Blondes seem to fulfill that need. Apart from the taste/blend and the strong, very recognizable pack the main strenghts of Marlboro are it's international omnipresence and ies consistent advertising, images which are engraved in people's mind. Generally, Marlboro is considered to be a cigarette for starting smokers, for very young people who want to belong, do what everybody else does. It could be ar- gued that this represents both one of the strengths but also one of the weaknesses of the brand. A choice - for Marlboro - made in your early teens (13/14 years old) does net stick when becoming an adolescenL Then a more "adult"choice is made. As said the consistency of the Marlboro advertising is one of the major strerights of the brand. Particularly to the Marlboro smoker this is a reassuring element that nothing has changed. Values like tradition, security and confor- 0 mism are also strongly present in the Marlboro world. On the other hand it can be argued that the Marlboro advertising represents a rather archetypal not an aspirational world, not a world which leaves much room for personal identiff cation. L-J CD (-J-J VI BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 30 The study gives indications that the present Lucky Strike approach meets one of the major requirements in competing against Marlboro i.e. "being different, not being like Marlboro". Schreuder, Petrescu & Partners Amsterdam. 21 juli IM Anjo Schreuder low, Robert Petrescu 0 (J4 CD BATCo, document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 4& 0 - ADDENDUM - 0 6H 1 1 S~0~ BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 77777-7, rA A , ~-f I ~ , Tt ~! .. - . : , 10 , NEU A Wu 17 4ow -do. rzo fit" ~:,- ri: - I I- - - -1,1"! 1. D a j , . J U. (-^I Qn BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 5 10 F; 1,10 MU. a _4~14 - - I* .. 'T. , , I - k - 7 ~7:, -inq I- BATCo document for Legal Services Health Canada 22 October 1999 Z1. -it" AV it 4L Le lfarlboro !-2 1 - 9 a V! M I 1= I h - 9 M Iw V OF . - , r!, .: . . r-I :r ..; ii , DII Q 11m: i~l " no (--4 CD BATCo document for Legal Services Health Canada 22 October 1999 hsc-:4wer Camel cdon 77 7 b FILTERS Qnt!-- ~,.!T -- - U-4 0! "1 CD Lr, L^j -9h. LP4 BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 Now el satisfaction. - - )~ -, .0~ - WLI:2. - I + , ;~ IV_ - Or - Ai~ C15 :- - IV IIt FtLTF- BLEND IF- M* L,4 Ln BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 g4flLrERS _Mp rr CD BATCo document for Legal Services Health Canada 22 October 1999 s 7 PALL Ar 4b, 7. '30 -WWI t a s t e PKMK-EM I -clip tA BATCo document for Legal'Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 F-A-LL Nor- L , 00--c X., a t t CI I S h r CZ) (-114 AL N I ~ - : ~~ rkrl~ BATCo document for Legal Services Health Canada 22 October 1999 T wx' mom-, !-7 - ~.141 w. - , j - 4. d. PM1 t 11 a t t a S t e S h a r. e --WM-----EV0RTFAMj I CD BATCo document for Legal Services: Health Canada 22 October 1999 w Ooh a ght . . ~ ~:, sl Al A~l L ZICKIFS.3j-6 AN AMERICAN CRIGI Vr .06. ple!LTI- WO. 2 KING SI x - I Lucky Strike. Nothing else. :J, 0 I V, .91011 P'N INDIF KEN. CD LIS4 Un ~10 BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 B6 AN AMERICAN ORIGNAL KING SIZE BOX Lucky Strike. Nothing-- else.' I Frlpl H1105. H9 , R N I W NO If WN, MEN VE POP[ !M1 E, 19 i.111A, .111111.1. 10 1, 132.3 10 1-1 R J M L. 4 U. U'l (-N Lrl BATCo document for Legal Services : Health Canada 22 October 1999 Toch maar mom dat Colum.' bUS Amerika heeft ontdel