Smokeless Tobacco
Advertising and Promotion
M. Jane Lewis, DrPH
Olivia Wackowski, MPH
UMDNJ-School of Public Health
www.trinketsandtrash.org
Background – Moist Snuff
• Moist Snuff – 2006*
– 85.1% ($2.21 billion) of SLT sales
– Ad/promotion expenditures: $308.46 million
• all-time high &46.6% increase over 2005 expenditures
• In the first half of 2009, USST sold 267 million
cans of Copenhagen and Skoal**
• Moist Snuff responsible for growth in SLT
category, seen as having potential for continued
growth
*FTC Smokeless Tobacco Report for 2006
** Richmond Times-Dispatch 8/09
Top Moist Snuff Producers
• U.S. Smokeless Tobacco (USST) (#1)
– Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, Husky, Timber
Wolf
– As of 2009 - owned by Altria (parent company of
Philip Morris)
• Conwood (#2)
– Kodiak, Hawken, Grizzly, Cougar
– As of 2006 – owned by Reynolds America
(parent company of RJ Reynolds)
• Swedish Match
– Timber Wolf, Longhorn, Redman
Increase in Smokeless Tobacco
Sales And Use Driven By
•
•
New customers, including smokers looking for
an alternative to cigs
New products
–
–
–
•
•
New flavors
New varieties
New brands
New marketing
themes, strategies
Entry of cigarette companies
into SLT marketing
Barriers to Their Success
• Smokers lack of experience with SLT
• “Ick” factor/ negative perceptions
• Rural image
• Male-only image
• Lack of a ritual
similar to that
involved in smoking
Skoal Website 2005
Current Marketing Channels
Publicly Visible
• Products themselves
• Magazine ads
• In-store promotions
Under the Radar
• Direct mail
• Brand loyalty programs
• Brand websites & email
• Events/community
presence
New Targets –
Reaching Past a Rural Image
Classic
Copenhagen
Found in:
FHM
Field & Stream
April 2005
Copenhagen
2007-08
Found in:
Field & Stream
Playboy
Pop Mechanics
New Strategies –
Relationship Marketing
• Skoal’s “Brotherhood”
campaign becomes
“official” in 2007.
Promoted through:
– Magazine ads
– New website (Jan 2008)
– Direct mail
Relationship Marketing
Promoting “The Brotherhood”
Popular Mechanics, 2007
Playboy, 2007
New Targets –
SLT for When
You Can’t Smoke
Ad Found in:
Golf Digest
(March 2005)
Entertainment Weekly
(Feb 2005)
Newsweek
(Sept., Oct. 2004)
2008
Direct
Mail
Pouches – Small, Discreet
“Starter Product” Bandits
Relaunched 2006
“Old” Bandits (introduced 1983)
Sept – Oct. 2006
Skoal 2008 Direct Mail
Cover: “You’ve been asking for it...We heard you.”
9/09 - Philip Morris CEO says PM and USST plan to " take advantage of
the rapid growth in pouches“ – so we know there are more to come.
2009
Direct
Mail
2009
Skoal 2009 –
75th Anniversary Celebration
• Jan 2009 issue of
Playboy
• Year long
sweepstakes with
monthly prizes and
year-end grand prize
(enter daily online)
• Free spittoon gift
Found in Car & Driver, Field & Stream,
Maxim, Popular Mechanics, 2/09
12-page special section in Playboy
“These premium, spillresistant spittoons have a
removable funnel,
weighted base and
compact design that fits
most cup holders. . . .our
way of saying thanks for 75
years of support.”
“Use your personal ID on
SkoalBrotherhood.com to
find out which color mud
jug will be yours !”
Direct Mail 2009
2008 Joint Skoal/Copenhagen Sweepstakes
Special Website for daily online entry
Ad – Field & Stream, Nov 08
New Cigarette-Branded Products
• RJ Reynolds – Camel Snus, Camel
Dissolvables, Camel Dip
• Philip Morris - Marlboro Snus, (Taboka,
Marlboro Dip)
• Advantages of Cig Brand Link
– Brand names familiar to smokers, nonsmokers alike/have loyal customer base
– Marketing links – attach promotions or
products to cig packs, use smoker database
to ID people to mail to.
Direct Mail Promotes
Camel Crush and Camel Snus
Camel Snus Direct Mail
Camel Snus Email
Retail Locator
Discussion
Forum
Snus Magazine Ad Taglines
• freedom for smokers.
• your cigarettes may get jealous.
Snus Goes Well With Anything
“Friendly” Tailored Taglines
Field & Stream: Tent-friendly. Hunting-friendly. Canoefriendly
Rolling Stone: Air guitar-friendly.
Encore-friendly
Sports Illustrated: Boring blowout game-friendly.
Stadium-friendly
Popular Mechanics: Up all night rebuilding an enginefriendly.
Car & Driver: Stick shift-friendly. Retain that new car smell.
Camel Dissolvable Tobacco
Camel Sticks – a twisted toothpick-sized stick –
flavor: “mellow”
Camel Orbs – a pellet –
flavor: flavor “fresh mint”,
“mellow”
Camel Strips – a film strip for the tongue – flavor:
“fresh mint”
2009 Direct Mail with Free Trial Coupon
2008 Point of Sale Ad/Brochure
www.trinketsandtrash.org
lewismj@umdnj.edu