Daily Doc: RJR, Feb 2, 1973: RJR on 'Pre-smokers' and 'Learners'
Daily Doc: RJR on "Pre-smokers" and "Learners"
Title: Research Planning Memorandum on Some Thoughts About New Brands of Cigarettes for the Youth Market
RJR, Feb 2, 1973
Bates #: 502987357 -7368
January 24, 2000
From the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, here is one of the absolute worst documents revealing the tobacco industry's marketing to youngsters. In this document, Claude Teague of RJR's research department muses about how to attract "pre-smokers" or "learners" to smoking in a marketplace where the cannot do so overtly:
"It should be said that we are presently, and I believe unfairly, constrained from directly promoting cigarettes to the youth market...He goes on to discuss how RJR can exploit the psychological needs of youngsters by developing a new cigarette brand tailored specifically for this age group:
"Realistically, if our Company is to survive and prosper, over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market. In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market..."
"Pre-smokers learn to smoke to identify with and participate in shared experiences of a group of associates. If the majority of one's closest associates smoke cigarettes, then there is strong psychological pressure, particularly on the young person, to identify with the group, follow the crowd...This provides a large incentive to begin smoking...Thus a new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the 'in' brand and its promotion should emphasize togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same time emphasizing individuality and 'doing one's own thing.' "Amazingly, RJR considers how it's deadly products can be used to help enhance the "fragile, developing self-image of the young":
"C. Self-Image Enhancement - The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all of the support and enhancement it can get. Smoking may appear to enhance that self-image in a variety of ways. If one values, for example, an adventurous, sophisticated, adult image, smoking may enhance one's self-image...."And finally, RJR gives us a dismal reminder at how health education, and even warning labels, can serve to actually drive youngsters TOWARDS smoking:
"The smoking-health controversy does not appear important to the group because, psychologically, at eighteen, one is immortal. Further, if the desire to be daring is part of the motivation to start smoking, the alleged risk of smoking may actually make smoking attractive. Finally, if the 'older' establishment is preaching against smoking, the anti-establishment sentiment discussed above would cause the young to be defiant and smoke. Thus, a new brand aimed at the young group should not in any way be promoted as a "health" brand, and perhaps should carry some implied risk. In this sense, the warning label on the package may be a plus."While this may be an older document, the basic premises survive. We can be certain that the industry still remembers such advice from their experts, for they know (as we do) that if young people aren't attracted to smoking, there won't be any smokers!
CITATION
Title: Research Planning Memorandum on Some Thoughts About New Brands of Cigarettes for the Youth Market
Type of Document: Draft report
Author: Claude Teague, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Recipient: N/A
Date: 19730202
Site: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. document site http://www.rjrtdocs.com/rjrtdocs/frames.html
Page Count 12
Bates No. 502987357 -7368
URL: RJR does not support transfers of URLs. You can find this document one of two ways: Either 1) Go to the RJR site and enter as basic search criteria the phrase "research planning memorandum and youth" (without the quotation marks) OR, 2) Click on the "advanced search" feature and in the box type (or cut and paste) "NUM 502987357 -7368" (exactly like that, but without quotations).
Litigation Usage: Minnesota selected document, also used in Broin, Mississippi, Texas, and Washington state.
Found Using Search Criteria: Found it a long time ago; can't remember!
QUOTES
It should be said that we are presently, and I believe unfairly, constrained from directly promoting cigarettes to the youth market...Statistics show, however, that large, and perhaps increasing, numbers in that group are becoming smokers each year, despite bans on promotion of cigarettes to them. If this be so, there is certainly nothing immoral or unethical about our Company attempting to attract those smokers to our products...
Realistically, if our Company is to survive and prosper, over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market. In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market...
Several things will go to make up any such new "youth" brands...The questions then are, What image? and What quality? Perhaps these questions may be best approached by consideration of factors influencing pre-smokers to try smoking, learn to smoke and become confirmed smokers....
...For the pre-smoker and "learner," the physical effects of smoking are largely unknown, unneeded, or actually quite unpleasant or awkward. The expected or derived psychological effects are largely responsible for influencing the pre-smoker to try smoking, and provide sufficient motivation during the "learning" period to keep the "learner" going, despite the physical unpleasantness and awkwardness of the period.
In contrast, once the "learning" period is over, the physical effects become of overriding importance and desirability to the confirmed smoker...
I. PHYSICAL EFFECTS...
...The beginning smoker and inhaler has a low tolerance for smoke irritation, hence the smoke should be as bland as possible...For the beginning smoker the cigarette smoke should have a moderate level of tobacco flavor, but should be as free as possible from strong, unpleasant flavors such as stemmy flavor, etc...
II. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS...
These are the expected or derived gratifications which influence a pre-smoker to try smoking and which sustain the beginning smoker during the largely physically awkward and unpleasant "learning to smoke" phase...
...Group Identification -- Pre-smokers learn to smoke to identify with and participate in shared experiences of a group of associates. If the majority of one's closest associates smoke cigarettes, then there is strong psychological pressure, particularly on the young person, to identify with the group, follow the crowd...This provides a large incentive to begin smoking...Thus a new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the "in" brand and its promotion should emphasize togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same time emphasizing individuality and "doing one's own thing."
C. Self-Image Enhancement - The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all of the support and enhancement it can get. Smoking may appear to enhance that self-image in a variety of ways. If one values, for example, an adventurous, sophisticated, adult image, smoking may enhance one's self-image....
D. Experimentation - There is a strong drive in most people, particularly the young, to try new things and experiences. This drive no doubt leads many pre-smokers to experiment with smoking, simply because it is there and they want to know more about it. A new brand offering something novel and different is likely to attract experimenters...
A final psychological factor which also did not fall readily into Table 1 involves smoking and health attitudes. The smoking-health controversy does not appear important to the group because, psychologically, at eighteen, one is immortal. Further, if the desire to be daring is part of the motivation to start smoking, the alleged risk of smoking may actually make smoking attractive. Finally, if the "older" establishment is preaching against smoking, the anti-establishment sentiment discussed above would cause the young to be defiant and smoke. Thus, a new brand aimed at the young group should not in any way be promoted as a "health" brand, and perhaps should carry some implied risk. In this sense, the warning label on the package may be a plus.
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