This report on the effects of cigarette advertising on consumer behavior was commissioned by

Imperial Tobacco and RJR-Macdonald of Canada. It was written by Joel B. Cohen, Ph.D.
(Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing, Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and Director,
Center for Consumer Research) of the University of Florida. In the report, Dr. Cohen disputes
the industry's oft-repeated claim that its advertising is aimed only at getting existing adult
smokers to switch brands. Cohen says,

"The need to replace smokers who either quit or are casualties of smoking has led many to
question cigarette industry claims that their advertising is intended primarily to encourage
brand switching...the U.S. evidence indicates that the tobacco industry spends about $9 per
person per day for advertising and promotion, and only 10% of smokers switch brands in an
average year...Accordingly, such expenditure--purely for brand switching--would seem to be
difficult to justify economically...." [Pages 3-4] In Section 1.40 Cohen poses the question,
"Couldn't the advertising only make the particular cigarette attractive for existing smokers?"
Response: "The answer is essentially 'No,'" and explains why this is the case.

Cohen ridicules the industry's claim that cigarette advertising would only appeal to adults who
already smoke, saying,

"Nonsmokers, and particularly adolescents, cannot be made immune to advertising effects...

[the industry's argument] is as if a magic curtain could be put in place to shield children,
teenagers and others from the impact of these appeals. No convincing theoretical argument or
empirical evidence has yet been introduced by the cigarette industry to demonstrate that
otherwise effective advertising is mysteriously ineffective for adolescents who have yet to
become smokers. Until such evidence is provided, this proposition cannot be taken seriously."
[Page 8]

Thus it appears that RJR-Macdonald and Imperial hired an advertising expert who concluded
that the companies' most common arguments about the reach and effects of their advertising
cannot not possibly be true.

Fields
Notes
Notes Cohen appears to have referred to this report in his 1981 testimony before the National
Interagency Council on Smoking and Health (about a bill to require rotating health warnings on
cigarette packs). In his statement he said he prepared a report about attitudes within the context
of cigarette advertising at the request of R.J. Reynolds. Cohen favored the rotating health
warnings, saying he believed they would be more effective than a single warning. His statement
can be seen at http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=zag41f00&fmt=pdf&ref=results

Quotes
[From Page 3]:

The need to replace smokers who either quit smoking or are casualties of smoking has led many
to question cigarette industry claims that their advertising is intended primarily to encourage
 brand switching. Some defend the economic value of brand switching by underscoring the
profitability of cigarettes. However, the U.S. evidence indicates that the tobacco industry spends
about $9 per person per day for advertising and promotion, and only 10% of smokers switch
brands in an average year (Warner, 1986; 1989 Surgeon General's Report page 503). Most
consumers merely switch among brands of the same company...or move back and forth among
the three companies that control 99% of the market. Accordingly, such expenditures -- purely for
brand switching -- would seem to be difficult to justify economically...

[From Page 9]:

In truth, there is no such thing as "only brand switching advertising." Any advertising effective
enough to entice consumers to switch brands has, by definition, made a particular cigarette more
appealing. While it is possible to debate how much more appealing a particular cigarette brand
has become as a result of advertising...if the advertising did not add significantly to the appeal of
the brand it would be changed... It may be relevant here to respond to the question, "Couldn't
the advertising only make the particular cigarette attractive for existing smokers?" Though the
reasons for this will be clearer a little later in our discussion, the answer is essentially, "No."

[From Page 8]:

1.50 Nonsmokers Cannot Be Shielded From Advertising

Nonsmokers, and particularly adolescents, cannot be made immune to advertising effects -- even
if the primary goal of such advertising were to attract smokers of other brands....[C]onsider the
argument that cigarette advertising functions primarily to motivate brand switching. In order to
accept this idea we would need to believe that the attractive and heavily researched images and
symbols connected to cigarette smoking and the various brands only "work" on people who
already smoke. It is as if a magic curtain could be put in place to shield children, teenagers and
other from the impact of these appeals. No convincing theoretical argument or empirical evidence
has yet been introduced by the cigarette industry to demonstrate that otherwise effective
advertising is mysteriously ineffective for adolescents who have yet to become sokers. Until such
evidence is provided, this proposition cannot be taken seriously.

New Smokers Are Being Added

In the Canadian cigarette market, the "code term" for new, replacement smokers appears to be
"starters." They are also referred to as "new smokers" and "first time smokers." Whether by
intent or not, cigarette industry advertising and promotion are bringing new smokers into the
market:

"Nearly half of those who have switched to duMaurier in the past two years are new smokers"
(Imperial Tobacco Document #163a: DuMaurier Red Marketing Plans, 1972).

"Approximately 50% of Player's Filter new smokers are starters or from Export A" (Imperial
Tobacco Document #172: Player's Filter Mini Marketing Plan, 197A).

"Starters have been added to the mix as they play a very important role in the dynamics of the
market. As can be seen, 84% of starting is absorbed by the three major segments, with the bulk
going to the young popular brands of duMaurier Red and Player's Light" (Imperial Tobacco
Document #160b: Project Sting, September 13, 1985, p.9).

Further, in numerous documents tobacco companies have outlined their strategies against such
target groups:

"Continue media emphasis against the younger smoker segments (18-30) to eventually become
more of starter's brand in Quebec" (Imperial Tobacco Document #172: Player's Filter Mini
Marketing Plans, 1974).

"At the same time, we will also endeavor to obtain for Player's Filter a greater share of the first
time smokers" (Imperial Tobacco Document #8: Player's Filter Advertising Plan 1971, P.3)....

ScienceDaily (Feb. 12, 2009) — Alcohol advertising and marketing may

lead to underage drinking. A large systematic review of more than
13,000 people suggests that exposure to ads and product placements,
even those supposedly not directed at young people, leads to increased
alcohol consumption.
See also:
Health & Medicine

• Infant's Health
• Children's Health
• Health Policy

Mind & Brain

• Alcoholism
• Addiction
• Consumer Behavior

Reference

• Drunkenness
• Blood alcohol content
• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
• Familiarity increases liking

Lesley Smith and David Foxcroft from Oxford Brookes University collated information from seven
rigorously selected studies, featuring information on 13,255 participants. This systematic review,
funded by the Alcohol and Education Research Council (AERC), is the first to study the effects of
advertising, product placement in films, games, sporting events and music videos, depictions of
drinking in various media, and exposure to product stands in shops. According to Smith, "Our
work provides strong empirical evidence to inform the policy debate on the impact of alcohol
advertising on young people, and policy groups may wish to revise or strengthen their policy
recommendations in the light of this stronger evidence".
The authors found that exposure to TV alcohol advertisements was associated with an increased
tendency to drink, as were magazine advertisements and concession stands at sporting events or
concerts. Hours spent watching films, playing games and watching music videos also correlated
with young peoples' tendency to consume alcoholic beverages. Smith said, "All seven studies
demonstrated significant effects across a range of different exposure variables and outcome
measures. One showed that for each additional hour of TV viewing per day the average risk of
starting to drink increased by 9% during the following 18 months. Another found that for each
additional hour of exposure to alcohol use depicted in popular movies there was a 15% increase
in likelihood of having tried alcohol 13 to 26 months later".
The authors recommend that counter-advertising, social marketing techniques and other
prevention options such as parenting programmes, price increases and limiting availability may
be useful to limit alcohol problems in young people

Coca-Cola or Pepsi; that is the

Question : A study about different
factors affecting consumer preferences
University essay from Växjö universitet/Ekonomihögskolan; Växjö
universitet/Ekonomihögskolan; Växjö universitet/Ekonomihögskolan

Author: Eva-lena Andersson; Evelina Arvidsson; Cecilie Lindström; [2006]

Keywords: consumer preferences; influence; buying behaviour; factors;

Abstract:
Background: Today, advertising is a multi-billion industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people and
affecting billions of people’s lives worldwide. Yet, seeing as advertising clutter has increased tremendously
and is more intense than ever, it is vital that companies differentiate themselves from competitors by
creating even more powerful, entertaining and innovative advertisement messages, as well as sponsoring
different events. Examples of such companies that spend billion of dollars on marketing strategies in order
to stay key players in their industry are The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo.
Purpose: The overall purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of different international and
local factors affecting consumer preferences on a local market.
Method: A quantitative method was applied, and thus a questionnaire with 150 respondents on the local
market was conducted. The respondents were divided into three different age groups: ? 18, 19-34, and ? 35,
and represent a diverse set of people who are at different stages in their lives.
Conclusions: International advertising and international sponsorship respectively influence the local target
group in different ways, but they also affect international brand in that they have an impact on brand image
and brand equity. Moreover, depending on a person’s age, consumers view brands differently, and thus
have an effect on international brand alone, but also in combination with international advertisement and
international sponsorship. Together, these factors influence the way in which a brand is perceived, and
consequently influence consumer preferences.
Red Bull May Not ‘Give You Wings'

In today's world, the name Red Bull and the slogan "Red Bull Gives You Wings has been inscribed into the
minds of consumers around the globe. The popular energy drink, which seems to have sky-rocketed in US
as well as world-wide sales is no miracle drug, although it does seem that way by the overflowing demand.
Known to many as a coffee substitute, Red Bull is able to give its buyers that extra push or burst of energy
to keep their day going due to its increased amounts of caffeine, without the nasty aftertaste of coffee. No
doubt its marketing strategies have made a massive impact on its increased sales, but at its start, it is no lie
to call Red Bull a self-made success. In a time where everyone is craving a few extra hours of sleep or that
boost to get them through the day, the advent of the Red Bull trend has sparked well founded controversies
about its effects on its clients as well as the economy. But despite all the arguments surrounding the popular
energy drink, it is obvious that this craze will remain intact for many years to come.

Corporate legend has it that in the early 1980s, while traveling to Asia on business, Austrian Dietrich
Mateschiz came across some very popular "energy drinks". While in Thailand, he saw that the rickshaw
drivers drank a substance to keep them energized throughout the day known to the Thai as ‘Krating Daeng',
a popular health tonic which roughly translated, means the Red Bull, in English. After some alterations to
the recipe, and a flavor modification for the public, Red Bull was born. With his "uncanny instinct for
successful product innovations", Mateschiz brought a small sample of energy beverages back to Europe
along with a big idea. Then, with a clear vision and a lot of scientific knowledge, Dietrich and several other
unnamed food scientists gave birth to the Red Bull Energy Drink which first hit shelves in Austria and the
rest of Europe in 1987 (Wikipedia...

A study by psychologists Dr Carl Senior and Baldeesh Gakhal found that even average
looking celebrity models in advertisements produced a greater emotional response in test
subjects than good-looking, but non-celebrity endorsers.
The research in turn suggests that there may be a dedicated area in the brain that has now
become hard wired to produce a reaction to celebrity endorsed products.

Participants in the study were shown a series of specially constructed, hypothetical

advertisements for perfume which used a series of models who were either famous or
non-famous and either attractive or average looking. Their responses to the images were
measured and analysed.

Carl Senior said: ‘It is well known of course that both beauty and celebrity endorsements
are used by marketers to sell products. Celebrities are chosen to advertise specific
products because of what we call their ESP, or Emotional Selling Proposition. However,
given that most celebrities are also considered to be attractive it is not known to what
extent celebrity and beauty interact to drive consumer decision-making.

‘In our study we examined a specific question regarding the relationship of fame and
beauty with consumer behaviour; namely, is there a difference in the emotive nature of
celebrity advertisements compared to these adverts that depict attractive models who are
non-celebrities?

‘Psychophysiological data were recorded from both of the subjects’ hands while being
shown these test advertisements. The aim was to measure the electroconductivity of a
form of fine sweating that is automatically generated during emotive responses on our
hands, a technique which is also known as the electrodermal response.

‘Although it was a relatively small scale study, and there is certainly potential for further
research, the results we obtained suggest that it doesn’t matter how attractive the celebrity
is or isn’t because the test subjects still exhibited a greater emotional response when
looking at a celebrity than