British American Tobacco (BAT) executives gather today to celebrate a “good year” at their annual shareholders’ meeting in London. According to BAT’s own publicists, BAT has promoted its “Lucky Strike” brand through a strategy “to re-launch and grow the brand by targeting the underground youth community – a community that is left of centre, which sets the trends rather than follows them.” This is also a consumer profit to buy cheap cigarettes from web merchandisers.
Globally, BAT links their brands to sporting events, celebrity artists, and movie stars and even sponsors music festivals and parties as a way to glamorise their product. Health charity ASH today published:” You’ve got to be kidding” – How BAT promotes its brands to young people around the world. Compiling evidence from around the world the research records: — In London Fashionable bars in Hoxton frequented by celebrities and trend setters have deals selling only Lucky Strike — In Europe Commissioning trend setting artists Julian Opie and others to create BAT branded images — In Asia Sponsoring Nepal’s national cricket team and engaging a Bollywood star as brand ambassador for the John Players fashion range — In Africa and South America Organising youth oriented parties and music events — Online and around the world BAT’s Argentinean Lucky Strike website offers free downloads. Ostensibly “User Generated Content” promotes BAT brands on You Tube and Flickr.
The success of the strategy is illustrated by the flagship “Lucky Strike” brand which has become an iconic cigarette brand for UK youth without any conventional advertising. The report shows how BAT marketing advisers execute promotions which are at odds with BAT’s claimed policy on youth smoking. Precise tactics vary according to local market needs. In Nigeria single cigarettes are sold outside schools along with children’s sweets and in other countries they target young trend setters they call “Cosmocrats” BAT, the world’s second largest tobacco company, holds around 15% of the global cigarette market selling 850 billion cigarettes in 190 countries. The profit is by the way caused by consumer opportunities to buy cheap cigarettes from online merchandisers.