Marlboro to stop selling smokes in UK

Shivani Kava, Aug 1, 2021, 3:57 PM IST

Source: unsplash

Marlboro is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA within the United States, and by Philip Morris International outside the United States. Recently, Marlboro maker Philip Morris said it could stop selling cigarettes in the UK in 10 years’ time.  This not only baffled the world but also made everyone wonder how this cigarette brand aims to sustain its business?

Marlboro was initially founded as a women’s cigarette before switching its focus to men with rugged characters like the Marlboro Man in its advertising. The slogan “Mild as May” was used to sell cigarettes for women and Marlboro marketed its product as soft cigarettes which were less harmful to health. Back in the day, men did not prefer to use cigarettes with filters as they would not fit with their “macho personality.”

In an attempt to mass-market, Marlboro made its filter red to hide the shade of lipstick. They called this filter, “Beauty tips to keep the paper from your lips.”

World War I and World War II caused a huge downfall in the number of sales of cigarettes as a result of which, Marlboro had to pull out of the market.

In the 1950s, a study found that smoking causes lung cancer. Since the filtered cigarettes were considered less harmful than unfiltered ones, they were in huge demand.

Soon Marlboro decided to reposition itself to cover the niche market of men who were concerned about their health and made the move to what we see today.

Before the Marlboro Man, most cigarette branding revolved around the practical benefits of a cigarette but with the Marlboro Man campaign, the trend changed to lifestyle branding, leading to the image of a person who the consumer aspires to be like or already imagines he is—or in many cases, she. Marlboro introduced a promotional campaign to promote its product as a symbol of macho man.

Years after masculinizing Marlboro, Philip Morris introduced the first brand that used the same kind of aspirational advertising specifically to women: Virginia Slims. But the new strategy wasn’t as effective as the Marlboro man.

Current scenario:

Marlboro today sponsors various adventures sports such as formula 1 and superbikes tournaments around the world

Earlier this month, Philip Morris International said it will stop selling cigarettes in the United Kingdom within the next decade — including the company’s iconic Marlboro brand.

The company’s CEO Jacek Olczak said in an interview, “The first choice for consumers is they should quit smoking. But if they don’t, the second-best choice is to let them switch to the better alternatives.”

Marlboro’s decision comes from the UK government’s goal to make England smoke-free by 2030.

The company said, “Philip Morris International is focusing more on developing tobacco heating systems, such as electronic cigarettes that still “create a nicotine-containing tobacco vapor.”

It is important to note that, Philip Morris International is not affiliated with Philip Morris USA, which sells Marlboro in the U.S.