scholarly journals A study on the sponsorship tactics of transnational tobacco companies in Korea: Review and analysis of tobacco industry internal documents

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyojin Kim ◽  
Sungkyu Lee ◽  
Eungjeong Kang
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

scholarly journals Analyzing Big Tobacco’s global youth marketing strategies in Nigeria using the theory of triadic influence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ukoabasi Isip ◽  
John Robert Calvert
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
High School Principal ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Theory Of Triadic Influence ◽  
Youth Population ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies ◽  
Populous Country

Abstract Background Major transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have identified Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world, as a market with a major revenue potential given its high youth population and growing gross domestic product (GDP). This research analyses tobacco industry-related strategies and activities targeting youth (aged 15 to 24 years) in Nigeria as existing, but most importantly, future tobacco users. Nigeria is the focus of this study because the tobacco industry has viewed it as a major emerging market since the 1990s. Successful marketing in Nigeria could provide the industry with a template for similar initiatives in other emerging markets in low- and middle-income countries.Methods The research began with a systematic review of secondary literature to determine how the tobacco industry has targeted youth globally. It then used the theory of triadic influence as a heuristic framework to categorize the various industry strategies. Quotations from internal tobacco industry documents were organized into the three streams of the theory of triadic influence: biology/personality, social and cultural/environmental streams. A total of 12 interviews were conducted with 6 policymakers and governmental officials, 2 civil society organization representatives, a high school principal, a journalist and 2 researchers to investigate how the tobacco industry had targeted youth in Nigeria.Results The findings indicate that TTCs have actively targeted youth in Nigeria since the 1990s, focusing on changing behaviour through the biology/personality, social and environmental/ cultural streams.Conclusion The study recommends that Nigeria implement and vigorously enforce its 2015 National Tobacco Control Bill.

scholarly journals Exploiting a low tax system: non-tax-induced cigarette price increases in Taiwan 2011–2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (e2) ◽  
pp. e126-e132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Gao ◽  
Mattia Sanna ◽  
J Robert Branston ◽  
Hung-Yi Chiou ◽  
Yi-Hua Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Market Share ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
The Real ◽  
Tobacco Taxes ◽  
Real Price ◽  
Tobacco Control Policies ◽  
Philip Morris ◽  
Small Decline ◽  
Japan Tobacco ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

IntroductionThis study aims to analyse the non-tax-induced price increasing strategies adopted by tobacco industry in Taiwan, a high-income country with comprehensive tobacco control policies but low tobacco taxes and a declining cigarette market.MethodsUsing governmental tax, price and inflation data, we analysed cigarette sales volume, affordability, affordability elasticity of demand, market share, pricing and net revenue of the top five tobacco companies in Taiwan from 2011 to 2016 when no tax increases occurred.ResultsTotal revenue after tax grew significantly for all the major transnational tobacco companies between 2011 and 2016 at the expense of the state-owned Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation. In terms of market share, Japan Tobacco (JT) was the leading company, despite experiencing a small decline, while British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands remained stable, and Philip Morris International increased from 4.7% to 7.0%. JT adopted the most effective pricing strategy by increasing the real price of its two most popular brands (Mevius and Mi-Ne) and, at the same time, doubling the sales of its cheaper and less popular brand Winston by leaving its nominal retail price unaltered.ConclusionsLow and unchanged tobacco taxes enable tobacco companies to use aggressive pricing and segmentation strategies to increase the real price of cigarettes without making them less affordable while simultaneously maintaining customers’ loyalty. It is crucial to continue monitoring the industry’s pricing strategies and to regularly increase taxes to promote public health and to prevent tobacco industry from profiting at the expense of government revenues.

The Politics of Global Tobacco Control

2019 ◽  
pp. 659-683
Author(s):  
Kelley Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

This chapter examines the politics that has shifted tobacco control policy over the past three decades, from a long-neglected public health issue to a flagship global health issue supported by collective action by state and non-state actors. These efforts were spurred by the expansion of leading transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) into emerging markets, beginning in the 1960s, amid growing regulation and declining sales in traditional markets. By the 1990s tobacco use was steadily rising in the wake of the global expansion of the tobacco industry. The negotiation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) became the focus of intense political contestation between a powerful industry seeking to protect its commercial interests and an alarmed public health community. Since adoption of the FCTC in 2004, this political battle has shifted to its effective implementation in signatory states. This has included the eventual negotiation of the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and continued efforts by the tobacco industry to sustain sales through a variety of political strategies.

scholarly journals Tobacco control in Nepal during a time of government turmoil (1960–2006)

2019 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2019-055066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dharma Bhatta ◽  
Eric Crosbie ◽  
Stella Bialous ◽  
Stanton Glantz
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
Tobacco Company ◽  
Executive Orders ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Tobacco Tax ◽  
The Government ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

BackgroundNepal was a monarchy, then a dictatorship, then a democracy. This paper reviews how tobacco control progressed in Nepal in the context of these changes in government from 1950 through 2006.MethodsWe triangulated tobacco industry documents, newspaper articles and key informant interviews.ResultsUntil 1983, the tobacco industry was mostly state owned. Transnational tobacco companies entered the Nepalese market through ventures with Surya Tobacco Company Private Limited (with Imperial Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco) in 1983 and Seti Cigarette Factory Limited (with Philip Morris International [PMI]) in 1985. Seminars and conferences on tobacco, celebrations of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) and efforts by WHO helped promote tobacco control in Nepal beginning in the 1970s. Tobacco advocates in Nepal pushed the government to issue executive orders banning smoking in public places in 1992 and tobacco advertising in electronic media in 1998, and to introduce a tobacco health tax in 1993. The tobacco industry lobbied against these measures and succeeded in keeping the tobacco tax low by challenging it in court. Tobacco advocates sued the government in 2003 and 2005, resulting in a June 2006 Supreme Court decision upholding the smoking and advertising bans and requiring the government to enact a comprehensive tobacco control law.ConclusionsPolitical instability, conflict, weak governance and the dictatorship significantly affect tobacco control activities in low-income and middle-income countries. Nepal shows that tobacco control advocates can take advantage of global events, such as WNTD, and use domestic litigation to maintain support from civil societies and to advocate for stronger tobacco control policies.

scholarly journals Memoranda of understanding: a tobacco industry strategy to undermine illicit tobacco trade policies

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (e2) ◽  
pp. e110-e118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Crosbie ◽  
Stella Bialous ◽  
Stanton A Glantz
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Accountability System ◽  
Philip Morris ◽  
The Media ◽  
Illicit Tobacco Trade ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Reports

ObjectiveAnalyse the transnational tobacco companies’ (TTCs) memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on illicit trade and how they could undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (Protocol).MethodsReview of tobacco industry documents and websites, reports, news and media items using standard snowball search methods.ResultsFacing increasing pressure from governments and the FCTC to address illicit tobacco trade during the late 1990s, TTCs entered into voluntary partnerships embodied in MoUs with governments’ law enforcement and customs agencies. One of the earliest known MoUs was between Philip Morris International and Italy in 1999. TTCs agreed among themselves to establish MoUs individually but use the Italian MoU as a basis to establish similar connections with other governments to pre-empt more stringent regulation of illicit trade. TTCs report to have signed over 100 MoUs since 1999, and promote them on their websites, in Corporate Social Responsibility reports and in the media as important partnerships to combat illicit tobacco trade. There is no evidence to support TTCs’ claims that these MoUs reduce illicit trade. The terms of these MoUs are rarely made public. MoUs are non-transparent partnerships between government agencies and TTCs, violating FCTC Article 5.3 and the Protocol. MoUs are not legally binding so do not create an accountability system or penalties for non-compliance, rendering them ineffective at controlling illicit trade.ConclusionGovernments should reject TTC partnerships through MoUs and instead ratify and implement the FCTC and the Protocol to effectively address illicit trade in tobacco products.

‘Both Sides of the Argument’? A critical review of existing evidence on the illicit trade in tobacco products in Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (e2) ◽  
pp. e141-e147
Author(s):  
Julia Smith ◽  
Sheryl Thompson ◽  
Kelley Lee
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Tobacco Control Policies ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

IntroductionThe illicit trade in tobacco products (ITTP) is widely recognised as a substantial and complex problem in Canada. However, the independence of available data and quality of analyses remains unknown. Reliable and accurate data on the scale and causes of the problem are needed to inform effective policy responses.MethodsWe searched the scholarly and grey literature using keywords related to ITTP in Canada. We identified 26 studies published in English since 2008 that present original research drawing on primary data. We analysed these studies for their independence from the tobacco industry, methodology, findings and gaps in knowledge.ResultsThe study finds 42% of the literature reviewed has links to the tobacco industry. These studies provide insufficient methodological detail, present higher estimates of the volume of ITTP and attribute the causes to higher rates of tobacco taxation. The classification of all indigenous tobacco sales as illicit, by both industry linked and independent studies, contributes to overestimates and serves the interests of transnational tobacco companies. There is need for independent and comprehensive data on the ITTP in Canada over time, across population groups and geographies.ConclusionWhile there is evidence that the ITTP in Canada is a major and complex issue that requires effective tobacco control policies, there is a limited evidence base on which to develop such responses. This review finds industry-linked studies lack independence, employ biased methodologies and serve tobacco industry interests. Independent studies present more rigorous approaches, but primarily focus on youth and the province of Ontario.

scholarly journals How to combat efforts to overturn bans on electronic nicotine delivery systems: lessons from tobacco industry efforts during the 1980s to open closed cigarette markets in Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e004288
Author(s):  
Roengrudee Patanavanich ◽  
Stanton A Glantz
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ◽  
Trade Law ◽  
International Trade Law ◽  
Nicotine Delivery ◽  
Philip Morris ◽  
Trade Sanctions ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies ◽  
Foreign Brands

Until 1990, it was illegal for transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) to sell cigarettes in Thailand. We reviewed and analysed internal tobacco industry documents relevant to the Thai market during the 1980s. TTCs’ attempts to access the Thai cigarette market during the 1980s concentrated on political lobbying, advertising and promotion of the foreign brands that were illegal to sell in Thailand at the time. They sought to take advantage of the Thai Tobacco Monopoly’s (TTM) inefficiency to propose licencing agreements and joint ventures with TTM and took advantages of unclear regulations about cigarette marketing to promote their products through advertising and sponsorship activities. After their initial efforts failed, they successfully lobbied the US to impose trade sanctions to liberalise Thailand’s market. Similar to the situation for cigarettes in the 1980s, since 2017, Philip Morris International has worked in parallel with a pro-e-cigarette group to pressure Thailand’s government to allow sales of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products), knowing the products were illegal under Thai law. Health advocates and government authorities should be aware of past TTCs’ tactics for cigarettes and anticipate that TTCs will attempt to use international trade law to force markets open for ENDS if their domestic efforts fail.

scholarly journals Analyzing Big Tobacco’s global youth marketing strategies in Nigeria using the theory of triadic influence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ukoabasi Isip ◽  
John Robert Calvert
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
High School Principal ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Theory Of Triadic Influence ◽  
Youth Population ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

Abstract Background Major transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have identified Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world, as a market with a major revenue potential given its high youth population and growing gross domestic product (GDP). This research analyses tobacco industry-related strategies and activities targeting youth (aged 15 to 24 years) in Nigeria as existing, but most importantly, future tobacco users. Nigeria is the focus of this study because the tobacco industry has viewed it as a major emerging market since the 1990s. Successful marketing in Nigeria could provide the industry with a template for similar initiatives in other emerging markets in low- and middle-income countries. Methods The research began with a systematic review of secondary literature to determine how the tobacco industry has targeted youth globally. It then used the theory of triadic influence as a heuristic framework to categorize the various industry strategies. Quotations from internal tobacco industry documents were organized into the three streams of the theory of triadic influence: biology/personality, social and cultural/environmental streams. A total of 12 interviews were conducted with 6 policymakers and governmental officials, 2 civil society organization representatives, a high school principal, a journalist and 2 researchers to investigate how the tobacco industry had targeted youth in Nigeria. Results The findings indicate that TTCs have actively targeted youth in Nigeria since the 1990s, focusing on changing behaviour through the biology/personality, social and environmental/ cultural streams. Conclusion The study recommends that Nigeria implement and vigorously enforce its 2015 National Tobacco Control Bill.

A Systematic Review of Tobacco Industry Tactics in Southeast Asia: Lessons for Other Low- And MiddleIncome Regions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianna Gayle Herrera Amul ◽  
Grace Ping Ping Tan ◽  
Yvette van der Eijk
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Tobacco Marketing ◽  
Tobacco Epidemic ◽  
Transnational Tobacco Companies

Background: Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have a well-established presence in Southeast Asia and are now targeting other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially Africa. While the tobacco industry’s tactics in Southeast Asia are well documented, no study has systematically reviewed these tactics to inform tobacco control policies and movements in Africa, where the tobacco epidemic is spreading. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of articles that describe tobacco industry tactics in Southeast Asia, which includes Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, East Timor, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei. After screening 512 articles, we gathered and analysed data from 134 articles which met our final inclusion criteria. Results: Tobacco transnationals gained dominance in Southeast Asian markets by positioning themselves as good corporate citizens with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, promoting the industry as a pillar of, and partner for, economic growth. Tobacco transnationals also formed strategic sectoral alliances and reinforced their political ties to delay the implementation of regulations and lobby for weaker tobacco control. Where governments resisted the transnationals’ attempts to enter a market, they used litigation and deceptive tactics including smuggling to pressure governments to open markets, and tarnished the reputation of public health organizations. The tobacco industry undermined tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) regulations through a broad range of direct and indirect marketing tactics. Conclusion: The experience of Southeast Asia with tobacco transnationals show that, beyond highlighting the public health benefits, underscoring the economic benefits of tobacco control might be a more compelling argument for governments in LMICs to prioritise tobacco control. Given the tobacco industry’s widespread use of litigation, LMICs need more legal support and resources to counter industry litigations. LMICs should also prioritize measures to protect health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry, and to close regulatory loopholes in tobacco marketing restrictions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document