Daily Doc: PM, May 21, 1975: Decline in growth of Marlboro Red
Daily Doc: Decline in growth of Marlboro Red
Title: The Decline in the Rate of Growth of Marlboro Red
PM, May 21, 1975
Bates #: 2022849875/9880 (PDF file)
April 26, 2000
The Philip Morris Tobacco Company says they don't market to children and teenagers. In fact, they now run frequent "kids don't smoke" television ads. That's quite a switch from their stance as revealed in this 1975 internal memorandum, wherein writer Myron Johnston of Philip Morris, discusses market penetration of Marlboro Red among 15-17 year olds.
Johnston reveals his conclusion is based on "his own data," as stated in this passage:
"Most of these studies have been restricted to people age 18 and over, but my own data, which includes younger teenagers, shows even higher Marlboro market penetration among 15-17 year olds. "
[emphasis added]
Well, why was Philip Morris keeping it's own internal data on 15 year-old smokers?
CITATION
Title: The Decline in the Rate of Growth of Marlboro Red
Type of Document: Internal memorandum, market research report
Author Johnston, Myron (Philip Morris)
To: Dr. R.B. Seligman
Date: 19750521
Site: Philip Morris document site: http://www.pmdocs.com/
Page Count 6
Bates No. 2022849875/9880
URL: (of first page, which preserves the ability to magnify the document) http://www.pmdocs.com/getimg.asp?pgno=0&start=0&bool=Decline%20in%20the%20rate%20of%20growth&docid=2022849875/9880&docnum=1 w
URL of the whole doc: http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2022849875/9880 PDF version (Try this and see if it works): http://www.pmdocs.com/PDF/2022849875_9880.PDF
QUOTES
In my opinion, the decline in Marlboro's growth rate is due to four factors:
1. Slower growth in the number of 15-19 year-olds, 2. The recession
3. Price increases in 1974
4. Changing brand preferences of younger smokers
Obviously, we can do nothing about factors 1 and 2 and have only partial control over factor 3...Let us look at each of these factors individually...
Demographics
It has been well established by the National Tracking Study and other studies that Marlboro has for many years had its highest market penetration among younger smokers. Most of these studies have been restricted to people age 18 and over, but my own data, which includes younger teenagers, shows even higher Marlboro market penetration among 15-17 year olds. The teenage years are also important because those are the years during which most smokers begin to smoke, the years in which initial brand selections are made, and the period in the life-cycle in which conformity to peer-group norms is greatest.
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