Daily Doc: RJR, Feb 2, 1973: RJR on 'pre-smokers'
Daily Doc: RJR on "pre-smokers"
Title: Research Planning Memorandum on Some Thoughts About New Brands of Cigarettes or the Youth Market - CONFIDENTIAL -
RJR, Feb 2, 1973
Bates #: 502987357/7368
April 3, 2000
This R.J. Reynolds document is a chilling example of how tobacco companies research the social tendencies and psychological needs of young people in order to exploit them. The writer (Claude Teague, Director of Research and Development for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.) makes reference to the "twenty one and under" age group as he pledges that "We should not in any way influence non-smokers to start smoking," but in reading the document, one sees he is actually providing a road map of how to attract "pre-smokers" or "learners" to start smoking:
"There is a strong drive in most people, particularly the young, to try new things and experiences. This drive no doubt leads many pre-smokers to experiment with smoking, simply because it is there and they want to know more about it. A new brand offering something novel and different is likely to attract experimenters..."Teague also discusses how to make smoking easier for beginners:
"The beginning smoker and inhaler has a low tolerance for smoke irritation, hence the smoke should be as bland as possible....The flavor of tobacco smoke is...not pleasant....Thus for the beginning smoker the cigarette smoke should have a moderate level of blended tobacco flavor, but should be as free as possible from strong, unpleasant flavors...."Most of all, though, this document shows that the tobacco industry has a deep understanding of what makes kids want to smoke, and how to exploit this:
"...if the desire to be daring is part of the motivation to start smoking, the alleged risk of smoking may actually make smoking attractive. Finally, if the 'older' establishment is preaching against smoking, the anti-establishment sentiment ... would cause the young to want to be defiant and smoke. Thus, a new brand aimed at the young group should not in any way be promoted as a "health" brand, and perhaps should carry some implied risk. In this sense, the warning label on the package may be a plus."Keep a copy of this document on hand for when the media comes calling for Kick Butts Day. (But then, according to Teague, just having a 'Kick Butts Day' is probably making kids want to smoke!)
...Oh....just show this document to the kids! They need this information.
CITATION
Title: Research Planning Memorandum on Some Thoughts About New Brands of Cigarettes or the Youth Market - CONFIDENTIAL -
Type of Document: Draft report
Author: Claude Teague, Director of Research and Development for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Date: 19730202
Site: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company document site http://www.rjrtdocs.com/
Page Count: 12
Bates No. 502987357/7368
URL: The RJR site does not support transfer of URLs. To find this document, go to the RJR document site and enter as Basic Search Criteria the phrase "Research planning memorandum and youth" (without quotation marks).
Litigation Usage: This is a Minnesota Selected document, and was also used in Broin, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Washington lawsuits.
QUOTES
At the outset it should be said that we are presently, and I believe unfairly, constrained from directly promoting cigarettes to the youth market; that is, to those in the approximately twenty-one year old and under group. Statistics show, however, that large, perhaps even increasing numbers in that groups are becoming smokers each year, despite bans on promotion of cigarettes to them. If this be so, there is certainly nothing immoral or unethical about our Company attempting to attract those smokers to our products. We should not in any way influence non-smokers to start smoking; rather, we should simply recognize that many or most of the "21 and under" group will inevitably become smokers, and offer them an opportunity to use our brands.
Realistically, if our Company is to survive and prosper, over the long term we must get our share of the youth market...Thus we need new brands designed to be particularly attractive to the young smoker....
Several things will go to make up any such new "youth" brands... The questions then are: What image? What quality? Perhaps these questions may be best approached by consideration of the factors influencing pre-smokers to try smoking, learn to smoke and become confirmed smokers...
...For the pre-smoker and "learner" the physical effects of smoking are largely unknown, unneeded or actually quite unpleasant or awkward. The expected or derived psychological effects are largely responsible for influencing the pre-smoker to try smoking, and provide sufficient motivation during the "learning" period to keep the "learner" going, despite the physical unpleasantness of awkwardness of the period.
In contrast, once the "learning period" is over, the physical effects become of overriding importance and desirability to the confirmed smoker, and the psychological effects...largely wane in importance or disappear.
...Brands tailored for the beginning smoker should emphasize the desirable psychological effects of smoking, also suggesting the desirable physical effects to be expected later...
...The beginning smoker and inhaler has a low tolerance for smoke irritation, hence the smoke should be as bland as possible....The flavor of tobacco smoke is...not pleasant....Thus for the beginning smoker the cigarette smoke should have a moderate level of blended tobacco flavor, but should be as free as possible from strong, unpleasant flavors....
A. Group Identification - Pre-smokers learn to smoke to identify with and participate in shared experiences of a group of associates. If the majority of one's closest associates smoke cigarettes, then there is strong psychological pressure, particularly on the young person, to identify with the group, follow the crowd, and avoid being out of phase with the group's value system even though, paradoxically, the group value system may esteem individuality. This provides a large incentive to begin smoking. If this be true, then the same effect strongly influences the brand chosen, it likely being the popular, "in" brand used by ones close associates.
Thus a new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the "in" brand and its promotion should emphasize togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same time emphasizing individuality and "doing ones own thing."
C. Self-Image Enhancement - The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all of the support and enhancement it can get. Smoking may appear to enhance the self-image in a variety of ways. If one values, for example, an adventurous, sophisticated, adult image, smoking may enhance ones self-image....This self-image enhancement effect has traditionally been a strong promotional theme for cigarette brands and should continue to be emphasized.
D. Experimentation - There is a strong drive in most people, particularly the young, to try new things and experiences. This drive no doubt leads many pre-smokers to experiment with smoking, simply because it is there and they want to know more about it. A new brand offering something novel and different is likely to attract experimenters...
There is another psychological factor which...may be quite important. That category might be called "Anti-Establishment Attitudes." ....Today more than ever, young people tend to reject whatever is accepted by the "over thirty" establishment....
...A final psychological factor...involves smoking-health attitudes. The smoking-health controversy does not appear important to the group because, psychologically, at eighteen, one is immortal. Further, if the desire to be daring is part of the motivation to start smoking, the alleged risk of smoking may actually make smoking attractive. Finally, if the "older" establishment is preaching against smoking, the anti-establishment sentiment discussed above would cause the young to want to be defiant and smoke. Thus, a new brand aimed at the young group should not in any way be promoted as a "health" brand, and perhaps should carry some implied risk. In this sense, the warning label on the package may be a plus.
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