Finding our niche: Comparing tobacco industry marketing and tobacco control counter-marketing strategies

Objective: To aid development of effective tobacco control campaigns preventing young adult smoking by delineating the different marketing strategies tobacco control and tobacco industry campaigns exhibit based on the strength and weakness of specific resources each has available.

Methods: Comparing tobacco industry documents with tobacco control planning documents (through reviewing both published papers and in-house data and planning documents) and comparing mediums of advertising, design and content of messages, and age and population of the main targeted group.

Results: While the tobacco industry has fewer venues and mediums it can advertise in, it makes greater use of them because of its financial resources, with a consistent focus on 18-30 year olds. The tobacco industry makes significant use of sophisticated third-party marketing firms that deploy manipulative techniques to sell their clients' products. Tobacco control counter-marketing has a wider range of possible marketing arenas, but is financially constrained, avoids manipulation, and public health bureaucracy sometimes tones-down potentially appealing young adult messaging. Tobacco control campaigns also often use a scattershot approach, switching advertising audiences frequently, decreasing the impact of long-term campaign saturation.

Discussion: Not all of the tobacco industry's tactics are transferable to tobacco control. Tobacco control must address the fundamental difference between marketing not smoking and smoking, recognizing the cognitive and emotional differences elicited, and capitalize on its strengths rather than solely reacting to tobacco industry marketing.