Marketing strategies using flavors to promote uptake of smokeless and other tobacco products

Background: While fruit, candy and alcohol flavored cigarettes have been banned, other flavored tobacco products (smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, little cigars) continue to be sold. We investigated whether tobacco manufacturers used flavored additives in other tobacco products (OTP), the target audience for flavored products, and marketing strategies promoting OTP brands by emphasizing their flavor. Methods: Qualitative analysis of internal tobacco industry documents triangulated with data from national newspaper articles, trade press, and Internet. Results: Internally, flavored products have been consistently associated with young and inexperienced tobacco users. Internal studies confirmed that sweeter milder flavors (e.g., mint, fruit) could increase appeal to starters by evoking a perception of mildness, masking the strong tobacco taste and unpleasant mouth feel; or by modifying nicotine delivery by affecting product pH. In addition, flavors could increase OTP trial by enhancing “curiosity-to-try”, product “talk appeal,” retail trial and multi-pack purchasing opportunities (e.g., to collect and try multiple flavors). Flavored low-nicotine smokeless products were developed to provide a more enjoyable first experience to beginners, and stronger “natural” flavors were targeted at more experienced users. Flavored cigarillos or little cigars also appealed to young males as they related strong flavor (e.g., burgundy) to masculinity and success. Discussion: Similar to cigarettes, promotion of flavored OTP is likely to encourage novices to start using tobacco, and bans on flavored cigarettes should be expanded to include flavored OTPs due to their appeal to youth and new users.