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Tobacco industry under fire over web marketing claims
Marketing News |
27/08/2010
The tobacco industry may be using the internet to circumnavigate a ban on cigarette advertising, a new report has warned.
According to the Tobacco Control journal, online video searches for five top cigarette brands - Marlboro, L&M, Winston, Benson and Hedges and Mild Seven – yielded a significant number of pro-smoking returns.
Of 163 YouTube videos viewed, from the first 20 pages of the search, 71 per cent of the content was classified as being 'pro-tobacco', 20 per cent was neutral and four per cent was 'anti-tobacco'.
In 70 per cent of the cases, images of people smoking branded tobacco products were contained in the videos, with manufacturer names also included in the titles.
Some 40 clips were viewed from the 'Marlboro' search, with 39 featuring the company name in the title and 33 appearing to relate to the brand.
Tobacco companies have always denied using the internet for advertising purposes, with a number signing an agreement to cease the practice by the end of 2002.
But with the industry's promotional opportunities now severely restricted, especially in the UK, concerns have been raised that this commitment is not being honoured.
The researchers commented: "Tobacco companies stand to benefit greatly from the marketing potential of Web 2.0, without themselves being at significant risk of being implicated in violating any laws or advertising codes."
Catherine Armstrong, a spokesperson for British American Tobacco, claimed that her company does not use social networking websites to promote its brands.
"Using social media could breach local advertising laws and our own International Marketing Standards, which apply to our companies worldwide," she told the BBC.
In the UK, general tobacco advertising, promotions and sports event sponsorship were banned in 2003.
Exemptions remain for tobacco industry events, publications which are not aimed primarily at a British audience; pubs, clubs and shops, subject to ad size restrictions, and specifically-requested direct mail.
Posted by Stephen Wilkinson
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