Let’s look at the market. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of adults smoke. That’s roughly 46 million people. The cigarette industry spends billions in advertising. Smoking costs the healthcare system in the U.S. approximately $190 billion a year. Second hand smoke costs more than $10 billion. So obviously there’s huge potential here—and we’re just talking U.S. numbers.
I’ve never worked on a tobacco account, but it’s obvious to my non-tobacco influenced brain that changing the mindset of this immense and diverse audience will be a massive undertaking. We’re basically talking about every type of person on the planet. I can’t help it, but the brand builder in me loves the thought of this challenge.
And for makers of these products, the revenue opportunity is enormous. Which means more money for creative agencies. Sure, Big Tobacco owns many of the E-cig brands—and you can’t have one without the other—but at least it’s a change in the right direction.
This leads me back to my critique of the creative from Blu Cigs and others. The life of a smoker is very different today than it was in the 50s—when smoking was ubiquitous and more widely accepted. Blu Cigs and others are forgetting this fact. None of these brands look or sound authentic, let alone reflect real life. It’s a weird mix of brand and style influences—from bad infomercials to liquor to energy drinks—plus it’s a huge missed opportunity. Where are the real gut-wrenching messages, like “I’m doing this for my kids.”
No comments:
Post a Comment