MARLBORO

OVERVIEW

MARLBORO IS A BRAND OWNED BY PHILIP MORRIS USA. THE BRAND WAS FIRST INTRODUCED ON 1902 AS NON-FILTER CIGARETTES AND REINTRODUCED IN 1942 AS FILTERED CIGARETTES. TODAY, THESE ARE ONE OF THE MOST BOUGHT CIGARETTES ON THE MARKET. (MORGAN, 2007)

5 C’S•CUSTOMER:THE PRODUCT IS TARGETING ADULT SMOKER. EVEN THOUGH THIS PRODUCT WAS AT THE BEGINNING ADVERTISED AS CIGARETTES FOR WOMEN, AFTER THE WWII, THE COMPANY DECIDED FOCUS ON MEN. THEY INTRODUCED A MARLBORO MAN AND THE COMPANY CAME UP WITH COWBOY THEME THAT EMPHASIZED THAT THESE WERE MANLY CIGARETTES. (MORGAN, 2007)

COMPANY

•THE COMPANY PHILIP MORRIS SOLD ABOUT 301.6 BILLION CIGARETTES OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. THEIR OTHER PRODUCTS INCLUDE L&M, PARLIAMENT, AND CHESTERFIELD. (PHILIP MORRIS USA, 2014)

CONTEXT

•THE BIGGEST PROBLEM ARE HEALTH CONCERNS. EVEN THOUGH THE COMPANY INCLUDES ALL WARNINGS ON THEIR PACKAGES, IT IS STILL DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO KEEP UP WITH ALL GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.

COLLABORATORS

•ALTRIA IS A DISTRIBUTOR AND A MANUFACTURER WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2013, THEIR CIGARETTES RETAIL SHARE WAS 50.6%. WHILE THEIR CIGARS SHARE WAS ABOUT 30%. (ALTRIA.COM)

COMPETITORS•TWO BIGGEST COMPETITORS ARE BRITISH

AMERICAN TOBACCO (DUNHILL, LUCKY STRIKE, KOOL, VICEROY) AND IMPERIAL TOBACCO (DAVIDOFF). EVEN THOUGH BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY IS A SERIOUS COMPETITOR WITH COMPARABLE PRICES, MARLBORO IS MORE TRUSTED BRAND. ON THE OTHER SIDE, IMPERIAL TOBACCO’S DAVIDOFF IS A PRICIER PRODUCT AND HAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TARGET MARKET.

STPSEGMENTATION•MARLBORO COULD SEPARATE THEIR

POPULATION ACCORDING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS’ TASTES. MARLBORO COMES IN SOME MANY DIFFERENT KINDS AND TASTES THAT EVERY SMOKER CAN FIND SOME KIND THAT HE LIKES. I THINK THAT THE MAIN SEGMENTS WOULD BE MARLBORO REDS, MARLBORO LIGHTS, MARLBORO MENTHOLS, AND MARLBORO BLENDS. THEY ALSO SEPARATE THEIR CUSTOMERS ON REGULARS AND NON-REGULARS BY HOW OFTEN THEY SMOKE.

TARGETING•MARLBORO TARGETS ADULT

SMOKERS BY USING MOSTLY PACKAGING. THE FLAVOR LINE IS USED TO TARGET MOSTLY MEN AND REGULAR SMOKERS (MARLBORO MAN IS MOSTLY ASSOCIATED WITH REDS). THE GOLD LINE TARGETS WOMEN AND NON-REGULAR SMOKERS. THE FRESH LINE TARGETS YOUNG ADULTS BETWEEN 18-24 WITH ITS MODERN PACKAGING AND FRESH TASTE.

POSITIONING

•MARLBORO BRAND IS A GOOD QUALITY FOR A REASONABLE PRICE. EVEN THOUGH THE PRODUCT WAS AND STILL IS MOSTLY KNOWN TO BE A MANLY PRODUCT, THE COMPANY STARTED TO TARGET YOUNGER SMOKERS BY INTRODUCING THEIR FRESH LINE OF CIGARETTES.

4P’SPRODUCT

•WHEN IT COMES TO MARLBORO, THEY USE THE AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION PRODUCT POSITIONING. THE COMPANY ADVERTISES MARLBORO AS A PRODUCT FOR COUNTRY, INDEPENDENT, AND MASCULINE PRODUCT AND THAT IS HOW THEIR CUSTOMERS SEE THEMSELVES.

PRICE

•THE PRICE OF MARLBORO CIGARETTES IS COMPARABLE TO COMPETITORS’ PRICES. THE COMPANY TRIES THEIR PRODUCTS TO BE SEEN AS HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR A REASONABLE PRICE.

PLACE

•MARLBORO PRODUCTS ARE MOSTLY SOLD AT GAS STATIONS AND RETAILERS SUCH AS WALGREENS AND CVS. ALSO ALONG WITH ALCOHOL, MARLBOROS ARE ALSO SOLD AT AIRPORTS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE COMPANY DOES NOT OFFER ONLINE CIGARETTE STORE.

PROMOTION

•EVEN THOUGH MARLBORO DOES NOT GIVE OUT FREE SAMPLES, THEIR WEBSITE OFFERS COUPONS AND INTERACTIVE USER PROFILES TO KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS POSTED ABOUT ALL NEW PRODUCTS. ALSO, MOST RETAILERS OFFER TWO-PACK OR THREE-PACK DEAL ON MARLBOROS.

REFERENCES:• ALTRIA (2014). WWW.ALTRIA.COM. RETRIEVED APRIL 20, 2014, FROM

WWW.ALTRIA.COM/PAGES/DEFAULT.ASPX

• MORGAN, M. (2007, FEBRUARY 19). A HISTORY IN MARKETING OF MARLBORO BRAND CIGARETTES - YAHOO VOICES - VOICES.YAHOO.COM. RETRIEVED APRIL 20, 2014, FROM HTTP://VOICES.YAHOO.COM/A-HISTORY-MARKETING-MARLBORO-BRAND-CIGARETTES-204451.HTML?CAT=9

• PHILIP MORRIS USA (2014). PMI.COM OUR PRODUCTS. RETRIEVED APRIL 20, 2014, FROM HTTP://WWW.PMI.COM/ENG/OUR_PRODUCTS/PAGES/OUR_PRODUCTS.ASPX

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