The truth about cigarette smoking and tobacco is starting to be heard (you know who you are), and big tobacco is feeling the heat. So what’s their response? Crank up the advertising to bring in new smokers.

You want numbers? Between 1998 and 2005 big tobacco nearly doubled their spending on marketing and advertising ($13.1 billion in 2005 alone). (1) And a lot of that money was targeted at youth. Unfortunately, it seems to have worked. In fact, in a March 2007 survey, youth were twice as likely as adults to recall tobacco advertising. (1) 

Since 2005, tobacco companies have continued to spend billions to promote their products. So how are they spending all that money? What are their strategies?

Retail advertising
Most of the increase in tobacco companies’ marketing and advertising spending has been in high-visibility store shelf displays and in-store advertising. (1) And convenience stores are a major part of that effort. Why? Two reasons: in-store advertising works, and big tobacco knows that convenience stores are major hangouts for teenagers.

In fact, 75% of teens visit convenience stores once a week, (1) and tobacco companies know that teens who see retail ads have a 50% greater chance of ever smoking.

Promotional advertising
Promotional advertising is a fancy way of saying free stuff! And who doesn’t love free stuff? Tobacco companies give their stuff away—bags, t-shirts, CD players, backpacks—like crazy.

Crazy like a fox. They’ve done their homework and they know that teenagers who own a promotional item and can name one cigarette brand are twice as likely to become established smokers. (1) When they give stuff away they’re betting that you’re going to remember them, and if you remember them, maybe you’ll try their tobacco products.

It sounds simple, and it is. But it’s also a one-way ticket to nicotine addiction.

One study actually found that people who owned a tobacco product promotional item and named a cigarette brand whose ads they remembered were twice as likely to start smoking as those who did not. (1)

Another study determined that youth smokers prefer Marlboro, Camel and Newport brand cigarettes, all brands that are heavily advertised. (1)

Sponsorships
Sponsorships are also a big part of advertising. When tobacco companies sponsor a rodeo or a bull riding event (for example), they’re not trying to get you to buy something right now—but they want you to remember them, and they know exactly whom they are targeting.

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