Youth Market
 

RJ Reynolds CONFIDENTIAL Memo: NFO Preference Share Data - "Youth Market"

  To: J.O. Watson, Marketing Department, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company
  From: William Esty, Inc. (advertising firm in New York)
  Date: March 8, 1973

 
Summary of Image
Page One
"As you know, the October 1972 NFO provides demographic data on 14-20 year old smokers... 13.1% of total respondents 14-20 were smokers; this compares to a national average of about 30% for all ages. The progression of smoking incidence begins at 3.7% for 14-15 and moves up to 23.1% for 18-20... The New England (20.5%) and Mid-Atlantic (16.3%) regions have the highest 14-20 smoker development... The top 5 brands (Marlboro, Kool, WINSTON, SALEM, Tareyton) account for 78.7% of the total 14-20 market."
[click on image to download document -- 21K]
 
Summary of Image
Page Two
"The most intriguing aspect of the performance of these three brands is the progression of preference share through the 14-15, 16-17, 18-20 age segments... Marlboro's share among the 14-15 segment is a phenomenal 51%... Many manufacturers have 'studied' the 14-20 market in hopes of uncovering the 'secret' of the instant popularity some brands enjoy to the almost complete exclusion of others... it does appear that maturity and broadened experience have a definite affect on the reduction, over time, of Marlboro's astounding popularity among the 14-15 age group. [click on image to download document -- 30K]
 
Summary of Image
Page Three
"Next Steps: Our recent strategic reviews (updated 2/8) focus sharply on the real need to become more aggressive against young adult males in major metro markets... all the data we have in hand does not paint as black a picture versus Marlboro (or 45 other brands) as we sometimes feel due to our current preoccupation with the 'youth' market." (NOTE: the racist reference in the use of "black" rather than "negative" in this last sentence.)
[click on image to download document -- 11K]
 

BACKGROUND NOTE: The industry has long claimed that it does not market to children and that it does not want children to smoke. Read this document and see what you think:

Quotes:

As you know, the October 1972 NFO provides demographic data on 14-20 year old smokers. There are a number of significant WINSTON-Marlboro preference share trends apparent in this data, and it is for that reason that we highlight them here prior to their "official" release.

A. General Comments (Exhibit I)

1. 13.1% of total respondents 14-20 were smokers; this compares to a national average of about 30% for all ages.

2. The progression of smoking incidence begins at 3.7% for 14-15 and moves up to 23.1% for 18-20...

3....

4. Smoking incidence skews to the under-$5,000 income groups.

5. The New England (20.5%) and Mid-Atlantic (16.3%) regions have the highest 14-20 smoker development...

B. WINSTON-Marlboro Preference Share (Exhibit II)

1. The top 5 brands (Marlboro, Kool, WINSTON, SALEM, Tareyton) account for 78.7% of the total 14-20 market. The remaining 45 brands account for only 21.3%....

2. While Marlboro preference share is 38% versus WINSTON's 14.2% among 14-20 year-old smokers, in another focus, Marlboro's share is about equal to the share of the next 4 leading brands.

3. Only Marlboro, WINSTON and Kool enjoy preference shares in thie age group higher than those in the total national sample of all smokers...

C. Preference Share Trend By Age Segment (Exhibit III)

The most intriguing aspect of the performance of these three brands is the progression of preference share through the 14-15, 16-17, 18-20 age segments.

1. Marlboro's share among the 14-15 segment is a phenomenal 51%. ....
2....
3...

Discussion
Many manufacturers have "studied" the 14-20 market in hopes of uncovering the "secret" of the instant popularity some brands enjoy to the almost complete exclusion of others (as shown above). Creating a "fad" in this market can be a great bonanza. To date, success, if it comes, has often been a function more of luck than of prior marketing perception.

[all emphasis appears in original]

Anne Landman
American Lung Association of Colorado, West Region Office
Grand Junction


Title: NFO Preference Share Data - "Youth Market"
Type of Document: Letter (confidential)
Author: William Esty, Inc. (advertising firm in New York)
To: J.O. Watson, Marketing Department, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company
Date: 19730308
Page Count: 3
Site: RJ Reynolds Document site http://www.rjrtdocs.com/
Bates No.: 501167049-7051
URL:
http://www.rjrtdocs.com/rjrtdocs.com/ImageDisp.jsc?NAME=NAVIGATION&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT =Begin&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=Previous&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=Next&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT= Last&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=POSITION&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=ALL_RECORDS&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT =IMAGE&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=CUR_ROTATE&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=ROTATE90&NAVIGATION. ELEMENT=ROTATE180&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=ROTATE270&NAVIGATION.ELEMENT=IMAGE_SIZE&NAVIGATION. POSITION=1&NAVIGATION.IMAGE=1&NAVIGATION.CUR_ROTATE=0&NAVIGATION.IMAGE_SIZE= 800&NAVIGATION.Previous.x=13&NAVIGATION.Previous.y=9

(If the whole URL doesn't appear in blue HTML lettering, then cut and paste the whole URL into your browser.) If this URL doesn't work, go to the RJR site and enter as combined text the phrase "NFO Preference Share Data" (without the quotation marks).

 

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