Final Assignment in Public Relations and Advertising Course Cigarette Advertising: Ethical Aspect
December 2008 Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract
The aim of the final assignment is to analyze the issue of cigarette advertising from the ethical point of view. The evidence examined basically tells about the unsuccessful restrictions of cigarette advertising. Relevant theories are applied, such as Consequentialism and Elaboration Likelihood model to make a more explicit research of the topic. The analysis part combines theory, cases, author’s opinion and values and tries to provide an objective viewpoint from two perspectives: advertising and users/non-users of cigarettes, and advertising and producers/distributors and cigarettes.
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A specific example of controversial tobacco marketing is the sponsorships of sport teams and events. The sport clubs agree to these sponsorships as they might be concerned with financial survival, and media is focused on keeping advertising revenues constant. Therefore, there has been little discussion in the field of appropriateness of tobacco companies sponsorships of sport teams (Crompton, 1993:160) This kind of sponsorships are exemplified by Marlboro endorsements of Marlboro since 2006, but it should also be noted that the company sponsored the McLaren team for many years. The European Union has taken serious measurements as a response to tobacco usage in the line of their health politics. Focus is on smoking prevention and control of tobacco products with the motivation that smoking is the primary source of death that could be avoided. However, the results of attempts to decrease the consumption of tobacco and the number of smokers are not satisfactory (http://ec.europa.eu, accessed 3.12.2008). The Council also claims in its reports that tobacco advertising and marketing increases the consumption which in turn affects the smoking related mortality. They also accuse the producers of using strategies focused on youngsters and students to replace the people dying from smoking, a fact that is supported by research that proves that 60% of smokers start using cigarettes before the age of 13 and 90% before they turn 18 (http://ec.europa.eu, accessed
Tobacco ads have stood out to me from a young age, I was used to seeing cigarette ads in every magazine and street corner. When I was 11 I joined a tobacco advocacy group, I wanted to inform young people my age about the dangers of tobacco but mostly I joined because they paid me. I found these two ads and I remembered sitting in an empty classroom analyzing tobacco ads and discussing how they appeal to us. I found two ads, both from the most recent issue of a popular celebrity gossip magazine. The first major difference one notices is that of the ads is catered to a completely different audience. Blu E-cigarettes cater to the new age of tobacco consumers. While Newport menthol cigarettes are tried and tested, a classic. The major differences in this ad make it difficult to pick which one is most effective at getting more buyers of their product. Newport’s ad is
The P.E.R.I.E. process is illustrated in this case by the steps taken to address the issue of smoking rates in adults, being impacted by the rise in adolescent smoking behaviors. The first step of this process is the Problem. In this case, the text indicates, the problem is the growth rate of smoking teens in the 80’s and 90’s (Riegelman & Kirkwood, 2015). This in turn, led to an increase in adult smokers. This would raise rates again, after previously lowering them by approximately 50% (Riegelman & Kirkwood, 2015). The next step is Etiology. In this step we correlate smoking with cancer and the rise of adult smoking rates with the growth of adolescent smoking rates. This in turn, correlates adolescent cigarette smoking, to the rises in cancer (morbidity), and deaths from cancer (mortality). The case study also states, “…it was also found that nearly 90% of those who smoked started before the age of 18…” (Riegelman & Kirkwood, 2015). It was determined through behavior modification (preventing adolescent smoking), the rate of adult smokers would reduce. Thus, recommendations were introduced. The case study reveals, adolescents were targeted in cigarettes advertisements and marketing (Riegelman & Kirkwood, 2015). Cigarette availability was also an issue. Implementations of sales and advertisement campaign policies, were altered in reference to miners. The text reveals, once evaluated, strategies to reduce adolescent smoking
Tobacco companies should be prevented from using advertising tactics that target teenagers. There has always been controversy as to how tobacco companies should prevent using advertising tactics to target teenagers. As controversial as this is tobacco companies shouldn’t advertise teen smoking. Many teens may be lured to believe cigarette advertising because it has been part of the American Culture for years, magazine ads and the media target young people, and these companies receive a drastic increase financially; however, the advertising by these cigarette companies has disadvantages such as having to campaign against their own company, limiting their cigarette advertising and becoming a controversial dilemma as to encouraging teenagers
This paper will examine the history of the tobacco industry and its advertising campaigns from the 1920s to the present. Some of the issues discussed in this paper will include: What forms of mass communication has tobacco companies used to persuade the public, how changes in technology have influenced the way tobacco companies communicate with target audiences, and how the United States government restrictions affect the current efforts of tobacco companies advertising strategies. Other topics that this paper will expound upon are, the ethics of the tobacco industry’s advertising approaches, how tobacco companies responded to health warnings from the government, and what
Although tobacco advertisements are banned, people still consume it. The ban started in 1971 and since then has become even more strict on the sponsoring and promotion of tobacco brand logos. Now, all tobacco ads used, dissuade users from consuming. Advertisements in general can be obnoxious and tiresome, but they are sometimes necessary for the seller to get their point across. Ads are either trying to get money from the consumer or driving to change a person’s mind positively. The main reasoning for the creation of advertisements is to persuade the viewer or audience through the evocation of ethos, pathos, and logos, to have a change of mind about the product. The ads I chose are both similar, but have different goals towards their audience.
Tobacco companies that sponsor cultural and sporting events and other organizations, is a very effective form of indirect advertising. This advertising influences attitudes towards smoking tobacco products and their use. This affects the effectiveness of tobacco control programs, especially when it is aimed at young people. Therefore restriction on these promotions, such as the new act of law to ban tobacco sponsorship programs, is also to be a source of protection for children and youth from marketing activities that makes them to try the product.
Consumption of Tobacco is a worldwide phenomenon. Nearly every country is planning to raise more restrictions around the consumption of Tobacco. The awareness about its ill effects is rising through the corridors of Parliaments of many countries with the help of governmental and non-governmental organizations. There are some internationally recognized organizations like the “World Lung Foundations” that are striving hard to reduce the consumption of tobacco to a bare minimum. There are numerous reasons that support the argument that tobacco should be completely banned from the United Sates.
The tobacco industry has one of the most unethical approaches when it comes to marketing and social responsibility in business. Tobacco has been around for many years and despite its dangerous effects on consumers their marketing approach and unethical behavior does not seem to be changing. Tobacco companies have also failed to live up to social responsibilities in the communities regardless of its capital gains and profit.
The Tobacco manufacturing and sales industry is highly regulated due to high taxes and health problems smoking would cause. These regulations and laws limited the marketing capabilities of Tobacco manufacturing companies as a whole. But almost all of them handled these delicate situations in one way or another. Reynolds American Inc. states on the company’s website that they market responsibly through three main guidelines: Standards and Safeguards, absolutely certifiable and responsible advertising and promotion. The company explains these points by stating that, they do not market to consumers without confirming their ages to be above 21, training their employees on how to approach only existing tobacco consumers and not to encourage consumers who do not consume tobacco products to engage in its consumption. Also, the company mentions straightforward and transparent approach to marketing their products, for example “Cigarette smoking is harmful to your health. No additives in our tobacco do NOT mean a safer
Cigarette advertising has changed throughout history from how it has been advertised, what is being advertised, and who the intended audience is. In the 60’s seeing a cigarette advertisement in the Sunday paper would just be like any other advertisement, but recent generations would be appalled to see such a gruesome product being publicized. The annual deaths from smoking cigarettes are increasing each year and doctors and scientist are teaming together to try and help prevent more. Realizing that advertising may be playing a role the controversy over cigarette advertising has lead to the censoring of harmful products in other public advertising which still has a lasting effect today.
Marketing options for big tobacco companies fizzled after the original Surgeon General report was published which prohibited the mass advertisement of tobacco in America. The push for smoking cessation for all in the United States has become big business. Long gone are the days of tobacco ads showing young adults enjoying themselves on beaches and at parties smoking cigarettes. Now, electronic cigarettes (E- cigs), nicotine patches and gums, and pharmaceutical cessation aids are being marketed. Tobacco companies continue to fight for the freedom to market and enlist consumers, sighting that smoking is voluntary, and the choice should be made by the consumer not the government.
However our concern here is not only about the cigarette as a product but with the ethics of cigarettes as well, that affect the social process of marketing. This is because marketing process makes things worse and is also considered as unethical, and as a result has a significant negative impact on the societal welfare. Multinational tobacco companies apply sophisticated strategies ( such as putting flavor in the cigarettes and placing cigarettes in the shops near the sweets to make them more appealing) and invest huge amounts of money for marketing, in order to establish brand familiarity and future loyalty among young peoplem, to secure profits in the long run. 'The tobacco epidemic is a man-made international health crisis, created and sustained by multinational tobacco corporations.' (Yach, Brinchmann, Bellet page 2).
Attention getter: According to Tobacco-Free Kids, “about 400,000 people die from their own smoking each year, and about 50,000 die from second-hand smoke annually. Smoking kills more people than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and
This problem of creating a trendy stylish image of cigarettes are hurting many people by recruiting new young smokers from all around the world, winning over sales due to the false image and then addiction. Third world countries are hurt the most by this unethical way of advertising because they don’t have money for this extra expense that they now need due to addiction. Critics claim that sophisticated promotions in a unsophisticated societies entice people who cannot afford the necessities of life to spend money on luxury- and a dangerous one at that. Every cigarette manufacturer is in the image business, and tobacco companies say their promotional slant is both reasonable and common. They point out that in the Third World a lot of people cannot understand what is written in the ads anyway, so the ads zero in on the more understandable visual image. Due to actions such as this and the negative effect it has on people economically and physically, this is a good example of how the tobacco industry is unethical.
There are several ethical philosophies in play here regarding the tobacco company and these ethical issues can be explored by analyzing the myriad of interplay of relationships