Packaging as part of the marketing mix

From 1st October it will be a legal requirement for all packets of cigarettes to carry graphic pictures of the sort of damage that smoking can do to the body – rather revolting images if the example here is anything to go by, and definitely not something that is designed to encourage anyone to take up smoking. This is a far cry from the brand images that were used in the past before the ban on tobacco advertising, with pictures, colours and slogans all used to create an image of the glamour, coolness and attractiveness that each brand could give to the smoker. However the anti-smoking lobby wants the regulations to go even further and insist on plain packaging with no brand identification. They suggest that this would draw attention to the health warnings and avoid the distraction provided by branding on the pack – I assume that they would want the new pictures to be left there as well.

Not surprisingly the tobacco industry is not keen on the idea, warning that it could have an unintended consequence of making smuggling much easier as there was less work to be done in imitating packaging of the legal product. There is evidence that they are increasingly worried by the extent of legislation though - the agenda for the upcoming tobacco trade show Tab Info Asia 2009, includes a workshop which is described as “John Luik challenges you, working in teams, to come up with ingenious ways of operating in an increasingly regulated, plain-pack, dark market environment”.

Could this be a good class activity?