The social responsibility of cigarette manufacturers, a strictly commercial discourse

In an article published in the journal Tobacco Control, researchers report on the strategy of cigarette manufacturers in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The paper shows that the tobacco industry's discourse is structured around several poles: the valorization of the business aspect of manufacturers, the valorization of their commitment to health and society, to the environment, and their capacity for innovation and transformation.[1].

Presenting manufacturers as model companies for employees and investors

The tobacco industry first capitalizes on "business excellence", starting with the question of corporate culture. Manufacturers position themselves as attractive employers, promising successful and fulfilling careers, while guaranteeing benefits in the work environment they offer, described as "inclusive", "innovative", or "flexible". The industry also presents itself as a reliable investment with a high level of return. This economic performance is associated with quality governance, allowing the company to develop over the long term. Finally, this "business excellence" is reflected in the fact that the tobacco industry emphasizes the notion of sustainability, presented as integrated into economic and commercial performance.

The tobacco industry as a health actor

A major theme used by the tobacco industry is that of social responsibility. In its discourse, the industry presents itself as an actor concerned with public health, that of its consumers and its employees. The massive investment in new tobacco products, sold as "risk reduction" tools, reinforces this tendency of the tobacco industry to seize the health theme. Manufacturers also instrumentalize certain causes, such as child labor, to develop communication aimed at portraying them as actors protecting the most vulnerable. Finally, the tobacco industry presents itself as a champion of diversity and inclusion, and as a defender of minorities, whether they are ethnic or sexual, for example.

Cigarette manufacturers mobilized for the environment and against climate change

The environmental issue is also at the heart of the tobacco industry's discursive strategy. Manufacturers construct a narrative in which they are active stakeholders in the fight against climate change. This involves, in particular, showcasing their "commitment to reducing [their] carbon footprint", and all the actions undertaken to protect natural resources. This discourse goes even further, by making manufacturers avant-garde actors, voluntarily implementing "ambitious" and "aggressive" policies to combat global warming.

A capacity for innovation and a new range of new products

Finally, the tobacco industry's discourse revolves around the theme of transformation. Cigarette companies position themselves as "proactive" investors in scientific research and innovation. Similarly, this trend is reinforced by the tobacco industry's strategy of capitalizing on new tobacco and nicotine products. This rhetoric on transformation is also a way of seeking to stage a distancing from the health scandals of recent decades, suggesting that these practices belong to a bygone era.

A speech from cigarette manufacturers that is essentially commercial

However, all of this discourse on the social responsibility of tobacco manufacturers is diametrically opposed to the human, health, environmental, social and economic damage caused by the very nature of their activity. Each year, smoking causes eight million deaths worldwide. These practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR), akin to advertising discourse, are contrary to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which encourages Parties to " prohibit contributions from tobacco industry companies to any other entity for "socially responsible reasons." These practices are aimed at improving the rather tarnished image of cigarette manufacturers among consumers, but also among investors and public decision-makers. The renormalization of the tobacco industry poses a major health and environmental threat.

FT

[1] Marshman B, Wolf K, McCausland K, et al, Tobacco companies, corporate social responsibility and the use of third-party awards: a framing analysis, Tobacco Control Published Online First: 27 June 2023. doi: 10.1136/tc-2022-057854