RJ Reynolds' Marketing Strategies to Promote Snus in the United States

An analysis of internal tobacco industry documents sought to assess manufacturer RJ Reynolds' use of new marketing strategies and its intent to promote snus to laypeople and new audiences in the United States.

Snus is a smokeless moist tobacco powder that is usually placed under the upper lip, and does not require spitting unlike chewing tobacco. It is sold either as a moist powder or packaged in pouches and comes in several flavors. This form of tobacco is mainly consumed in Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Finland, etc.).

The analysis[1] of the internal documents RJ Reynolds (RJR) suggests that the manufacturer intended to market its Camel Snus product to non-users to expand its customer base and also to circumvent existing anti-smoking laws. Several marketing strategies emerged from the documents, including using third parties to promote the Camel Snus brand and developing new customers to include women and certain ethnic groups.

Using third parties to promote the brand

J. Reynolds began promoting its new Camel Snus product in the U.S. market in 2006 through events in nightclubs in an effort to attract individuals unfamiliar with smokeless tobacco products. The most notable marketing tactic employed by RJR was the use of third parties to market Camel Snus, including “Snus Ambassadors” who interacted with the public in bars and clubs. As third parties, the Snus Ambassadors worked closely with RJR representatives but were not RJR employees. The Ambassadors were tasked with creating a dialogue with smokers to increase awareness, initiation, and acceptance of the product.

The use of third parties to promote Camel Snus, instead of RJR employees, was intended to circumvent applicable law. Indeed, tobacco representatives were not allowed to directly distribute tobacco samples in public.[2]. Using third parties, free samples were distributed to others without limits. RJR also worked closely with retailers to promote its product by requiring specific display conditions. The tobacco manufacturer provided training to retailers in their efforts to solicit customers. Finally, it provided financial incentives linked to the sale of the Camel Snus product. Although tobacco retailers are not allowed to distribute free samples, one of the means of promoting the product was through harm reduction: snus is perceived as less harmful, which made it easier to introduce less reluctant potential customers to try the product.

Targeted marketing campaigns to expand the consumer base

The original Camel Snus advertisements in the United States were primarily aimed at urban cigarette smokers, with references to their lifestyles. For example, they highlighted locations such as taxis, subways, and bars where smoking was now banned but snus could be consumed. The content of these advertisements differed significantly from the predominant stereotype of smokeless tobacco users: white males living in rural areas of the United States. Most of the advertisements discussed the benefit of not requiring spitting after use, and some were published in women's magazines to target women. RJ Reynolds also studied ways to reach the Latino community. The manufacturer found that Hispanics have little knowledge of oral tobacco, are less likely to use tobacco products early, and prefer saltier flavors compared to other ethnic groups. Faced with these findings, RJ Reynolds' marketing tactic was to use the "health" argument by suggesting that consuming the Camel Snus product does not affect those around you because there is no second-hand smoke.

RJR quickly increased its marketing targeting towards co-consumers (traditional cigarettes and snus) by focusing on the "benefits" of snus, namely that it can be consumed in public places where smoking is prohibited. Camel Snus was thus promoted in places where smoking is prohibited. The advertising slogans referred to the theme of freedom. The latter was a characteristic of RJR's new "Break Free" strategy, which encouraged consumers to break with established norms and presented itself as the manufacturer offering an offer to enjoy tobacco without the risks of the established rule.

Keywords: RJ Reynolds, snus, marketing, new products, United States©Tobacco Free Generation

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[1] Rhee JU, Abugazia JY, Dela Cruz Y ME, Timberlake DS. Use of internal documents to investigate a tobacco company's strategies to market snus in the United States. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. 2021;7(February):11. doi:10.18332/tpc/131809.[2] US Food and Drug Administration, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - An Overview, consulted on February 15, 2021National Committee Against Smoking |