Standard packs aim to reduce the appeal of tobacco products and weaken brand attachment. Evidence shows plain packaging leads to packs being seen as less attractive and having a poorer image. The tobacco industry strongly opposes plain packs as it reduces profits, but their arguments against it are weak. Advocates need to continue building support through various advocacy tools like gaining media coverage, developing partnerships, and rebutting industry claims in order to implement standard packs.

1. Standard Packs: Making change happen
Dr. Jean King
Director of Tobacco Control, Cancer Research UK

2. Standard packs -
Making change happen
EAC Workshop, Dublin 30.5.13
Jean King & Robin
Hewings
Cancer Research UK

3. Packs are designed to be attractive and communicate the “personality” of a brand;
just as designer products are social cues to style, status, values and character,
cigarettes can be “badge products”
Evidence shows that tobacco branding works

4. “Plain packaging” could look like this:
Example based on the packs Australia plans to
introduce.
Duty paid
stamp
remains
Standardised
method of
opening
Removal of
branding
Health
warning
remains
Brand name in
standard type
face, colour &
size
Standardised
shapeStandardised
colour

5. How we know
Systematic review commissioned by
the UK Department of Health
Tobacco industry documents examined
by Cancer Research UK researchers
•A total of 37 key studies were included that
met stringent methodological and relevance
criteria
•Leading Cancer Research UK researchers were
involved
•Released as part of legal action in the USA
•Obtained by the Health Select Committee in
1999
•Trade journals and magazines

6. The systematic review looked at quantitative
research
All 19 quantitative studies examining the
attractiveness of plain packs found they
were less attractive than branded
equivalent packs
Those studies that tested a range of
branded and unbranded packs found that,
the plainer the pack, the less attractive it
became

7. Qualitative research fitted with these findings
10 studies examined appeal - four themes
explain why plain packs rated as less
attractive, of lower quality and had a poorer
image
13 studies looked at perceptions of
smoker identity and personality
•Have colours with negative connotations
•Weaken attachment to brands
•Project a less desirable smoker identity
•Expose the reality of smoking
Plain packs consistently received lower
ratings for attributes (such as ‘popular’
and ‘cool’) than branded packs

8. .. and reflect the findings of focus group research
done by Cancer Research UK researchers
“It looks as if you’re more mature.
Better and more popular.”
It makes me feel quite cool ... It makes
you feel stylish and that, kind of upper
class.”
Some branded packs had an
emotional impact, with
teenagers saying:
Talking about feminine
‘superslim’ cigarettes, girls said:
“If any of them are attractive, it’s
that one just because it’s kind of
perfume shaped”.
“They look too colourful to be
harmful.”

9. Tobacco documents examined by
Cancer Research UK researchers
Internal documents show:
•Brand packaging is a key promotional tool and its importance has
grown as it becomes one of the last marketing vehicles
•Young people and females have been especially targeted
Quotes from the industry
An internal Philip Morris presentation said: “Our final communication vehicle with our
smokers is the pack itself. In the absence of any other marketing messages, our
packaging… is the sole communicator of our brand essence. Put another way: When you
don’t have anything else, our packaging is our marketing.”
President of Brown and Williamson (a subsidiary of BAT): “... if you smoke, a cigarette
pack is one of the few things you use regularly that makes a statement about you. A
cigarette pack is the only thing you take out of your pocket 20 times a day and lay out for
everyone to see.”

10. An audit of the tobacco retail press in 2009-
2011 shows the importance of packaging
An increasing number of mentions of
innovative packaging
A number of reports in the retail press of
how new packaging designs have boosted
sales
Silk Cut Superslims led to year on year
growth of 122% between 2008 and 2009
The Marlboro Bright Leaf opens like a
cigarette lighter with a ‘click’ sound

11. The tobacco industry has every reason to hate
plain packaging...
It reduces the attractiveness of their
products and is estimated to lose them
billions in profits
The tobacco industry campaign started
quietly but seeing our campaign rapidly
escalated in June
Front groups Media stories
Advertising
Field
marketing

12. Brands will only compete on price -
smoking will become cheaper
...but their arguments are weak
Trademark rights are arbitrarily
appropriated by the Government
Any fall in price can be offset by a rise in
tax to prevent cigarettes becoming more
affordable
Nothing is confiscated – plain packaging
only regulates how trademarks are used –
they regularly lose court cases
Shall shopkeepers can’t easily find
packets and so lose custom
Research shows that plain packs are
as easy and quick to serve

13. Claims about smuggling do not make sense
Luk Joossens’s report shows
The tobacco industry exaggerates
the scale of smuggling
• The tobacco industry has a poor
record on smuggling
• The existing packs are already easy to
forge
• They’re so cheap to make they
cannot get any cheaper
• While still a problem, it has halved
since its peak to 10% for cigarettes.
• This is due to better enforcement by
government agencies and strict curbs
on the tobacco industry’s own activities.
• Tobacco industry data is not reliable

14. Making change happen – advocacy toolkit
Use as many advocacy tools as possible:
1. Work in coalition
2. Develop, package and disseminate the evidence: journal papers,
reports, briefings
3. Identify your champions in Parliament: provide them with
briefings, speeches, use them to speak at events
4. Meet with key decision makers - MPs, civil servants etc
5. Understand the politics - process and priorities; hold events and
photo opportunities for MPs

15. Advocacy toolkit
Use as many advocacy tools as possible:
6. Gain maximum media coverage - new statistics, studies, letters to
editors, opinion polls, photo opportunities; use scientists, doctors,
patients, CEOs
7. Find and use celebrity spokespeople
8. Develop and use public support – explain the issues and get them
to write to/meet their MPs/sign petitions etc
9. Oppose the tobacco industry – rebut its arguments on all possible
occasions; expose industry-funded front groups
10. Develop a broad coalition

16. Coalition working
• Some funded coordination is essential
• Play to each others strengths and respect the different remits and levels
of resources that each can bring
• Develop consensus by reviewing the evidence, assessing the politics,
agreeing the objectives and tactics
• Be prepared to work collaboratively and sometimes let others take the
credit
• Remember the common goal and the common enemy-when we are not
united, the tobacco industry wins

18. Plain standard packs – a lot done...
• 79,000 CR-UK supporters responded to the consultation –over 6,000 have
emailed MPs since
• Poll for CR-UK shows 63% support and only 16% oppose
• Engaged with hundreds of MPs through Ambassadors, meetings, shop
visits, party conference
• Over 1,800 pieces of media coverage in 2012 /early 2013
• Policy reports on tobacco packaging and smuggling
• CR-UK video of kids looking at packs- over half a million hits
• cruk.org/standard-packs

20. ... There’s still a lot to do. Thank you Ireland for
making it easier
Public affairs:
•Intensive Cabinet engagement
and parliamentary meetings and
events.
Campaigns:
•New creative assets to bring
the campaign to life.
•Ambassadors targeting
different groups of support:
health
professionals, parents, teachers
, smokers.
Policy:
•More briefings and rebuttals.
•New research from Australia.
•Funding and publicising new UK
research.