Promotion

Looking at the various methods of promotions being applied to cigarettes:

1. Advertising - Banned in India

2. Sales promotion - Banned in India

3. Events and experiences - Recently banned (Godfrey Phillips India was fined for promoting its cigarette brand 'Marlboro' by demonstrating its association with a Ferrari in the Indian Grand Prix).
4. Public relations and publicity - Use surrogate marketing
5. Direct Marketing - Promotion/banners at the point of sale

6. Interactive marketing - None

7. Word-of-mouth marketing - Major method of marketing

8. Personal selling - None

In India, even though cigarette advertising is banned, the distribution network is so strong throughout the country that this category itself has become the biggest FMCG in India in terms of Sales (Rs. 80,000 crore in 2012, according to the MOHFW) . So, marketing efforts really become inconsequential at this stage.

Laws that ban promotion of cigarettes are:

• The Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1975
• The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003
• The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and The Cinematography Act, 1952

On the other hand, when you talk of enhancing "visibility" in the market, advertising for Cigarettes has a different meaning altogether - Surrogate Advertising as it is called (am sure you would be aware of it) is commonly used.

Primarily, two modes of Marketing are common:
(a) Surrogate Advertising, and
(b) Social Marketing

In case of cigarette Advertising, most of it is done at the point of sale itself, since other media vehicles have been banned. As long as the packets contain the 'warning', advertisers use the point of sale to their advantage to differentiate their products.

Examples of surrogate advertising include:

• ITC-GTD’s (greeting cards division) Expression Greeting Cards

• Red & White Bravery Awards

• Wills Fasion Shows