Business & Marketing: The Marketing Of Natural Cigarettes

American Spirit cigarettes have scored a direct hit with the marketing of natural cigarettes with the public at least in the Northwest section of the United States. Interestingly, cigarette smokers somehow feel more comfortable with these brands of natural cigarettes that avoid additives than many traditional brands. In sales, American Spirit often easily outsells many traditional brands by wide margins at many retailers now due to concentrated marketing effort in local newspapers that carried their message of additive free products.

Another natural tobacco brand of similar high quality produced by Native Americans, Smokin Joes, haven't proven nearly as successful in sales, although they are likely every bit as good in quality as the natural American Spirit brand of cigarettes. Smokin Joes sell for about one third less than the American Spirit brand, yet the success of American Spirit in the marketplace can probably be placed with so many effective ads placed in local newspapers. But both Smokin Joes and American Spirit both market on a similar theme of natural tobacco. Somehow many consumers see this as more healthy, providing a less guilt-free enjoyment of smoking.

The success of these natural brands of cigarettes, which also includes the high priced and high end products produced by Nat Sherman has really reshaped the market for cigarettes, leaving many traditional brands with declining market shares. Certainly brands like Marlboro and Camel continue to capture decent market share, but the growth of sales of the natural brands has put real pressure on the traditional brands. No doubt some of these companies may someday compete with their own new brands of natural cigarettes.

Another marketing claim of the natural brands of cigarettes are that they are somehow less addiction free. However, this seems a little difficult to imagine considering that nicotine which is contained in tobacco is known for being a highly addictive drug. Yet, the marketing claims of the natural brands seem to strike a real chord with the buying public. Many buyers seem to both like the taste of the natural brands as well as feeling good about the additive free content of the brands.

Cigarette companies struggle these days with rising health concerns, government regulations and increasing taxes. However, the natural tobacco brands seem to have carved out a decent new market share for themselves. It has to be credited to part of the genius of some advertising executives who managed to create such a strong market share for these natural tobacco brands.