Industry marketing of tobacco products on social media: case study of Philip Morris International’s IQOS

Abstract

SignificanceNewer tobacco products might be particularly likely to use social media as they emerge in the global market. Little is known about the official use of social media in marketing heated tobacco products (HTPs). This study examined Philip Morris International’s (PMI) social media marketing globally of its leading HTP, IQOS.MethodsPMI IQOS country-specific official websites were accessed (N=59) in May to September 2022 and social media accounts listed were recorded. Accounts were then coded for their number of posts in the past month and year and for their number of subscribers. Posts on online accounts with at least one past-month post were categorised to describe the post’s function: instructional, general advertising, price promotions or event promotions.ResultsOf the 59 country websites, 45 (76.3%) listed at least one social media account; of these, an average of 2.5 accounts (SD=0.8) were listed. Across websites, 111 accounts were identified: 42 Facebook, 23 YouTube, 21 Twitter, 19 Instagram, 2 Telegram, 1 LinkedIn, 1 KakaoTalk, 1 VK and 1 LINE. Across YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, accounts made 2550 past-year posts and had ~490 961 subscribers. Of the 165 past-month posts, 101 (60.1%) functioned as general advertising, 30 (17.9%) instructional, 29 (17.3%) event promotions and 8 (4.8%) price promotions.ConclusionSocial media posts were used to engage consumers with advertising, event promotions, product use instructions and price promotions. The study provides evidence of the company-sponsored official marketing of an HTP via social media globally, underscoring the need for monitoring and tobacco control regulatory efforts in the digital arena.

Le tabac chauffé est-il un outil de réduction des risques ?

“…-Un marketing intensif sur les réseaux sociaux Indépendamment de ces réseaux de communication dans le monde scientifique, l'IT a dès le lancement du TC utilisé les réseaux sociaux pour promouvoir ce produit [33]. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram et autres réseaux sociaux sont largement utilisées pour recruter des consommateurs de TC en utilisant, discussions en ligne, influenceurs, publicités, promotions d'événements et instructions d'utilisation des produits du TC et en s'appuyant principalement sur la notion de réduction des risques [34,35].…”

Impact of exposures to Heated Tobacco Products in the media and through social connections on product perceptions and use

“…IQOS is typically marketed using a mix of print and online advertising, point-ofsale retail marketing, and event marketing [4][5][6] . IQOS also maintains a company-sponsored social media presence, which includes advertising, event promotions, price promotions, and product use instructions 7 . While IQOS marketing maintains many commonalities across countries, local factors, including those related to historical, cultural, and regulatory differences, likely contribute to some cross-country differences 8 .…”