JT aiming to make Winston No.1 through accretion

Japan Tobacco Inc. says that its Cabin and Caster cigarettes are to be ‘integrated’ with its Winston brand as part of the company’s mid- to-long term strategy of making Winston the global No.1 brand.

Winston is one of the company’s Global Flagship Brands and, while Cabin and Caster will each retain their original taste and flavor, the idea is that they should share Winston’s ‘global identity’.

Cabin and Caster, which have been on sale in Japan since 1978 and 1982 respectively, are destined to become Winston Cabin and Winston XS Caster in August. They are due to appear in redesigned packaging in the middle of October.

Winston was launched in the US in 1954 and, in 2007, was recognized by Euromonitor as the second largest tobacco brand.

Currently, it is sold in 111 countries, including Japan, and JT says that it intends to continue to expand its geographical presence by responding to consumer preferences around the world.