Category: Marketing

Swedish Match Presents to FDA on General Snus

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
Experts from Swedish Match USA, an affiliate of Philip Morris International, presented to the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee on June 26, 2024, according to a PMI press release. The committee, comprising independent scientific researchers, provides regulatory guidance to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.
The half-day meeting was part of the FDA’s review of Swedish Match’s request to continue marketing General Snus products in the U.S. as modified-risk tobacco products (MRTPs) and to expand permitted use of the reduced-risk claim to reach, and transition, more legal-age smokers away from cigarettes.
Initially granted by the FDA in October 2019, Swedish Match can communicate to legal-age consumers that “Using General Snus instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.” Currently, that message is accessible only on the General Snus website.
Swedish Match presented to the committee real-world evidence showing the claim is delivering on its promise to reduce harm to individual tobacco users and benefit the health of the population and should be renewed.
In its renewal submission, Swedish Match is seeking to expand use to additional lawful marketing channels, such as point-of-sale display and direct mail to age-verified consumers.
“As FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products Director Brian King said when unveiling its new five-year strategic plan, this is a critical moment in the history of tobacco product regulation,” Gerry Roerty, general counsel for Swedish Match, said to committee members. The center’s mission is to make smoking-related disease and death a part of America’s past, and “today, together, we can meaningfully advance that goal,” Roerty told committee members.
During the meeting, representatives from Swedish Match and committee members discussed a range of scientific, technical and consumer-communications topics. The company provided an overview of its responsible marketing practices and presented evidence and research demonstrating low levels of use by unintended populations.
General Snus is a smokeless tobacco product, traditionally produced in Sweden, that is nonfermented and air cured. The modified-risk products submitted for renewal include eight General Snus varieties that have been made available in the U.S. for more than a decade: General Snus Original (pouch); General Snus Original (loose); General Snus White (pouch); General Snus Mint (pouch); General Snus Wintergreen (pouch); General Snus Mini Mint (pouch); General Snus Classic Blend (pouch); and General Snus Nordic Mint (pouch).
“We are understandably proud of our commitment to a cigarette-free America, which is achievable much faster if policy is guided by science,” said Stacey Kennedy, president of the Americas region and CEO of PMI’s U.S. business. “America’s 28 million adult smokers have been bombarded with misinformation about smoke-free products, which can cause confusion and prolong the most harmful form of nicotine consumption—smoking. We look forward to continuing dialogue with the FDA as it continues to consider renewal of this modified-risk authorization.”
The General Snus products were first authorized as “appropriate for the protection of the public health” through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process in 2015 following a PMTA submission earlier that same year.
Since then, Swedish Match USA has submitted eight annual reports over as many years, the last four of which were combined with MRTP annual reporting.
July 2, 2024
UKVIA Seeks Clarity on Advertising Notice

Photo: New Africa
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is seeking clarification following the recent Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) enforcement notice on the prohibition of vaping ads on social media.
The UKVIA is particularly concerned that “factual (nonpromotional) information” should only be made available to those who have “actively and specifically sought it out,” which would limit such content to social media accounts set to “private.”
The industry group is especially worried that this means factual posts, such as repeating evidence-based statistics such as vaping is 95 percent less harmful than smoking, for its annual VApril Vape Awareness Month will now be deemed unlawful.
“Around 40 percent of U.K. smokers wrongly believe that vaping is at least as harmful as, or even more harmful than, cigarettes, which suggests we need more evidence-based vaping facts on social media, not less,” the UKVIA wrote in a statement.
One of the main aims of VApril is to use both paid and organic posts on LinkedIn, X and Facebook to give facts to smokers to help them make informed decisions over how they consume nicotine.
The CAP says that after March 28, it will enforce restrictions under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, which prohibit “ads that have the direct or indirect effect of promoting nicotine-containing electronic cigarette products” from being shown in most social media.
The Enforcement Notice says: “Electronic cigarette ads are prohibited in any online media where content is shared to users who have not specifically sought it out.
“This means paid-for display ads in all online space are prohibited, but it also means that regular, non-paid-for posts and content in social media, which might get shared by an algorithm to users, are prohibited too.”
The Advertising Standards Authority will hold a webinar on March 21 where the rules on social media vape ads will be explained.
March 4, 2024
Dutch Retail Bonuses Not Advertising

Photo: fizkes
Paying retailers bonuses for meeting sales targets does not represent a violation of tobacco advertising restrictions, the Netherlands’ top business court ruled, reports Dutch News.
The product safety board NVWA fined 11 manufacturers and wholesalers for giving bonuses to shopkeepers who sold pre-agreed-upon quantities of cigarettes or placed products in highly visible spots. The NVWA stated that these practices were against the tobacco advertising ban. The companies, however, argued that they were “quite normal business practices.”
The Dutch business court found that the NVWA applied the law too widely, stating that advertising only exists if its purpose is to encourage consumers to use the products.
Starting July 1, supermarkets in the Netherlands will be banned from selling tobacco. Beginning 2032, only specialist tobacco shops will be allowed to sell cigarettes and rolling tobacco.
February 21, 2024
Smoore Drops ‘Youth-Friendly’ Brands

Photo: Smoore
Smoore will no longer partner with brands that use flavor names, packaging or product designs that are attractive to youth, the company wrote in a statement.
The announcement comes ahead of the Dec. 6 closure of the U.K. government’s consultation on e-cigarettes.
Smoore says it wants to help end the use of flavor names such as Cotton Candy, Gummy Bear, Watermelon Bubblegum and Blueberry Popsicle. Additionally, the company would like to see an end to the manufacturing and sales of “stealth products,” which are vaping products designed to mimic school supplies, toys, soft drinks or cartoon characters.
Smoore has created a list of flavors that it considers youth-friendly and is also creating a vapor flavor detection squad to monitor the market for new flavors that could be considered appealing to youth.

There is absolutely no place for any vaping product to look like a child’s toy, be shaped like a much-loved cartoon character or iconic children’s game or be filled with liquid called ‘Gummy Bear, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Milkshake or Starry Violet.
Rex Zhang, strategy director, Smoore
“The vape industry represents the best chance the world has ever seen to eradicate deadly cigarettes, and we cannot allow this opportunity to be squandered,” Rex Zhang, Smoore’s strategy director, said. “Vaping was invented for this very purpose, and we need to ensure that it is focused on the adult smoking market.
“There is absolutely no place for any vaping product to look like a child’s toy, be shaped like a much-loved cartoon character or iconic children’s game or be filled with liquid called ‘Gummy Bear, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Milkshake or Starry Violet.’”
Every company under Smoore’s umbrella has been ordered to undertake a root and branch review to ensure that none of its products or customers on the OEM and ODM side of its business could be seen as producing youth-appealing products.
The list of flavors so far includes Skittles, Rainbow, Cotton Candy, Donut, Gummy Bear, Bubblegum, Slushy, Starburst, Pink Pop, Ice Cream, Milkshake, Popsicle, Starry Violet, Reindeer, Snow, Christmas, Fruit Smash, Dr. Reptile, Sour Patch, Oreo and Jolly.
If the company finds brand owners with products that Smoore deems to be child-friendly, Smoore will work with the company to take immediate corrective action; however, if no action is taken, Smoore could ultimately discontinue all cooperation with the brand.
Smoore also suggests creating a “no-fly list” to be used by retail and distribution companies around the globe that lists the manufacturers of child-friendly products to prevent their products from being sold.
Smoore is also urging more standardization of product sizes and shapes. The company believes standardization will help create faster “disassembly at waste treatment sites, helping to increase recycling rates of vapes.”
The company is calling for every batch of disposable vapes and pre-filled pods to be randomly sampled for product compliance, with whole batches being rejected if any number of noncompliant products are identified.
December 5, 2023
Glo Hyper Under Scrutiny

Photo: BAT
Italian regulators are investigating BAT and Amazon for potentially misleading advertising for the Glo Hyper X2 tobacco-heating product, reports Reuters.
According to the Italian Competition Authority, the companies have made it insufficiently clear to consumers that Glo Hyper X2 is a nicotine-based product and that it is intended for an adult audience. The agency also said it had seen the product being marketed as “nicotine-free.”
“The omission and/or deceptiveness of this essential information” in advertising could influence consumers’ decisions and expose them, “minors in particular,” to the risk of unknowingly damaging their health, the Competition Authority said.
A spokesperson for BAT said the company was committed to responsible marketing in addition to the requirements set by local applicable laws.
“We are available to cooperate with the Italian Competition Authority to ensure a swift conclusion of these proceedings,” the spokesperson added.
April 18, 2023
22nd Century Adds Private Label Brand

John Miller
(Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive)
22nd Century Group has started producing a new private label premium cigarette brand, Pinnacle, under a new manufacturing agreement. Pinnacle is for sale at a leading U.S. gas station convenience store chain comprising almost 1,700 stores in 27 states.
“We are excited to launch a new store-brand product with one of the largest convenience store chains in the country and one of the highest volume cigarette points of sale per outlet square foot,” said John Miller, president of tobacco products at 22nd Century Group, in a statement.
“We believe that working with premier retailers on conventional products like Pinnacle offers value to current adult smokers as we aggressively expand our flagship product, FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-authorized VLN reduced-nicotine cigarettes designed specifically to help adult smokers to smoke less,” said Miller.
22nd Century Group provided the trademarked brand name and predicate tobacco blend for the new Pinnacle product, which is produced at its manufacturing operations in North Carolina. Pinnacle is approved in 22 states to date where the retail partner has stores and is available in approximately half of eligible stores to date as availability continues to expand.
“Pinnacle represents a key opportunity to further scale our revenue and margins, advancing 22nd Century toward its goal of cash positive operations,” said 22nd Century Group CEO James A. Mish.
“The rollout of this new brand into such a large number of stores across more than two dozen states also demonstrates how we expect to benefit from expanded utilization of our new national scale distribution relationships for our VLN products, supporting placement into a broader range of well-known retail points of sale for both our conventional cigarette products and our new VLN 95 percent reduced-nicotine content products designed specifically for adult smokers who want to smoke less,” Mish said.
April 18, 2023
Zinwi to Unveil New Logo at TPE Show

E-Liquid manufacturer Zinwi Bio-Tech is set to unveil its new logo at the Total Products Expo (TPE) in Las Vegas from Feb. 22 – 24. The company will also be highlighting 15 of its most popular e-liquid flavors for TPE attendees to experience.
Zinwi, a global integrated e-liquid solutions provider, upgraded its branding in December to better reflect the company’s dedication to providing high-quality products and the brand’s entry into a new development phase.
“In this new phase, Zinwi will place more emphasis on product research and development, and provide diversified products to meet the needs of global markets,” a Zinwi spokesperson told Tobacco Reporter. “Zinwi is committed to continuing to explore e-liquid technology, pursue innovation and provide cutting-edge integrated e-liquid solutions.”
Zinwi’s new logo resembles a drop of e-liquid oil, which alludes to the company’s unwavering commitment to product research and development. The Zinwi “Z” and oil design are integrated to symbolize the company’s dedication to continuous product research and development, according to a press release. The light blue color of the logo features Zinwi’s laboratories that conduct its scientific product research and development in the background.
Currently, new nicotine salt and glycerol alternatives are two major topics of research for Zinwi. The company’s product research and development team has produced a new nicotine salt that has distinct advantages compared with the traditional benzoic acid nicotine salt.
“This new innovation brings with it a significant reduction in the number of impurities released. Zinwi is also in the process of researching and developing glycerol alternatives,” the spokesperson said. “The research and development of glycerol alternatives is an effort to reduce the toxins released during atomization and to allow the products to be more environmentally friendly.”
The 15 e-liquid products Zinwi is set to showcase at TPE include five tobacco flavors and 10 non-tobacco flavors. They are Zinwi’s best-selling flavors and have been widely recognized by the company’s global client base. One of the flavors, Caramel Tobacco, has a distinctive caramel flavor along with a mild tobacco accent.
In order to allow the show attendees to experience the different flavors, Zinwi will provide disposable vaping devices pre-filled with the Zinwi e-liquids in the 15 flavor profiles. “Trade show attendees will be able to try out the different flavors in different devices with a variety of settings, enabling them to reach the optimal puff experience,” the spokesperson said.

February 7, 2023
Study: PMI Uses Ad Loopholes in Israel

Image: piter2121 | Adobe Stock
Philip Morris International has exploited loopholes in smoking product advertisement bans in Israel, a new study shows, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The study, published in Tobacco Control, analyzes PMI’s advertising expenditure over four years across the general population, the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) public, Arab speakers and Russian speakers.
“We conducted a comparison among the advertising expenditures for all Philip Morris cigarette brands and the IQOS brand (a heated-tobacco stick that entered the local market in December 2016) in light of regulatory changes that restricted the advertising of tobacco products,” said doctoral student Amal Khayat.
Advertising restrictions led to a reduction in PMI’s marketing expenditures, but it exploited legal loopholes in the printed press, according to the study.
“Even after the law came into effect, the company continued to spend almost NIS3 million [$872,566.93] on advertising with a focus on the printed press,” said Yael Bar-Zeev, lead researcher. “While the law restricted print advertising to one advertisement in each newspaper, 40 percent of the IQOS adverts placed were giant, two-page ads, effectively doubling the product’s advertising space while still being considered a single advert as allowed by the letter of the law.”
PMI also used QR codes, allowing consumers to scan and view additional information. Before the law went into effect, according to the study, PMI significantly increased its advertising to the studied population groups, particularly the Haredi population, which previously had the lowest smoking rates in Israel.
“Our data shows that since the introduction of the IQOS e-cigarettes, 216 targeted ads were published, of which 55 percent were created for the Haredi public, 6 percent for the Arab public and the rest for the Russian-speaking public,” said Bar-Zeev. For regular cigarette brands, 87 percent of advertisements were targeted at the Haredi population.
“We expected that the company would focus on populations with the highest rates of smoking in Israel—Arab men—and not on the population that had hardly any smokers,” said Bar-Zeev.
Following the study, the 24th Knesset decided to remove the printed press advertisement exception but deferred implementation for seven years. In the interim, coupons, QR codes and advertisements featuring cigarette packs that do not have mandatory plain packaging are banned in the printed press.
December 15, 2022
Companies to Post ‘Corrective Statements’

Image: Wirestock | Adobe Stock
Tobacco companies will have to start displaying signs with “corrective” statements about the health effects and addictive nature of cigarettes at U.S. points of sale in the second half of 2023, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ), reports Fox News. A court order requiring the statements will take effect July 1, 2023, after which tobacco companies will have three months to start posting the statements for 21 months in English and Spanish.
The order “resolves the government’s long-running civil racketeering lawsuit against the largest United States cigarette companies,” according to the DOJ. The racketeering lawsuit was filed in 1999 and ended in 2005; however, the DOJ said the new court order is the last of several corrective remedies related to that case.
Altria Group, Philip Morris USA, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and four cigarette brands owned by ITG Brands are subject to the order. An estimated 200,000 of 300,000 retail stores in the U.S. that sell cigarettes have agreements with the tobacco companies. The order requires the companies to amend their agreements, requiring corrective statements to be placed at the stores on color signs that are eye-catching. Messaging will include adverse health effects of smoking, the addictive nature of nicotine and adverse health effects of secondhand smoke, among others.
“Justice Department attorneys have worked diligently for over 20 years to hold accountable the tobacco companies that defrauded consumers about the health risks of smoking,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Today’s resolution implements the last remedy of this litigation to ensure that consumers know the true dangers of the smoking products they may consider purchasing.”
“This is an important moment in the history of cancer control in the United States,” said William Klein, associate director of the National Cancer Institute’s behavioral research program. “Smoking causes about 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States, and therefore, the court-ordered corrective statements appearing at the point of cigarette sale will help support our mission to reduce the burden of cancer. We are grateful to our colleagues at the Department of Justice for having completed this significant work.”
December 7, 2022
Chinese and European Vapor Groups Sign Marketing Code
Photo: IEVA
The E-Cigarette Professional Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (ECCC) has signed the Independent European Vape Alliance’s (IEVA) recently updated Code for Responsible Marketing.
The Code for Responsible Marketing contains 14 mandatory principles, focusing on the idea that “e-cigarette marketing should not make vaping seem appealing to minors.”
“As confident as we are that e-cigarettes have significant harm reduction potential, we also recognize that they must be marketed responsibly,” said Dustin Dahlmann, president of IEVA, in a statement.
“The signatories therefore only address adult smokers and e-cigarette users with their advertising and marketing to inform them about the products. Youth protection is imperative for us. We are very glad that we agreed on this with our dear colleagues from China.”
October 17, 2022