Social Norms In Tobacco Advertising

1. Failure to conform to social norms

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children – Nelson Mandela
Nowhere else we will find such an utter disregard for social norms as in the case of marketing tobacco to children. It is long proven that tobacco consumption has a harmful impact on kids. In spite of numerous settlement suits and laws that have been framed to curtail tobacco marketing to kids, marketers continue to entice and addict kids (16). The consequences are potentially dangerous – estimated 5.6 million premature deaths of American kids alive today will die with tobacco related illnesses (17). Various internal tobacco industry documents, submitted to the courts during the trials, clearly reflect the psychopathic nature of these corporations, who treat childhood as economic construct and children as economic
instruments of profit. An R.J Reynolds document infamously referred to young people as “the only source of replacement smokers” for those who quit smoking or died from tobacco related disease (18). One Philip Morris document stated, “Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer” (19). Similarly a Lorillard Tobacco document stated, “The base of our business is the high school student” (20).

Their actions followed their thoughts.
The tobacco industry made all-out effort to circumvent the marketing restrictions imposed on them and spent heavily on in store marketing (21). This instore marketing campaign was effective at reaching kids because 2/3 of teenagers, visit a convenience store or neighbourhood retail outlet at least once a week (22). Tobacco industry used it ingenuity to make smoking even more appealing to kids by introducing flavoured cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (23). At this juncture, it is worth quoting the words of former U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company representative who stated that, “Cherry Skoal is for somebody who likes that taste of candy, if you know what I am saying” (24). Tobacco companies also suggest to the kids that smoking makes them popular, feel attractive, take risks and helps them avoid or manage stress (25).The blatant violation of the norms of the society by the tobacco companies affecting the health of future generations by inducing them to smoke, by itself indicates the psychopathic nature of the tobacco corporations in particular and businesses in
general.

Young people are relentlessly bombarded with commercials of various alcoholic products(26). According to study by JAMA Pediatrics, alcohol advertising leads children to drink for the first time or drink more, if they are experienced underage drinkers (27). Further, those who start drinking early in their life are more likely to become alcoholics, than those who start drinking later in their life (28). Today underage drinking accounts for substantial amount of alcohol sales, leading to many deaths and other harmful events (29). Surrogate advertising to promote alcohol related products another example of marketer’s failure to adhere to social norms or lawful behaviour. Surrogate Advertising is the strategy used by marketers to promote a product in the guise of another, when the advertisement of the former is banned by the law of land. Advertisers use packaged water, soda, fruit juices, Audio CDs, Cricket Cases etc., as surrogates to promote liquor brands. In India major brands including Kingfisher, Bacardi, Bagpiper, Smirnoff, Seagram’s, Royal Challenge, Royal Mist etc., have used their inventiveness in advertising of these products. These advertisements are telecast during various times, across all channels, which include and entertainment channel, hugely popular with kids. The Psychopathic nature of marketers of alcoholic product makes them ignore the significant social costs associated with marketing alcoholic products to kids and young adults.
The other areas where the marketers have posed threat to the existing social norms include crushing the childhood (treating kids as miniature adults), increasing the gender divide (there is nothing common between a boy and girl), sexualization of childhood, objectification, increased materialism etc. This attitude of the corporations, their products and marketing, challenge the society and its general wellbeing.