Exploratory Qualitative Research - Benson and Hedges in the Gay Market

Editing Exploratory Qualitative Research - Benson and Hedges in the Gay Market

This February, 1994 marketing report from the Philip Morris collection shows the intense scrutiny Philip Morris Tobacco Company gives the gay community in order to market appealing cigarette imagery to this group.

In this document, a market research company is conducting focus groups among gay men for Philip Morris, to zero in on the appropriate imagery needed to sell cigarettes to gay men.

Excerpt:

Maintaining the highest share of the gay market, Marlboro imagery is fairly instant and clearly dominated by the Marlboro Man. Among gay consumers, this image has particular importance as an overt cue to masculinity/sexuality. Marlboro's success in this context depends wholly on the relevance of this cowboy image to the world (fantasy and real) of these gay consumers.

Positively:

Rugged/Masculine/Sexy Drives truck/motorcycle /Rough around the edges. Unshaven or bearded. No cologne. / Dressed very masculinely. Orally fixated (positive) / Wild. The ultimate Stud.

Independent / Strong Self-employed. / Has his own car. Self-assured. Manual laborer. Stays young and strong. Not arrogant Friendly: open. Shy. Authentic/Well-rounded Someone like me, with the same kind of interests and outspoken friends. Typical middle American sort of person. No one on the plastic side. Not sophisticated, but not stupid. / Honest, hardworking type. The kind you could take home. Enduring Steady blue collar. At the same time, these cowboy images( masculine, original, blue collar) can exist so firmly that they alienate certain smokers. NEGATIVES:

Common Has a regular job; nothing out of the ordinary. Drives something American, a few years old. Blends in with the world. Distant He could be a good friend but probably not much past that. Maybe a great one-nighter, but no one you'd want to spend everyday with. What would you talk about? Drag racing? False masculinity Tries real hard to let you know how butch he is. No real confidence. Macho. / Only dances if he's drunk. Redneck Likes to square dance. Bad accent.

Title: EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: 'BENSON & HEDGES IN THE GAY MARKET' Org. Author: GUILES + ASSOCIATES; PM, PHILIP MORRIS Date: 19940200 Bates 	2040745008/5036 Collection: Philip Morris Pages: 29 URL: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/eah76e00