Structured Creativity Group: Thoughts by C.C. Grieg, R and D Southampton Marketing Scenario

Structured Creativity Group: Thoughts by C.C. Grieg, R and D Southampton Marketing Scenario

In this marketing document by Colin C. Greig of the British-American Tobacco Company's (BAT) Product Development Department, Greig lauds the "very very significant advantages" of a cigarette as a "drug administration system for public use," and compares the quick-acting properties of nicotine to slower-acting drugs, like marijuana, amphetamines and alcohol: A cigarette as a 'drug' administration system for public use has very very significant advantages: i) Speed-- Within 10 seconds of starting to smoke, nicotine is available in the brain. Before this, impact is available giving an instantaneous catch or hit, signifying to the user that the cigarette is "active." Flavour, also, is immediately perceivable to add to the sensation.  Other 'drugs' such as marijuanha, amphetamines, and alcohol are slower and may be mood dependant.

Next, Greig praises the low dose of nicotine required, claiming that it is the "lowest dose common drug" available. He praises the fact that cigarettes are an efficient drug delivery system that is cheap, can be freely used in public, is easily available and legal:

"The unit cost of a 10 minute 'high' from tobacco is, in UK terms, about 6 pence (approx. 9.5 US cents), although much lower elsewhere. This sum is about 40 seconds pre-tax earnings at the UK average wage or about 1 minute after tax! ...The future? Thus we have an emerging picture of a fast, highly pharmacologically effective and cheap drug--tobacco... It is legal (as is alcohol but not marijuanha and LSD), and the articles themselves are eminently portable. It can be used freely in public places in most countries....So, all in all, it is a relatively cheap and efficient delivery system, legal, and easily usable."

Greig discusses the fact that while there is no specific dose to cigarettes, people may prefer a higher-dose cigarette in times of tension or altered mood: "And we may return to my original remarks on drugs and their doses. For a sweet cup of tea, we put in two saccharin, not one.  For a bad headache or hangover, we take two aspirin, not one.  I suggest that there is a parallel with cigarettes -- we may smoke a low delivery cigarette -- but in times of tension or altered mood we want a stronger one.  What happens?  Either we smoke one more intensively (remember, there is no single dose for a cigarette) -- or we smoke two in rapid succession.   A dilemma appears -- do we design a compensatable cigarette --and sell one -- or the non (or minimally) compensatable cigarette – to sell two?"

Grieg concludes by saying: "... And always remember that, while King James I issued his famous 'Counterblaste to Tobacco' in 1604, it is nicer from our point of view to remember Oscar Wilde's words in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' in 1891: “A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure.  It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied.  What more can one want.”  Let us provide the exquisiteness, and hope that they, our consumers, continue to remain unsatisfied.  All we would want then is a larger bag to carry the money to the bank."

Title: "Structured Creativity Group" thoughts by CC Greig - R&D, Southampton Marketing Scenario Document date:00000000 (undated) Page count:10 Bates number:1001607/1001616 URL: http://bat.library.ucsf.edu/tid/aex50a99

Found in the British American Tobacco Documents Archive