dispatches from the new world of work

And I Thought Nobody Was Listening ...

I nearly choked on an AOL headline story this morning. I've long been irritated that so few "get" the enormous women's market opportunity. Well, gulp, some do. According to the story, the journal Addiction will publish research detailing the humongous efforts the cigarette companies have made to figure out how to hook women.

As I said, gulp.

Tom Peters posted this on 06/01/05.

Comments

Ouch That Really Hurts!!!

As Stephen Covey in Seven Habits, said;

"Great tree cutting - wrong jungle"

Isn't it truly sickening that something (smoking)that is guarenteed to kill women (and men) and their children!! ... is opportunistically chosen to market to the purchasing power of women?

What the hell does does that say about ethics in marketing? - Everything I always thought is the corect answer :-(

I am horrifed ... but old enough not to be surprised.

The question to me is not why is it happening..the question is ..where are the ethical people in marketing and why don't they stand up and object to this violation of the human body through marketing women.

Nothing surprises me any more - why not lift the lid completely - maybe the next marketing company will think of selling to women the advantages of rape for God sake!

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 1, 2005 10:07 AM

It is encouraging to me that some USA employers are MANDATING that their [employees-partners-associates] NOT smoke - and they monitor their blood to confirm. Pink lungs for all I say!

And other companies simply do not hire smokers any longer ... I lost wonderful grandparents much to young - hardly got to know them.

I'm looking for a health care pool of "healthful maniacs" to join - anything to drive down "healthcare" costs. I may have to start it myself.

Posted by Sean at June 1, 2005 11:59 AM

I don't smoke. I never have smoked. I don't care if other people smoke. They are adults and know the risk they are running.

The thing that irritatres me is not that cigarettes are marketted to women, but that the same people who want to ban smoking want to legalize pot. Can anyone explain the logic of this? Pot has ten times the tar of your average cigarette and warps your brain.

Posted by Cassandra Helm at June 1, 2005 12:23 PM

I like your post, Trevor. A key topic in branding for women should be how to make womenÂ´s life happier. That is probably a wide path for marketers. If thereÂ´s so much power and responsability in their hands, letÂ´s make their lives easier and more plenty.

This goes for all our friends at this blog. Trevor and me have been discussing about women and what WOW means for us in my blog. We would love if you joined us in our discussion at www.felixgerena.com

Posted by felix gerena at June 1, 2005 12:31 PM

I hate to say it, but when I heard the report this morning your name was top of mind Tom. But as Einstien once said, "Knowledge of what is does not open the door directly to what should be." When you empower, you empower all.

Posted by Tom Asacker at June 1, 2005 1:14 PM

Smoking, like any other type of drug, is targeted to unsatisfied people; it is on the essence of any adiction to be never satisfied with the quantity you've got of the drug. I don't need to explain here why women are unsatisfied individuals: in general terms, we don't enjoy the benefits of this wealthy society but as consumers mainly, which make us even more dissatisfied; our gender has became the real poor class of this society and unless we start changing this situation things are not going to improve; we have been undervalued for centuries and today doesn't look like repairing all that damage at all; at the same time we keep being told that to be acceptable we need to have these wonderful bodies, these cool cars, wear those fashionable clothes, have these attractive super-healthy bodies, don't age, being the super-lover, the perfect feeding mum,hold a degree, get a great job, etc, etc.
No wonder smoking companies will continue making hug profits from the present situation: they are not the problem, they are just the symptom of the sickness that is all around regarding women's issue.

Would men think twice and realise that what they do to us women they are doing to the future generations and to themselves? Couldn't we just see that we are all on the same side? these things are just like deep misteries of humankind to me and I suspect that, even the computing world seems to be developing very quickly, regarding this topic we are still like wearing nappies.

Posted by Omara at June 1, 2005 5:33 PM

I think David Ogilvy said, "Advertising is only evil when it is used to advertise evil things."

I'm not saying tobacco is evil, but the quote seemed appropriate.

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Posted by Phil Crissman at June 1, 2005 9:44 PM