Open the smoking market —— manufacturing consent

First, introduce a person, Edward Bernays, an American theorist, considered a pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda, and referred to in his obituary as “the father of public relations”. His best-known campaigns include a 1929 effort to promote female smoking by branding cigarettes as feminist “Torches of Freedom”.

Smoking became popular in the United States in the 1920s. There is of course a large portion of non-smokers, and women were not allowed to smoke in public. Of course, the American Tobacco Company would not let go of such an opportunity that could bring explosive profits. In 1928, they asked Edward for help, the person mentioned above. When he started working for American Tobacco, Bernays’ goal was to increase sales of Lucky Strike among women who had previously largely avoided smoking. The first tactic is to convince women to smoke instead of eat. Bernays began by promoting the ideal of thinness itself, using photographers, artists, newspapers, and magazines to promote the special beauty of thin women. Medical authorities were found promoting the choice of cigarettes over sweets. Housewives warned that having cigarettes on hand is a social necessity.

The successful move brought more revenue to American tobacco companies, but women smoking in public remained a taboo. So Bernays consulted Freud’s student Abraham Brill, who reported to him that cigarettes represented “torches of freedom” for women whose feminine desires were increasingly suppressed by their role in the modern world.

Here’s what Bernays did: He hired a new group of people whose job was to pretend to be feminists fighting for women’s rights. He then had the women participate in New York’s 1929 Easter Parade. And he arranged for news photographers to witness the scene. When the women reached the location, he gave them the signal and the women all lit a cigarette. Photographers frantically began taking pictures, and he told the media that the women had lit “the torch of freedom.” Bernays then ensured that the photos and the phrase “Torch of Liberty” became known around the world.

Bernays wanted people to come to believe that if someone was against women smoking, he was also against women’s emancipation. At the same time his stunt caused a huge change in public opinion, that is, women began to associate cigarettes with freedom, and it suddenly became fashionable for women to smoke in public.

The next is e-cigarettes. The strategies of e-cigarette companies in terms of manufacturing consent are mainly reflected in their marketing strategies. They shape the public’s perception of e-cigarettes in various ways, thereby influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions.

1. Use social media: E-cigarette companies will use social media platforms to spread their message. They would pay influencers to post information about e-cigarettes on social media without disclosing any compensation.
2. Hold events: E-cigarette companies will pay influencers on Instagram to post information about e-cigarettes, hold parties with giveaways, and invite hip-hop artists to perform music. All these are e-cigarette companies promoting their products and attracting new users. And some way to retain existing users.
3. Experiential marketing: E-cigarette companies will encourage consumers to experience or interact with the brand at entertainment venues and events, such as concerts, bars or nightclubs.
4. Selective marketing: E-cigarette companies will selectively conduct experiential marketing in various places that attract young people.

Reference lists:

1. k Bold and G Kong. (2023). E-Cigarette Marketing on Social Media: A Scoping Review. SPRINGER LINK. Available from E-Cigarette Marketing on Social Media: A Scoping Review | Current Addiction Reports (springer.com) [Accessed 20 November 2023]
2. Dr. David Gruder. Are you ready to the Hijacking of happiness. Word Press. Available from Are You Ready to End the Hijacking of Happiness? – Because it’s time to take the original American Dream to great new heights! [Accessed 20 November 2023]