JAPAN
After slower sales of its IQOS product, Philip Morris International (PMI) is trying on a new strategy to appeal to more conservative smokers in Japan who aren’t willingly exchanging their cigarettes for high-tech gadgets.
Due to difficulty breaking into an older, more rural demographic, a two-part plan is in action. The first part is to introduce a lower-priced offering, while the second part is to attract an older, more conservative rural audience.
According to PMI c.e.o. Andre Calantzopoulos, one way to do this is to appeal to a cultural sense of community.
“We need to elevate a little bit our communication to give them an incentive like, ‘Let’s make Japan smoke-free,’” he said. “Because for them, that counts more than just the individual, ‘It’s good for me.’ ”