http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/22/5/630.abstract
Tobacco Branding, Plain Packaging, Pictorial Warnings, and Symbolic Consumption
- Janet Hoek1
- Philip Gendall2
- Heather Gifford3
- Gill Pirikahu3
- Judith McCool4
- Gina Pene5
- Richard Edwards5
- George Thomson5
1University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
2Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
3Whakauae Research for Māori Health and Development, Whanganui, New Zealand
4University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
5University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
- Janet Hoek, Department of Marketing, University of Otago, P O Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand Email: janet.hoek@otago.ac.nz
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Portions of this article were presented at the 2010 Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference, November 30 to December 2, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Abstract
We use brand association and symbolic consumption theory to explore how plain cigarette packaging would influence the identities young adults cocreate with tobacco products. Group discussions and in-depth interviews with 86 young adult smokers and nonsmokers investigated how participants perceive tobacco branding and plain cigarette packaging with larger health warnings. We examined the transcript data using thematic analysis and explored how removing tobacco branding and replacing this with larger warnings would affect the symbolic status of tobacco brands and their social connotations. Smokers used tobacco brand imagery to define their social attributes and standing, and their connection with specific groups. Plain cigarette packaging usurped this process by undermining aspirational connotations and exposing tobacco products as toxic. Replacing tobacco branding with larger health warnings diminishes the cachet brand insignia creates, weakens the social benefits brands confer on users, and represents a potentially powerful policy measure.