| Introduction: Though written several years ago, this | | | | Anti-tobacco groups have started posting statistical |
| article is still highly relevant, as the 2006 elections | | | | studies comparing the number of tobacco ads in |
| demonstrated. | | | | magazines and the number of tobacco related health |
| Very little is being said in the press about the | | | | articles appearing in those same magazines. |
| information health and consumer groups are posting on | | | | Magazines with significant tobacco advertising were |
| the Internet about the tobacco issue. This is | | | | shown to have run far fewer, if any, articles on |
| unfortunate, because the tobacco war currently | | | | tobacco related health issues than magazines with little |
| happening on the Internet will have profound long term | | | | or no cigarette advertising. It's no wonder some |
| effects on marketing, advertising, and media, not to | | | | consumers are questioning whether advertiser |
| mention politics. | | | | sponsored news can ever be trusted to serve as the |
| The tobacco war is the first major demonstration of | | | | public's primary news source. |
| just how much the Internet is changing the basic | | | | Advertising agencies are also beginning to take a |
| balance of power between business, consumers, and | | | | beating because of the tobacco scandal. The state of |
| government. As the first post-Internet consumer | | | | Florida has named several major advertising agencies |
| business confrontation, this is uncharted territory; the | | | | and PR firms as "Tobacco Industry Supporters" in their |
| public has never had this much information about a | | | | new anti-teen smoking program ( It is not meant to be |
| such complicated issue available to it before. | | | | a favorable distinction. Over the next few years there |
| In days prior to the Internet only a few thousand | | | | will be increasing pressure on advertising agencies to |
| people would have been able to read the 50+ page | | | | avoid any business with tobacco companies, and |
| tobacco settlement agreement reached by the | | | | companies with past tobacco industry associations will |
| attorneys general last year. The document is too long | | | | pay a price. This new climate will be difficult for many |
| for magazines and newspapers to print in entirety, | | | | in the advertising industry to accept, especially |
| even if they wanted to, but it's well within size limits for | | | | considering how much the cigarette and advertising |
| distribution over the Internet. Within days after its | | | | industries helped define each other over this century. |
| release, the settlement was available for viewing or | | | | Some of the best talent in the history of advertising |
| downloading from several private or consumer | | | | worked on cigarette accounts, and many of them |
| sponsored Websites. Even at this late date, few | | | | smoked cigarettes, too. However, in those days good |
| American magazines and newspapers have run a | | | | statistics were hard to find, about consumer behavior |
| single sentence of the settlement agreement. | | | | or about the effects of long term tobacco use. The |
| There is a striking similarity between the rise of private | | | | current statistics showing cigarettes kill about 500,000 |
| Internet Websites covering the tobacco war and the | | | | Americans every year can't be ignored by the |
| rise of CNN in covering the Gulf War. CNN rose to | | | | advertising industry, and they won't be ignored by the |
| international prominence with its coverage of the war, | | | | public. |
| in large part because its 24 hour all news format was | | | | The tobacco scandal marks the beginning of the trend |
| better suited to cover that kind of story. The major | | | | for consumers to get hard, detailed, information about |
| networks were off the air at night when many key | | | | major social issues from private Websites, rather than |
| events took place, and they only offered limited news | | | | from advertiser sponsored news media. Commercial |
| coverage during the day and evening. Like CNN, the | | | | news media will never fully recover from this, and |
| private Websites covering the tobacco war have | | | | perhaps just as well. Like the consumer exodus to |
| some basic advantages over their competition; their | | | | cable channels from the major networks, the trend will |
| format allows large quantities of information to be | | | | be subtle at first, and dismissed by conventional media, |
| easily and affordably distributed, and there are no | | | | but it will progress rapidly and inevitably. By the next |
| advertisers to risk offending. Consumers are noticing. | | | | presidential election private Websites should be having |
| Among the most prominent of the privately run | | | | a significant effect on the public's awareness of a |
| tobacco information sites is This site is primarily | | | | number of major social issues. Ultimately, no issue will |
| composed of links to articles from major newspapers | | | | be over until it's over on the Internet, regardless of |
| currently available on the Internet, and it functions much | | | | what politicians and media say. |
| like an information clearinghouse, tracking a number of | | | | There are lessons to be learned here, and damage |
| different trials. It also offers links to other tobacco | | | | control to be planned. The tobacco scandal is just a |
| resources (including the Minnesota Attorney Generals | | | | warm-up for the problems the chemical industry will |
| office,) links to other tobacco related Websites, a | | | | face in the next few decades, and that scandal will |
| searchable archive of previous articles, and downloads | | | | generate even more negative fallout for the |
| of the settlement and other essential documents. | | | | advertising industry. Most importantly, consumers are |
| Other sites include Action for Smoking and Health ( | | | | learning to use the Internet to effectively counter the |
| and the Putnam Pit ( which has been running | | | | most elaborately financed public relations campaigns, |
| transcripts of the Minnesota tobacco trial. Other | | | | even those involving issues of great complexity. |
| anti-smoking groups are posting statistics on the | | | | Advertisers and their agencies need to consider this |
| relationship of tobacco industry campaign contributions | | | | new reality, carefully. Consumerism isn't a David and |
| and favorable votes on tobacco related legislation. | | | | Goliath issue anymore. On the Internet everyone can |
| The credibility of advertising sponsored media will take | | | | afford to be a Goliath. |
| a long term beating because of the tobacco scandal. | | | | From Advertising & Marketing Review, May, 1998. |