R.J.R. changes its promotion plan for 2008

The second-largest tobacco company in the U.S., RJ Reynolds, decided to suspend the advertising of its tobacco products in print form, including the newspapers and consumer magazines in 2008.

However, the company can resume this kind of advertising, as this depends on changing business needs.

Though, it doesn’t mean that RJ Reynolds will stop at all the promotion of its products. As the representatives of the company affirmed, R.J.R. will focus its cigarette marketing in three areas - direct mail and Web sites for age-verified and certified adult smokers, age-restricted events and venues, and retail to adult smokers.

This was a business decision, designed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of our marketing programs, said Jan Smith, a spokeswoman for RJ Reynolds.

Last year the company spent $93 million on advertising, Smith said. It wasn’t mentioned how much from this sum was spent for the printed ads, but if taking into account considerable amount of printed ads from newspapers, magazines and cigarette displays, this decision will bring great changes to the entire advertising strategy for the company.

Excluding this type of advertising, the maker of Camel will focus its funds on more fruitful businesses as online advertising.

Namely the online shopping is the new trend that is spreading with rising tempos all over the world, according to reports.

However, the cigarette displays shouldn’t be underestimated. Namely the cig displays have been vetoed or diminished in size in a list of states, as main means that encourage many people and children to smoke.