On the BAT site. Main argument: plain packaging would increase smuggling. Looking at the page devoted to the marketing strategy one sees that Packaging is a key component that would be directly impacted.
Packaging
For many years, cigarette packs were hard or soft, but otherwise changed very little. In recent times, consumers have become increasingly interested in packaging improvements, and these can be a strong source of competitive advantage.
We are meeting consumer interest with a stream of packaging innovations, such as compact packs, side-opening packs, packs that open like wallets, waterproof packs, re-sealable packs to keep the contents fresher and packs with rounded edges.
Innovations vary across our brands, brand variants and markets and our approach enables our companies to adapt their offers flexibly to local preferences. Our guiding focus in innovations is on relevance to the consumer, speed to market and being continuously ready to improve.
Comments