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Abstract
The marketing of natural cigarettes has been widely criticized by consumer advocates and public policymakers. The present research is designed to inform the ongoing policy debate by examining the effects of natural cigarette claims on adolescents' brand impressions. The authors report the results of an experiment in which high school students viewed images of cigarette packages for three different brands. Findings indicate that including natural claims on cigarette packages can weaken beliefs that the cigarettes cause diseases. Results also reveal that skepticism toward marketing claims may play an important role in undermining brand attitudes and trial intentions toward cigarette brands promoted with natural claims. Policy implications and suggestions for further research are provided.
Acknowledgment
The authors thank Maria Leonora Comello, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for her contributions to the initial stages of this research study.