4. Discussion
This study examined tobacco company email marketing and, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to analyze a large sample of tobacco company-generated emails for content and purpose. Results highlight four key findings about how tobacco companies use this type of marketing. First, tobacco companies frequently communicate with consumers through email. Sometimes this communication is as frequent as nine times per month which likely helps tobacco companies with brand reinforcement.
Second, tobacco company email marketing serves a variety of purposes. The most commonly identified purpose was promotion of a contest. Tobacco companies regularly run contests for free prizes and giveaways. Most of these prizes are small and have little value (e.g. a water bottle, t-shirt, or headphones). However, some prizes are much larger (e.g. a free trip or car). In order to enter to win a prize of any size, participants must login to the tobacco company website. Therefore, emails that promote contests give recipients reason to visit a tobacco company website where they can be exposed to additional marketing. Emails also frequently promoted content on tobacco industry websites such as recipes, blogs, and videos. Emails promoting contests and web content had subject lines like “A trip to NOLA is waiting…. Enter for your chance to win” and “Discover the most unique night out in Dallas” from Marlboro and “You may just bag 1 of 600 deer antler kits” from Copenhagen. Emails also promoted coupons with subject lines like “Your next coupon is two clicks away” from Skoal. Coupons reduce the cost of tobacco products. This can reduce the public health impact of tobacco tax increases and encourage increased or continued tobacco use (see Fig. 1 for an example of a tobacco company email).