Extensive Marketing Strategy Of Marlboro – Complete Overview

Quick Read

 

The marketing strategy of Marlboro, a leader in the tobacco industry, focuses on robust advertising campaigns and iconic branding. This article explores Marlboro’s advertising, target market, and overall marketing strategy, highlighting its innovative campaigns and strong market presence.

Marlboro, a leading brand in the tobacco industry, is renowned for its strong market presence and extensive product range, including cigarettes and other tobacco products. Known for its iconic branding and global reach, Marlboro has established itself as a major player in the sector.

In this case study, we will delve into understanding the marketing strategy of Marlboro from a marketing perspective. We’ll explore the 4Ps of the marketing mix, examine the marketing strategies it employs, and assess its performance in the digital landscape. This analysis will provide a comprehensive overview of Marlboro’s marketing approach.

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Buyer Persona

A buyer persona gives a detailed description of Marlbor’s ideal customer. Marlbor’s marketing strategy is based on its audience’s motivations, preferences, challenges, and online activities.

Based on the detailed breakdown, it’s no surprise that the marketing strategy of Marlboro features outdoor activities and sports in its marketing campaign to resonate with its target audience’s preferences.

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Marketing Strategy of Marlboro

Let’s learn the marketing strategy of Marlboro and how the company carries the marketing campaign.

Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning

Marlboro is classified as a premium cigarette segment, meaning the prices are higher than the average cost of tobacco products. As a part of the marketing strategy of Marlboro, the company has established itself as the premium cigarette company in the market. This means that the better the product, the higher the price of cigarettes.

Young adults are a key target market for tobacco companies, and they are a key target for Marlboro marketing, both in the USA and internationally.

As a part of Marlboro’s marketing campaign, the company focuses on young-oriented images that appeal to teenagers and feature young, attractive models partying, falling in love, adventure travelling and generally being ‘cool’. As a market leader, Marlboro positioned itself in the high-price segment with high-quality products.

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Digital Marketing Strategy of Marlboro

Social Media Marketing

Marlboro is not active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The tobacco industry and cigarette promotions are banned from direct promotion on social media platforms. However, cigarette manufacturing companies are allowed to promote products indirectly. For instance, the brand introduced the ‘Marlboro Cowboy’ advertisement.

Direct promotion of tobacco products from social media platforms can lead to a boost in the sales of cigarettes and ultimately cause instant surprise in health-related issues.

SEO Strategies

As per SEO ranking, it is said that the number of keywords – below 500 is bad, above 1,000 is good, and 10,000+ is amazing. Here, the website www.marlboro.com has 26 organic keywords (Keywords driving unpaid search traffic) which is bad. That means the digital marketing of Marlboro is gaining a bad number of insights.

Also, the traffic (number of visits) per month is around 6 which is not good in terms of SEO. Hence, Marlboro still needs improvements in its SEO strategies while working hard enough to keep the brand soaring in the Google organic SERP results.

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Influencer Marketing

Marlboro is famous for its strong ties to motorsports. Their most iconic partnership was with Ferrari, where Marlboro branding was prominently displayed on the team’s clothing. As part of Marlboro’s marketing strategy, the brand also sponsored other high-profile racing events like the Superbike World Championship and Grand Prix motorcycle racing.

Marlboro has collaborated with the motor racing team since the start. From the 1972 season with the sponsorship of Formula One team BRM.

• Marlboro sponsored the Arrows F1 team in 1994.
• Marlboro sponsored the EuroBrun team in 1988.
• Marlboro sponsored the Fittipaldi Automotive team in 1981.
• Marlboro sponsored the Forti F1 team in the year 1995 and 1996.
• Marlboro sponsored the Merzario team from 1977 until the team’s collapse in 1979.
• Marlboro sponsored the Minardi team in 1995.

As a part of the marketing strategy of Marlboro, the company collaborates with various celebrities for promotion and marketing on TV commercials, billboards, templates etc. and more. The one and only Marlboro man – Mr. Bob Norris is one of the biggest influencers and has graced thousands of billboards and magazine ads, always with a Marlboro cigarette. One amazing fact is that Bob Norris himself never smoked.

E-Commerce Strategies

In talking about the e-commerce strategies for marketing Marlboro, the brand has its website which is restricted to users below the age of 21 years. Only registered users approved by Marlboro who are smokers 21 years of age or older are allowed to access the website content.

Content Marketing Strategies

Marlboro releases its products via various traditional marketing sources such as banners, sponsorship, celebrity collaborations, etc. They don’t get involved in social media or blog writing. Marlboro products are meant to be sold directly through traditional channels.

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Marketing and Advertising Campaigns Designed by Marlboro’s Marketing Campaign

1. ‘Don’t be a maybe. Be Marlboro’

In December 2011, a puzzling advertising campaign emerged. Simple, stark billboards displayed a large, crossed-out word ‘MAYBE’ in bold black letters against a white background. The ads lacked any brand attribution, intentionally generating intrigue and curiosity.

A few weeks later, the campaign evolved. The ambiguous ‘MAYBE’ was replaced by advertisements featuring two choices and the tagline ‘Don’t be a maybe.’. Be Marlboro.’ This shift transformed the initial mystery into a clear brand message.

2. ‘Marlboro Cowboy’

As a part of the marketing strategy of Marlboro, the brand’s ads first appeared in the mid-1950s as part of Marlboro’s vision to appeal to the new filter cigarettes to men. This vision manifested in the iconic Marlboro Man, a symbol of masculinity and cigarettes. Throughout the year, various male figures represented the Marlboro Man, but the most revered in their ads and marketing was the iconic ‘Marlboro Cowboy’.

The Marlboro Cowboy figure spanned many successful campaigns that generated sales growth and made Marlboro the number-one tobacco brand in the world. The stunning appeal of the cowboys reached a broad audience and many of their successful ads depicting cowboys smoking in a natural environment while engaging in many activities were reflected in their success in appealing to a male audience.

To achieve global success, Marlboro’s ads utilised rhetorical elements including visuals, text, and symbolism.

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3. ‘Marlboro Man’

The ‘Marlboro Man’ is arguably one of the most successful marketing campaigns of the 20th century. Marlboro’s efforts to appeal to the male audience spanned the iconic brand image of the ‘American cowboy’ that even today we associate with cigarettes. Ultimately, the cowboy served as a masculine trademark and helped establish Marlboro as the best-selling cigarette brand in the world.

Despite the many health concerns from smoking that emerged during the campaigns executed as a result of the marketing strategy of Marlboro, the company was able to attract many customers through its iconic advertisements. This ad in particular is a perfect example of how many rhetorical elements such as visual, linguistic and symbolism were blended to create an image that is iconic and persuasive. Even after smoking advertisements were officially banned, the ‘Marlboro Cowboy’ ads left behind a legacy that is masculine and controversial.

 

The Marketing Strategy of Marlboro That Failed

One part of Marlboro’s marketing strategy, the ‘Digital Marlboro Man’ campaign aimed to update the iconic Marlboro Man image by integrating modern digital elements and appealing to a younger, tech-savvy audience. The campaign featured ads combining the classic rugged imagery with digital enhancements and social media interactions.

Issue: A campaign attempting to modernise the Marlboro Man with digital elements was criticised for losing the essence of the brand’s rugged individualism.

Backlash: This Marlbaro’s marketing campaign faced backlash from long-time loyal customers and was deemed inauthentic, leading to negative publicity.

Response: Marlboro quickly pulled the campaign, reverting to its traditional imagery while exploring more subtle digital engagement strategies.

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Top Competitors That Influence the Marketing Strategy of Marlboro

Marlboro is not the only company that dominates the tobaco industry. Many other players can have a huge impact on Malboro’s marketing strategy:

• Camel: Known for its distinctive taste and innovative marketing strategies.
• Newport: Popular for its menthol cigarettes and strong market presence.
• Lucky Strike: Renowned for its historical branding and strong market presence in the premium segment.
• Winston: Known for its American heritage and quality products.
• Pall Mall: Offers value-for-money products with a strong market share in the economy segment.

 

Conclusion

Marlboro’s global appeal and premium brand image have solidified its position in the market. While the brand has faced minimal competition, it’s clear that digital marketing is an area where Marlboro can continue to grow and evolve.

We hope this blog has provided valuable insights into the marketing strategy of Marlboro. Please share your opinions with us in the comments below.

 

Learning From Other Brands

In comparison with other brands, the SWOT analysis of Grab highlights the company’s strengths in ride-hailing and food delivery services, while identifying opportunities for expansion into new markets and technological advancements. This analysis showcases how understanding internal and external factors can drive strategic decisions and market leadership.

Similarly, the marketing strategy of Red Bull leverages high-energy advertising, sponsorships of extreme sports, and content marketing to connect with a young, active audience, highlighting the importance of lifestyle branding and community engagement in achieving growth.

Additionally, the ITC marketing strategy focuses on extensive product diversification, strategic alliances, and robust distribution networks to cater to the diverse needs of consumers. These examples illustrate how well-crafted marketing strategies can help brands excel in their respective industries and foster long-term customer loyalty.