How does increasingly plainer cigarette packaging influence adult smokers perceptions about brand image?
An experimental study Package design is a key element of cigarette marketing, and in order to limit the effect of tobacco branding on cigarette consumption, some countries have implemented laws requiring generic tobacco packaging. In a recent study, Australian adult smokers were asked to evaluate the effects of cigarette branding and packaging on adults opinions about packs of cigarettes. Participants were also asked about their perceptions of smokers who would use those packs of cigarettes, and assumptions about the experience of smoking cigarettes from those packs. Plain brown cardboard packs were rated significantly less attractive and less popular than packs carrying the original branding. Respondents also perceived the type of people who would smoke cigarettes from the plain packs as less stylish, less sociable, and less mature than smokers of the branded packs. The findings suggest that plain packaging would help remove brand image associations, and might increase the visibility
