Not sure how long this has been in effect, but we were surfing today, and found something interesting (or bizarre, depending on your mindset – we thought parts of this story were a little bizarre) on the R.J. Reynolds site….we’ve cut out the crap and just included the pertinent parts.
R.J. Reynolds’ brand-portfolio strategy divides the company’s 21 brands into three categories — investment brands, selective-support brands and non-support brands.
Camel is an investment brand because it is R.J. Reynolds’ largest and fastest-growing full-price brand and has a track record of consistent share growth and marketplace momentum. And the brand’s relevant and unique positioning has made it one of the few full-price brands in the industry that has shown sustained growth.
Kool is an investment brand because its heritage and proven appeal among adult smokers of competitive menthol brands provide an excellent platform for future growth.
R.J. Reynolds will put limited marketing support behind these brands and focus on balancing the brands’ volume and profit: Winston, Salem, Doral, Pall Mall, Eclipse.
R.J. Reynolds will not provide marketing support for these brands, (but) the company will maintain the brands’ distribution where there is consumer demand: Barclay, Belair, Capri, Carlton, GPC, Lucky Strike, Misty, Monarch, More, Now, Private-Label Brands, Tareyton, Vantage, Viceroy
Winston, Salem, and More aren’t brands they want to market anymore, but Kool is? Obviously, they have the research, but it seemed strange to us – and will probably seem very sad to fans of Capri, Misty and More.
