HOW DOES MARLBORO GENIUS LIFESTYLE MARKETING STRATEGY MAKE HIM A 58 BILLION-DOLLAR COMPANY?

The year 1964 marked an important moment in history. The United States government officially declared that cigarettes cause cancer, putting the $8 billion tobacco industry and the incomes of 750,000 families at stake. While most companies saw their sales plummeting, Marlboro miraculously went from having just a 1% market share to becoming the 4th largest cigarette brand in the world in less than a year. And after 1970, when cigarette advertisements were permanently banned from television, this brand became even more popular and went on to become the largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the world.

But how did they do it? What did Marlboro do differently that allowed them to thrive even after the cancer report and the subsequent ban that was supposed to kill their business? The answer lies in one of the most iconic marketing strategies ever witnessed by mankind, which is called lifestyle marketing.

CASE STUDY ON LIFESTYLE MARKETING-

Let's start by understanding lifestyle marketing using a simple example that is closer to home.