Wednesday 19 September 2012

We're All Agreed Then

With a consultation on plain packaging underway in New Zealand, the tobacco control industry's lucratively pliant friends at the University of Otago have been happily producing 'science' to order.

Their latest offering comes to a stunning conclusion.
Results

Young adults distinguished between brands on the basis of their packaging alone, associated each brand with specific attributes, and were equally able to interpret familiar and unfamiliar brands.
Yes indeed, and it is the same for 'old' adults too, doncha know. And for all other products aside from tobacco, come to that.

Which, uncannily, is precisely what tobacco companies have been saying the packaging is for in their opposition to plain packaging. Here's an example - chosen at random - from JTI.
Packaging is essential to brand competition. Packaging is used by consumers to identify, obtain information about and choose tobacco products, easily and without confusion. Manufacturers use distinctive packaging to develop brand equity, innovate and compete.
So, we're all agreed, then. Good.

What with this and Cancer Research UK admitting that kids barely notice the packets, you've got to wonder why they're bothering with all this plain packs nonsense.

Oh yeah sorry, I forgot. They get paid for doing so, don't they. Silly me.


1 comment:

Patnurse said...

Plain packaging is the next stage of tobacco eradication and ultimately criminalisation of tobacco consumers which they're aiming for in 2032. They must get PP or they cannot proceed further to the next stage and their plans get a huge setback - until the next time it raises its head again after a few more years of denormalising quite normal people. One thing for sure - it's really not about health or saving children who are just convenient cannon fodder for the tobacco control industry to use as human shields in its war against adult consumers.