PM USA SAYS Marketing Broad Based and Does NOT Target Ethnicities..

November 25, 2007 - Philip Morris USA hosted on November 15, 2007 at Emeril's restaurant in South Beach (Miami Beach, FL) to convince people that they do not employ target marketing. Bill Phelps, manager of Media Affairs for PM USA, "Promotions are National, Marketing is broad based. We do not target ethnicities." In June 2007, a Coral Cables attorney filed suit against several tobacco companies including PM, accusing them of targeting black consumers. Phelps claims the future of PM is based upon developing ways to reduce the harm of the product and broadening the product base. ( "Philip Morris USA Discusses Target Marketing" by Tremene Triplett, Broward Times, 11/23/2007) It is interesting to note Philip Morris recently acquired John Middleton, Inc. the maker of pipe tobacco flavored cigars like Black & Mild. B&M is the second largest selling machine-made cigars in the United States - smoked mainly by young African Americans. (TobaccoWatch.org) Image by Sumner Hutcheson III - Click on Image to Enlarge.