The New Philip Morris International (PMI) and the Marlboro Man is finally free to roam the globe unfettered by the legal and marketing shackles of the

March 31, 2008 - The New Philip Morris International (PMI) and the Marlboro Man is finally free to roam the globe unfettered by the legal and marketing shackles of the U.S. domestic market.. Benefits for both the slimmer Altria and the new international company will be realized, but I think the international division will flourish on its own thanks to its leadership position in the international cigarette market and the strength and marketing potential of its global brand. PMI's is the world's leading tobacco company and the third most profitable international consumer goods company. It generated revenue in excess of $55 billion and operating profit of roughly $8.9 billion in fiscal 2007. The company sells its products in some 160 countries and owns seven of the top 15 brands in the world, including Marlboro, Parliament, Virginia Slims, and L&M. In all, PMI held a 15.6% share of the international cigarette market in 2007. The company is especially strong in the higher-margin premium segment of the market, where it estimates that it held a 52.4% share (excluding China) in 2007. According to Business Week's annual rankings report, "The Best Global Brands 2007," the Marlboro brand was worth a cool $21.3 billion, placing it 14th on the list, and ahead of such household names as American Express and PepsiCo. In 2007, Marlboro's volume of 311 billion units was larger than the next three best selling international brands combined. It also outsells the total combined volume of all of British American Tobacco's global drive brands. PMI has already created a number of new Marlboro-branded products targeted at local markets. The number of cigarettes that Philip Morris, a division of Altria , sold in 2006: U.S./Canada: 184 billion, Asia Pacific: 197 billion, Eastern Europe: 229 billion and Western Europe: 242 billion. According to The Wall Street Journal, big tobacco companies are aiming squarely at developing countries, where populations are increasing and smoking is a status symbol. ( Smoking Around the World By Selena Maranjian, 2/22/2008. Some related news briefs concerned with the spin-off: March 28, 2008, March 12, 2008, March 9, 2008, February28, 2008, February 12, 2008, February 7, 2008, January 30, 2008, January 29, 2008, January 24, 2008, December 10, 2007, September 28, 2007, August 30, 2007 and April 20, 2007. Philip Morris International acquires Swedish SNUS manufacturer Rocker Production AB... (TobaccoWatch.org)