Marlboro SNUS going national today, March 11, 2010..

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March 11, 2010 - Michael E. Szymanczyk, Altria's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, recently participated in the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference in Boca Raton, Florida. He discusses Altria's marketing strategy, "One new business opportunity for us is filling the increasing demand for smokeless products among adult smokers who do not find current MST [moist smokeless tobacco, or snuff] satisfactory.” Szymanczyk said those tobacco users are seeking smokeless tobacco that doesn’t require them to spit the way they must with moist snuff. (Altria - new marketing strategy with emphasis on Marlboro SNUS..)

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Philip Morris USA has revamped the Marlboro Snus concept with new packaging, product enhancements and pricing. Notice that there's only 6-pouches per container down from 12-pouches per container. Marlboro snus has sold for as little as 99 cents per container in the Phoenix, AZ area. (Altria - Barclays Conference - new version of Copenhagen, more markets for Marlboro SNUS..

Back in November 2009 Marlboro Snus market test was expanded to select markets in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, and Colorado. (Altria to Expand Marlboro Snus Test, Convenience Store News, 11/9/2009)

Initially, it was felt that just the Marlboro brands would make the smokeless entries successful. This just has not happened. Nik Modi, a UBS tobacco analyst has stated, "The Marlboro brand name is not as transferable as many originally believed." Altria's growth depends on the Marlboro name.. Kessler, CEO UST: Clearly Marlboro is a great cigarette brand. That said, history clearly shows that it is difficult to extend brands from one category to another. UST, Inc. NOT Worried About New Moist Snuff Entry - Marlboro.

PM USA - discontinues Marlboro Moist Snuff & revamps Marlboro Snus..

Murray S. Kessler, former vice-chair at Altria and formerly the chairman and CEO of smokeless tobacco company UST Inc., who left Altria in June 2009 comments on snus. Kessler had been very disappointed in the total performance of whether -- they call it Snus or we call it spit-free. We've been testing this thing now for seven years (Revel). The newer entrance [entrees], if you go back, is now, in original markets, is over two years, and it is not gaining the traction, given the level of investment that's been put there. Kessler has stated in the past that "Nine out of 10 smokers that try smokeless still reject the product." Mr.Butler has also been very disappointed with the progress of the SNUS segment in total. The entire segment itself has gained very little traction, and we had plans to be more aggressive. Frankly, we are revisiting those because the size of this market and how slowly it's developing -- it's so tiny and taking so long to gain any traction. (UST, Inc. Executives Very Disappointed in Sales of the Entire SNUS Segment..; UST, Inc. Don't view SNUS as something that has a major impact on our core business.; Nine Out of Ten Smokers Who Try Smokeless Still Reject the Product...) (Murray Kessler leaving Altria at the end of June 2009..)

Some related news briefs:
Marlboro SNUS market test being expanded..;
How's SNUS doing in the U.S. - will Susan Ivey tell us the truth??;
More on Marlboro MST & Marlboro Snus..;
Altria will continue to test Marlboro Smokeless Tobacco Products..;
Marlboro MST / Marlboro SNUS - Philip Morris USA (PM) Trying to Paint a Rosie Picture..;
Philip Morris USA (PM) continues to stumble in the smokeless tobacco arena..;
The Art of Snusing..;
For more information do a random search of the archive..