Philip Morris USA is introducing a smokeless product under its Marlboro brand name called Marlboro SNUS pouches (12-pouches per slidepak container).

June 9, 2007 - Philip Morris USA is introducing a smokeless product under its Marlboro brand name called Marlboro SNUS pouches (12-pouches per slidepak container). Right now PM is test marketing a smokeless, spitless product called Taboka (Tobaccopaks) Original and Taboka Green (the menthol version) in Indianapolis, IN. The field testing of this product will continue. Starting in August 2007 Marlboro SNUS will be introduced in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and will come in 4-varieties: rich, mild, mint and spice. PM New Product Fact Sheet.

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The word on the street is that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco is expanding its test marketing of...

June 8, 2007 - The word on the street is that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco is expanding its test marketing of Camel SNUS (three varieties: original, frost and spice) into North Carolina. Reynolds is paying c-store owners extra for the placement of promotional material where it gets the maximum exposure. Sellers are told to emphasis that this product can be used anywhere, anytime and anyplace no one will ever know. Just what the youth of America need to know. June 13, 2007 The Raleigh test market would include convenience stores and tobacco-retail outlets as far west as the eastern part of Greensboro, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco spokesman David Howard said yesterday. Reynolds also has selected Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Mo., and Orlando, Fla., as test markets, according to Rob Dunham, a vice president of new growth innovation. The company has been testing the snus products in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Ore., for more than a year. (Winston-Salem Journal - journalnow.com)Philip Morris has been testing Taboka Tobaccopacks in the Indianapolis area since July 2006. (TobaccoWatch.org).

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Nova Scotia (NS) - ban on point of sale tobacco advertising

June 6, 2007 - Nova Scotia (NS) - ban on point of sale tobacco advertising (March 31, 2007). HALIFAX - The Canadian Cancer Society applauds the NS provincial government for the development of strong regulations that prohibit the display of tobacco products in retail outlets and the use of signage to promote tobacco sales. “Removal of these displays and signage in Nova Scotia ensures that youth and children will not consistently be exposed to the availability of tobacco products, nor encouraged to take up smoking,” says Maureen Summers, Executive Director of the Society’s Nova Scotia Division. Many countries, including Canada, have banned traditional forms of tobacco advertising. In response, tobacco companies have made point of sale advertising one of their main marketing tools. Tobacco product displays and signage are extremely important and powerful advertising tools that are left available to the tobacco industry. Retail displays also work to encourage impulse purchases by occasional (non-daily) smokers and among ex-smokers struggling to resist cravings and stay smoke-free. “Tobacco products, and tobacco company logos and brands, should simply not be visible. – out of sight, out of mind,” says Summers. Nova Scotia has become the eighth province to ban tobacco advertising in retail stores, joining Saskatchewan (March 11, 2002), Manitoba (January 1, 2004), Nunavut (February 1, 2004, Prince Edward Island (June 1, 2006), Ontario (May 31, 2008), Quebec (May 31, 2008), and Northwest Territories (awaiting proclamation). (Lesley Mulcahy, Communications Coordinator, Nova Scotia Division, Canadian Cancer Society, phone: 902-423-6183 ext. 283) Click on image to enlarge..

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NEW DEEP DISCOUNT SMOKELESS BRAND (BOBCAT) IS MAKING WAVES...

June 6, 2007 - NEW DEEP DISCOUNT SMOKELESS BRAND (BOBCAT) IS MAKING WAVES. Bobcat, a new smokeless tobacco brand, was launched recently by American Smokeless Tobacco Company (ASTC), a small private company. According to our industry contacts, Bobcat (the motto: "Price gets em, quality keeps em") has been selling out in virtually every store where it is sold. Therefore, we anticipate potential downtrading pressure on key brands (Grizzly, Copenhagen and Skoal). In our opinion, Bobcat, which has been rolled-out in roughly 19 key smokeless tobacco states and is positioned as a deep discount (4th tier) smokeless tobacco product, could actually have a greater impact on the entrenched players than investors first anticipate. Therefore, we maintain our cautious stance and Sell rating on UST (UST.N - US$53.4; 3M) and our Hold rating on Reynolds American (RAI.N - US$64.6; 2M), the owners of Conwood. (Bonnie Herzog, Tobacco Weekly Trends, Smith Barney Message Board)

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In announcing the launch of a new line of moist smokeless tobacco (MST), US Smokeless Tobacco Company (USST), a subsidiary of UST Inc.

June 6, 2007 - In announcing the launch of a new line of moist smokeless tobacco (MST), US Smokeless Tobacco Company (USST), a subsidiary of UST Inc. (NYSE: UST), said yesterday that the MST category was growing by more than six per cent annually, making it one of the fastest growing consumer packaged goods categories at retail. (Cigarette sales declined 2.4% in 2006, Maxwell Report - Richmond, VA.) USST announced that it was going to introduce an all new line of premium MST products designed to make its core brand, Copenhagen, ‘more approachable for adult smokers’. Cope will be available in retail outlets from September 17 in three long-cut varieties: Smooth Hickory, Whiskey Blend Flavor and Straight. "Our research has shown that one of the most significant contributing factors to the extraordinary growth of the MST category has been adult smokers making the switch to smokeless tobacco, primarily Skoal," said Thano Chaltas, vice-president, marketing. "With the new premium Cope line of products, our core Copenhagen brand will now be able to play a larger role in adult smoker conversion and will help to sustain MST category growth going forward." (Tobacco Reporter)

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