Witco boss: We’re not afraid of competition

Philip Morris International is getting ready to duel West Indian Tobacco Company (WITCO) for a piece of the lucrative smoker’s market.

Phillip Morris’ foray into the local market will be done through the brand, Marlboro, which is expected to be  launched soon. Witco’s Managing Director, Anthony Phillip, said his company was, “not afraid of competition, never been.”   WITCO  is a divison of British American Tobacco (BAT). He said he expected that when Philip Morris launches in TT, the company will comply with the International Marketing Standards it signed with BAT and Japan Tobacco. Cigarettes have come into the market over the years, he said, “but we are confident of the strength of our own brands.” Witco, for instance, he said, does not use persons under 25 in its promotions and since 2001 has put a total ban on radio and television advertising since December 2001. Billboards,  he  added, are not placed less than 100 metres from schools. “I expect that Philip Morris behave as we have been behaving, in terms of advertising codes,” he said, adding that he hoped people competing against us “respect how we market in TT and behave accordingly.”     

On its website, Phillip Morris said that its “ marketing is about encouraging adult smokers to choose our brands. We don’t target children in our marketing: children shouldn’t smoke. But we know some do and that’s why we are supporting youth smoking prevention programmes worldwide. “But marketing cigarettes responsibly,” the company added, “ is about more than youth smoking prevention, although that is a priority issue.” “We’re implementing our policy — to put health warnings on all our packaging and advertising — throughout the world, whether we are required to do so by local laws or not.” Many countries, the global cigarette giant said, already restrict tobacco marketing. “We fully support laws that are designed to reduce children’s exposure to tobacco advertising, yet allow us to keep talking to adult smokers.”