Why Benson Hedges #2 gay cigarette?
cbe
>The aug 13 Wall Street Journal says that cigarette companies are
>targeting gays after they found out that Benson & Hedges is the
>#2 cigarette for gays even though it's nowhere near the top ten
>for all men. Says Overlooked opinions found 27% of gays smoked,
>about the same as 25% overall by other studies. Is the popularity
>of B&H from the fact that it was marketed as a woman's cigarette,
>and a large number of gay smokers are effeminite? Some claim that
>gays are no more likely to be effeminate than non-gays, but I
>don't trust that claim, especially with the gay brain stuff that
>says some of these behaviors are hard-wired. ( I don't buy that
>all gays are that way - gay seems to encompass a wide variety of
>non-typical sexual categories)
>Anyways, thought you folks would find it interesting.
Hmmmm....could it be that gay men smoke more, proportionately, than do
straight men and thereby make a good target market?
Colburn Eigen H|u> = E|u>
Scott Amspoker
>The aug 13 Wall Street Journal says that cigarette companies are
>targeting gays after they found out that Benson & Hedges is the
>#2 cigarette for gays even though it's nowhere near the top ten
>for all men.
>of B&H from the fact that it was marketed as a woman's cigarette,
>and a large number of gay smokers are effeminite?
>Anyways, thought you folks would find it interesting.
I can't recall ever seeing a gay man smoke Benson & Hedges. I think I
would notice something like that. Personally, I usually smoke
Lucky Strike unfiltered although I recently quit.
--
Scott Amspoker |
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM | Too bad ignorance isn't really
| bliss. Then it could be outlawed.
sc...@bbx.basis.com |
Bil Gonzalez
> In article <63...@cup.portal.com> Arthu...@cup.portal.com writes:
> >The aug 13 Wall Street Journal says that cigarette companies are
> >targeting gays after they found out that Benson & Hedges is the
> >#2 cigarette for gays even though it's nowhere near the top ten
> >for all men.
> > ...Is the popularity
> >of B&H from the fact that it was marketed as a woman's cigarette,
> >and a large number of gay smokers are effeminite?
> >[...]
> >Anyways, thought you folks would find it interesting.
>
> I can't recall ever seeing a gay man smoke Benson & Hedges. I think I
> would notice something like that. Personally, I usually smoke
> Lucky Strike unfiltered although I recently quit.
>
started smoking B&H Deluxe Ultra Lights. It seemed to be the
"popular" brand at the club (where I also worked). Besides having a
box that looked "sophisticated", we also liked the name. It sounded
sophisticated (I personally prefer Dunnhills for the same reasons).
Keeping in mind that none of us "really" smoked, this was, however,
our most popular brand. A few months later, when one of my friends
got a job at a local convenience store, he told me that a lot of guys
came in asking for the H&B DUL's. He said that he could determine the
sexual preferences of customers by the cigarettes they bought.
________________________________________________________
Bil Gonzalez
bgo...@math.rutgers.edu
"...Not to say that I'm in love with you, but who's to say that I'm
not..."
MZ Rules!
Bil Gonzalez
> A few months later, when one of my friends got a job at a local
> convenience store, he told me that a lot of guys
> came in asking for the H&B DUL's.
Of course, I meant B&H DUL's - Benson and Hedges Deluxe Ultra Lights.
________________________________________________________
Bil Gonzalez
bgo...@math.rutgers.edu
" `And I wonder will I live with any lover,
or spend my life alone?'
Ain't self-pity grand?"
J. N. Shaumeyer
> .... A few months later, when one of my friends
> got a job at a local convenience store, he told me that a lot of guys
> came in asking for the H&B DUL's. He said that he could determine the
> sexual preferences of customers by the cigarettes they bought.
Do you suppose that I have a genetic predisposition
for the non-filtered Camels that I smoke?
I can't wait to hear how your [I-can-tell-by-the-way-
they-smoke] friend would diagnose my condition.
[Obvious deathwish aside.]
--jns
Jess Anderson
In article <1992Aug15.0...@wam.umd.edu>
j...@wam.umd.edu (J. N. Shaumeyer) writes:
>Do you suppose that I have a genetic predisposition
>for the non-filtered Camels that I smoke?
>I can't wait to hear how your [I-can-tell-by-the-way-
>they-smoke] friend would diagnose my condition.
I thought it was -by-what-they-smoke, but I'm interested
in the answer, since that's my brand as well.
I used to smoke Home Runs or Gauloise (both unfiltered,
short, strong). Now (for the past 25 years or so), it's
Camel straights (unfiltered, short, strong).
Fuckin'-A, right?
--
Jess Anderson <> Madison Academic Computing Center <> University of Wisconsin
Internet: ande...@macc.wisc.edu <-best, UUCP:{}!uwvax!macc.wisc.edu!anderson
NeXTmail w/attachments: ande...@yak.macc.wisc.edu Bitnet: anderson@wiscmacc
Room 3130 <> 1210 West Dayton Street / Madison WI 53706 <> Phone 608/262-5888
Bil Gonzalez
> Bil Gonzalez (bgo...@math.rutgers.edu) wrote:
>
> > .... A few months later, when one of my friends
> > got a job at a local convenience store, he told me that a lot of guys
> > sexual preferences of customers by the cigarettes they bought.
>
> Do you suppose that I have a genetic predisposition
> for the non-filtered Camels that I smoke?
>
> I can't wait to hear how your [I-can-tell-by-the-way-
> they-smoke] friend would diagnose my condition.
>
> [Obvious deathwish aside.]
>
> --jns
First of all, I should clarify that I thought that my friend's
attitude was a bit ridiculous. He is the kind of person who puts
everyone in stereotypes, claims that you can get ANY man into bed with
a little coaxing, and believes that gays should act, dress, talk,
etc., in a certain stereotypical way. Likewise, any man that may seem
straight, would be suspected of really being gay if he also
demonstrated one of these stereotypical traits. Although I
acknowledge that there are certain trends of behavior in groups of
people in general, and the gay community in particular, I don't
believe in the stereotypes as I myself can not be easily categorized
by them.
Nonetheless, we did a little study about cigarette smoking, and
noticed that most of the gay man that we knew (in a very closed
University environment) did not smoke for "real". They did it as part
of an image, and the brands that they selected were part of that
image. We found that most smoked name brands that had a reputation -
Marlboro or Camels being the most popular among "straight acting" or
tough acting men, B&H being popular with the "regular" or average gays
who were trying to act sophisticated and adult by smoking, and the
"artsy" guys going for the imported variety or clove cigarettes.
There were exceptions to our makeshift rules, but generally they held. At
the time, I guess, I fit into the latter group preferring Dunnhills,
but also smoked B&H to "fit in" with the pseudo-sophisticado group.
Of course I'm not saying that this is indeed the reason that B&H is so
popular among gay men, but my personal experience tells me that it is
not a far-fetched idea. I originally responded to a previous post (I
don't remember who the original poster was), in which that person
mentioned that they never saw gay men smoking B&H cigarettes. I am just
relaying first-hand information to the contrary.
___________________________________________________________________
Bil Gonzalez
bgo...@math.rutgers.edu
===================================================================
Of course the opinions expressed are my own.
I don't claim they are, nor try to make them, anyone else's.
===================================================================
"Who is she?
Who was she?
Who does she hope to be?"
- Harold
in THE BOYS IN THE BAND
___________________________________________________________________
Scott Amspoker
>I used to smoke Home Runs or Gauloise (both unfiltered,
>short, strong). Now (for the past 25 years or so), it's
>Camel straights (unfiltered, short, strong).
>
>Fuckin'-A, right?
Nah. Camel unfiltered was my backup if Lucky Strike wasn't available (like
in a vending machine).
Jess Anderson
In article <9...@bbx.basis.com> sc...@bbx.basis.com (Scott
Amspoker) writes:
>In article <1992Aug15.0...@macc.wisc.edu>
ande...@macc.wisc.edu (Jess Anderson) writes:
>>I used to smoke Home Runs or Gauloise (both unfiltered,
>>short, strong). Now (for the past 25 years or so), it's
>>Camel straights (unfiltered, short, strong).
>>Fuckin'-A, right?
>Nah. Camel unfiltered was my backup if Lucky Strike wasn't
>available (like in a vending machine).
I'm only going on about this because some fool thinks Camels
are so butch. In my case, that's a real laugh! However, in
my life-long struggle with cigaret vending machines, I've
observed that they more often have Luckies than Camels if
they have any unfiltered short cigs. I buy Luckies if I
can't get Camels (just opposite of you, I guess).
But though I can get all the way through a pack of Luckies,
they have (you should forgive the phrase) a fruity taste (as
in sweet, aromatic) of some kind, to my palate. What I
wonder is, is this the thing you miss when forced to smoke a
Camel?
(God, what people won't do for a drug!)
John Fisher
In article <63...@cup.portal.com>,
Arthu...@cup.portal.com writes:
> The aug 13 Wall Street Journal says that cigarette companies are
> targeting gays after they found out that Benson & Hedges is the
> #2 cigarette for gays even though it's nowhere near the top ten
> for all men. Says Overlooked opinions found 27% of gays smoked,
> about the same as 25% overall by other studies. Is the popularity
> of B&H from the fact that it was marketed as a woman's cigarette,
> and a large number of gay smokers are effeminite? Some claim that
> gays are no more likely to be effeminate than non-gays, but I
> don't trust that claim, especially with the gay brain stuff that
> says some of these behaviors are hard-wired. ( I don't buy that
> all gays are that way - gay seems to encompass a wide variety of
> non-typical sexual categories)
>
> Anyways, thought you folks would find it interesting.
Fascinating! Fascinating!
Anyhow, I'm able to bring you the *full* story, which
you can see in the figures under:
-------------------------------------------------------------
B&H Ethel Balloons Gay Boy Nicaragua
Merman Brains Scouts
Asians 1 2 3 4 5 6
Effeminites 7 8 9 10 11 12
Lesbian 13 14 15 16 17 18
Draftees
BHPITRL 19 20 21 22 23 24
Scottish 25 26 27 28 29 30
Bisexuals
Libertarians 31 32 33 34 35 36
Employees of 37 38 39 40 41 42
SUN
Normal Acting 43 44 45 46 47 48
Masculine Guys
People with 49 50 51 52 53 54
No Butts
--------------------------------------------------------------
I think this prove that Asians like Benson and Hedges 18
times less than Lesbian Draftees approves Nicaraguan new
sodomy law. On the other hand, Libertarians are three times
more likely to go up in a balloon than Effeminites are to
join Scouts. And five times as many People with No Butts
like Ethel Merman as Effeminites have a Gay Brain.
This figures hold many truths about Gay condition in our
country today. Study them and you folks could get help
overcome your Problem. Instead, only PC people must post
nonsense which no statistics (approved by government)
supports. Really stupid.
Why you people are so interested to conceal these facts.
I'm only trying be informative.
--John
Ron Buckmire
This was posted to Gay...@athena.mit.edu by Loren Meissner:
(Disclaimers: I am posting this for informational purposes only. The views
expressed in the story are not necessarily my own. Please do not flame me
or mention me in any flames related to this story. This story
reprinted without permission. Typos are mine. [Material in brackets
[] is mine]. Thanks.)
------
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Thursday August 13, 1992. Page B1
Advertising [Column] by Joanne Lipman
PHILIP MORRIS TO PUSH BRAND ON GAY MEDIA
The tobacco industry, after being beaten back in its controversial efforts
to woo blacks and women, may be turning its marketing muscle on another
minority: homosexuals.
In a move that could prompt renewed fury over tobacco marketing,
industry giant, Philip Morris Cos. next month will unveil Benson & Hedges
Special Kings - an 85-millimeter version of its longer, upscale smoke -
with ads directed in part at the homosexual market. Among other
publications, the brand's introductory ad campaign is scheduled to appear
in the October/November issue of Genre, a fashion and life style magazine
for homosexual men. The ad campaign apparently marks the first time that a
major tobacco company has advertised in the national gay press.
Philip Morris stressed that its new Kings brand, scheduled to be
introduced Sept. 7, is geared to young, affluent smokers, not just
homosexuals. Philip Morris plays down advertising in homosexual magazines,
saying Genre represents only a tiny fragment of a media plan that
includes such mass publications as Esquire and GQ. The brand is designed
for smokers 21 to 34, male and female, a spokeswoman said. "Genre happens
to reach part of the market we're looking for."
Yet the move to advertise in the national gay press is unprecedented
for a tobacco company as conservative as stodgy Philip Morris, the very
company behind the macho Marlboro Man. It reflects the economic realities
facing all tobacco marketers today. Smoking continues to decline at a
rapid clip and loyalty to premium-priced brands is eroding.
The gay market, meanwhile, "has more brand loyalty and discretionary
dollars," says Don Tuthill, Genre's publisher. "We're the people who spend
a few more dollars, and we'd probably switch brands" to support a marketer
that caters to homosexuals.
Philip Morris's plans to include the homosexual-oriented publication in
its advertising is already inflaming critics. "We're opposed to any kind
of targetting, whether its youth, women, blacks, hispanics and now gays,"
said Scott Ballin [sic] a spokesman for the anti-smoking group Coalition
for Smoking or Health, when told of the cigarette giant's campaign.
For the critics, Philip Morris's pursuit of homosexuals is reminiscent
of efforts of the rival RJR Nabisco to target blacks and blue-collar
women. More than two years ago the public outcry over those plans forced
RJR to shelve Uptown, a smoke targeted to blacks. Shortly afterward, RJR
also succumbed to public pressure and dumped Dakota, a sort of female
version of Marlboro designed to appeal to "virile females."
Philip Morris's effort-even as part of a far broader marketing mix -
amounts to "the same thing," Mr. Ballin contended.
Yet the homosexual market may be too tempting to pass up,
particularly for Benson and Hedges. The brand has been hemmorhaging share
points in recent years, despite a switch in ad agencies and campaigns in
an attempt to revive it. Currently, Benson & Hedges is the eighth-largest
brand in the U.S. with a 3.2% share, according to the Maxwell Consumer
Report. Among homosexual men, though, Benson & Hedges is the second most
popular brand, with an 11% share, according to Overlooked Opinions, a
Chicago consulting firm specializing in the homosexual and lesbian market.
"It might be an aggressive strategy to resuscitate the brand" by
openly courting the homosexual market, suggested Edward Popper [sic] ,
dean of Aurora (Ill.) University"S School of Business and Professional
Studies. But he warned: "It is a risky strategy> There are enough
homophobes out there that if they saw it as a 'gay product' they wouldn't
smoke the brand. Philip Morris is risking that franchise."
At Philip Morris, though, the spokeswoman scoffs at these concerns.
"No marketing decisions were based on 'gay affinity' for the Benson &
Hedges brand," she said. "The whole thing is very simple" The only reason
we're in this publication is because it reached young adult males,
aspirational, with higher-than-average income."
In any case, other broad-based marketers have taken the risk without
any major backlash. Absolut vodka was one of the first advertisers to test
the waters with ads in gay publications, and is now one of the biggest
advertisers in the gay press. Other advertisers in the current issue of
Genre - which features a cover story called "Mr. & Mr. Jackson-Paris,"
about a Mr. Universe and his model "husband," include Virgin Atlantic
Airways, Hiram Walker & Sons Inc's Opal Nera Sambuca, Naya bottled water
and Carillion Importers" Bombay Sapphire gin.
Philip Morris's choice to advertise in the homosexual publication is
another "sign that the tide is turning. Major marketers are beginning to
understand the niche market mentality," says Genre's Mr. Tuthill. It's a
very significant turning point."
Mr. Tuthill fully expects a backlash from activists incensed that
the tobacco giant would market a potentially lethal product to
homosexuals. Already, the homosexual population appears to have a slightly
higher incidence of smoking than the general population. Just over 25% of
adults nationwide smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control's
Office on Smoking and Health. But about 27% of adult homosexuals smoke,
estimates Overlooked Opinions. And Genre has already gotten complaints for
taking so many liquor ads, which critics say contributes to alcoholism
among homosexuals. But Mr. Tuthill- whose magazine, of course, relies on
attracting national advertisers of any stripe for survival - defends the
rights of so-called sin products to target homosexuals. Its the people,
not products, that cause problems, he insisted. "We all have a choice; We
can choose to smoke or not to smoke. We can't be everybody's keeper."
[end of main body of article]
[A graphic is presented of largest cigarette brands in the general
population and among gay men. The source for the general population data
is attributed to The Maxwell Consumer Report (based on shipments. The
source for the data on gay men is attributed to Overlooked Opinions
(based on a survey of personal preferences. Here are the rankings:
General Population:
1. Marboro
2. Winston
3. Salem
4. Newport
5. Doral
6. Kool
7. Camel
Gay men:
1. Marlboro
2. Benson & Hedges
[three brands are listed as #3]
3. Winston
Camel
Salem
6. Merit
7. Pall Mall
----------
--
RON BUCKMIRE, 11 Colvin Circle, Troy, NY 12180-3735. ``D.C. in 93!''
vox:(518)-276-8910 fax:(518)-276-6920 buc...@rpi.edu buc...@rpitsmts.bitnet
92 of the 400 richest Americans *inherited* their wealth. Source: _Details_.