Open AccessAltria Means Tobacco: Philip Morris’s Identity Crisis
Author(s) -
Elizabeth A. Smith,
Ruth E. Malone
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.93.4.553
Subject(s) - tobacco industry , tobacco control , corporate identity , plan (archaeology) , control (management) , identity (music) , exploit , business , public relations , management , political science , law , medicine , public health , computer security , economics , computer science , art , history , nursing , archaeology , aesthetics
Philip Morris Companies, the world's largest and most profitable tobacco seller, has changed its corporate name to The Altria Group. The company has also embarked on a plan to improve its corporate image. Examination of internal company documents reveals that these changes have been planned for over a decade and that the company expects to reap specific and substantial rewards from them. Tobacco control advocates should be alert to the threat Philip Morris's plans pose to industry focused tobacco control campaigns. Company documents also suggest what the vulnerabilities of those plans are and how advocates might best exploit them.