Lynda Mitchell is 52 and she is dying from smoking. She lives in the U.K. and grew up in a household where smoking was the norm; her parents routinely smoked 60 cigarettes per day. It’s not overly surprising that Lynda would be a prime candidate to contract Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but what is surprising, is that Lynda has never smoked a cigarette in her life.
Everyone knows that tobacco products are addictive, this should be no surprise by now. Once someone starts using, they’re almost guaranteed to be hooked, but with everyone aware of the effects of tobacco use it has to make you wonder: why do people even start in the first place?
These days, it seems like anything you can buy comes in two versions: regular and “green.” With so many products being made using environmentally friendly items, being planet-conscious is as easy as checking the label at the store. However, that’s not the case for ALL products.
Smoking is kind of a funny thing in that everyone has heard and fully understands the risks associated with smoking but people choose to do it anyway. The general theory on why people keep smoking (other than becoming addicted) is denial. If you can convince yourself that the hazards are old news and it “couldn’t happen to you” then maybe you can justify it.
There has been mass advancement in tobacco prevention amongst activists, from government programs and grants, social media pages, to creatively manufactured media campaigns buuuuuut…the Internet hasn’t played a huge role in tobacco prevention until the early 2000’s.
I suppose it was only a matter of time. Sly marketing has been the surprisingly spry crutch of the tobacco industry for decades despite a general knowing better. People get smarter – nay, more EDUCATED – but big tobacco also wises up as the sand trickles down the glass and they learn to combat new evidence with new marketing. (more…)
Branding is important. If you’re going to sell something, whether it be a product or a service, the establishment of a brand identity is key. Endless research, testing and evaluation goes into the longevity of a good brand but what do you if all of the sudden, you’re not allowed to brand the way that has made you a success. (more…)
It always strikes me as odd just how far people are willing to go in order to smoke. On one hand, I fully understand that the addiction to nicotine is absolutely crippling and most smokers aren’t strong enough to resist it but on the other hand, I want to just say “really??!!?” (more…)
