MGT-331-01-SP11: Principles of Marketing

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

In Response to Laurie's Post on 1/30

            I couldn’t agree more with you.  As businessmen, or women, we try to fulfill certain demands within the consumer market by supplying the consumer with the product they want.  It is no longer a time in which the public is unaware of the health affects of smoking, we are taught this our whole lives.  But still people continue to smoke cigarettes and they are in high demand.  As you said, it’s not like they are putting the cigarette in your hand, they are just supplying a product that is demanded in the market. 
            Also, it is my opinion that if the anti-smoking companies can air their commercials all over television, it should only be fair to allow the tobacco companies to air their commercials as well.  You could also argue that if tobacco cannot air their commercials on television than why are beer companies?  Take the SuperBowl for example, every 3 or 4 commercials was an advertisement for beer!  I do not understand how people can trash cigarettes while the consumption of beer, if not done responsibly, can be many times worse than smoking.
            That being said, I completely understand why people dislike the tobacco companies and do not want their products to air on television.  All I’m saying is that there should not be such a double-standard as there is today.  Tobacco has ruined thousands of lives, but so has alcohol and you never here any bashing of the alcohol industry.  Plus, last I checked American was the home of the free, if you want a cigarette you should have the right to go and buy one.  And as you said, if you don’t want a cigarette than don’t buy it!

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