How Did Marlboro Become a Brand?

Hello, dear friend. Today, I would like to share one of the most fascinating branding stories with you. Let’s take a close look at how Marlboro, which is one of the first brands that comes to mind when cigarettes are mentioned and has been standing for years, has returned from the brink of bankruptcy.

According to statistics, the global population of smokers has risen by 1.1 billion. Despite knowing how dangerous smoking is, we continue to use it, and the number of people who do so is growing by the day. The number of people who have died as a result of smoking is likewise extremely terrible! According to the International Medical Journal Lancet, 7.7 million people die from smoking each year. In addition, one in every five men dies from smoking. Let’s not forget to remind ourselves, given the terrible statistics. Smoking kills.

Cigarette factories continue to sell despite the poor numbers, the heavy results and the rising prices. So, what happened, and who intervened to prevent Marlboro from going bankrupt? In a very savvy move,Philip Morris, which employed the guerilla marketing strategy to brand Marlboro, at the last moment saved a grand tobacco factory.

The Legandary Strategy Worked!

Perhaps it’s a myth or perhaps it’s true, but according to rumors, Philip Morris rescued the factory with guerilla marketing when things were not going well , when the Marlboro firm was created and a week before it went bankrupt. “I would increase revenues in a month,” he claimed, “but I would also like to have a 50% ownership in the company.” Morris, who was extremely ambitious, also promised that if he failed, he would wrap tobacco for free for the rest of his life.

Marlboro was about to go bankrupt when there was much more to give than to get, and the business became unworkable. As a result, they accepted Morris’s audacious offer because they had nothing to lose. If this offer had not been accepted, Marlboro would not be a company in our lives today, nor would it be among the world’s largest.

After accepting his offer, Morris proceeded to the warehouse where empty cigarette packages are stored and jumped on them. Yes, he really jumped. Then, Philip Morris collected all of the packages, which were becoming worn out , one by one and placed them in a box. He was waiting for everyone who lives in the city to sleep.

He flies around North America in the plane that was handed to him, dropping empty packages. Because this event takes place at night, folks who wake up in the morning are understandably confused and trying to figure out where the packages came from. Because the packages appear to have been used, the assumption is that Marlboro is a very nice cigarette that is enjoyed by everyone.

Over time, everyone gets used to seeing Marlboro, and because it is believed that it is consumed by everyone, people who buy cigarettes begin to prefer Marlboro. Thus, the strategy worked, and sales increased not by three, but by five times.

Turkish-Born Phillip Morris Made a Mark on the World

According to Forbes research, Marlboro, which has a net worth of more than $136 billion, has been spared by Philip Morris from bankruptcy. He was reportedly born in the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century. He is even recognized as the generous businessman from Manisa named Musa Eskanazi. Since he was a child, Morris, who is of Turkish Jewish origin, has worked in tobacco factories and cemeteries. Many years later, Morris, who was suffering from a very terrible illness at the time, visited the Turkish city of Manisa once more.  His doctor, who treated him over the course of his illness and showed a great deal of interest in him, was the reason for his return to Manisa. After he recovered, he donated a large amount of money to provide the name of his doctor at  hospital. Despite living far away, he has never forgotten his birthplace.

This real-life example has demonstrated the significance of the guerilla marketing strategy for the branding procedure.  I hope both this post and his life’s tale have inspired you. Take very excellent care of yourself!