The strategies used by cigarette
suppliers to conquer new consumers in Cameroon seems fruitful, from free
distribution of their products and even the use of media to stimulate
consumption.
The tobacco industry at the moment
is initiating an offensive in order to increase its profits and render the
Cameroonian population more dependent on tobacco. In effect, we notice almost
every week the appearance of a new cigarette brand. This action of the industry
is supported by an aggressive marketing at the four angles of the country.
In Yaounde for example, “cigarettes girls” are paid to parade night clubs, snacks and public places. This is to excite youths to smoke cigarettes with really strange names. Recently, the innovation has been free testing. Actually, to implement newly imported brands, the strategies consist of: Proximity trade deposits, shops, stalls and other cartridges cigarettes of brand X. These cigarettes are offered for free to any person who wants to get cigs or smoke. Smoking is free here. The only restriction to this tasting is the deposit of packs at the sales point, who will latter transfer it to the tobacco company for payment".
Observing keenly this new strategy
reveals that each cartridge has 3 series of free testing’s before starting the
sales of a new product. According to
