title: Effects of brand variants on smokers' choice behaviours and risk perceptions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Australian tobacco companies have introduced evocative variant names that could re-create the aspirational connotations plain packaging aims to remove. To inform future regulation, we explored how brand descriptors affected smokers' responses to plain packs featuring different variant name combinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey of 254 daily smokers or social smokers aged between 18 and 34 used a within-subjects best-worst experiment to estimate the relative effects of variant names. A 2×4×4×4 design contained four attributes: quality (premium or none), taste (smooth, fine, rich or none) connotation (classic, midnight, infinite or none) and colour (red, blue, white or none). In a between-subjects component, respondents evaluated one of two alternative packs according to its perceived harm and ease of quitting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most important variant attribute was connotation, followed by taste, colour and quality; within these attributes, the most attractive descriptors were 'classic' and 'smooth'. We identified four distinct segments that differed significantly in their sociodemographic attributes and variant preferences, although not in their perceptions of the harm or quitting ease associated with two different variants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some descriptors significantly enhance the appeal of tobacco products among different groups of smokers and may undermine plain packaging's dissuasive intent. Policymakers should explicitly regulate variant names to avoid the 'poetry on a package' evident in Australia. Options include disallowing new descriptors, limiting the number of descriptors permitted or banning descriptors altogether.
authors: Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Janet
authors: J
authors: Hoek
authors: Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Gendall
authors: University of Technology Sydney, Business School, Marketing Discipline Group, Ultimo 2007 NSW, Australia.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Eckert
authors: Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: Joya
authors: J
authors: Kemper
authors: Institute for Choice, University of South Australia, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Jordan
authors: J
authors: Louviere
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001315:Australia; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011356:Product Labeling; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055697:Taste Perception; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Packaging and Labelling; Public policy; Tobacco industry