THE EXTENT OF CIGARETTE BRAND AND COMPANY SWITCHING - RESULTS FROM THE ADULT USE-OF-TOBACCO SURVEY

To evaluate the effects of cigarette advertising on brand switching, a n accurate estimate of the extent of cigarette brand and company switc hing among current smokers is needed. Data from the 1986 Adult Use-of- Tobacco Survey were analyzed to estimate the percentage of adult smoke rs who switched cigarette brands and companies in the previous year. A pproximately 9.2% of adult smokers (4.2 million) switched cigarette br ands in 1986, and 6.7% (3.1 million) switched cigarette companies. The aggregate profitability of brand switching in 1986 was approximately $362 million. Based on this analysis, brand switching alone justifies only a small percentage of a cigarette company's advertising and promo tion expenditures, suggesting that future research should address othe r potential effects of advertising, including maintenance of brand loy alty and expanding the cigarette market. Medical Subject Headings (MeS H): addictive behavior, advertising, smoking, tobacco.