Produced by the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (SFNTC), Natural American Spirit cigarettes were introduced in 1982. RJ Reynolds acquired SFNTC in 2002 and SFNTC became parent-owned by Reynolds American Incorporated (RAI). Advertising for Natural American Spirit cigarettes has commonly presented the brand as ‘different’ (
If a brand fails to develop or maintain differentiation, consumers have no basis for choosing it over others. The product’s price will then be the determining factor in a decision to purchase. Absent differentiation, the core of any brand and its associated business—a loyal customer base—cannot be created or sustained.
This Natural American Spirit cigarette ad circulated in the 22–29 October 2018 edition of Sports Illustrated. Ad copy states: ‘We believe in doing things differently. That’s why everything we do is different. From the…