BAT North Europe Director Discusses Importance of Targeted Education over Ineffective Ad Bans

Gökhan Bilgic, the Regional Director for the Nordic and Baltic region at British American Tobacco (BAT), stated, "We need a goal-oriented educational policy rather than an ineffective advertising ban.

Gökhan Bilgic has been appointed as the Northern Region Director of Central Europe for BAT from April 2022 and will also serve as a spokesperson for the management team of BAT in Germany. According to BAT's announcement, the correct branding is essential for creating a better future. Gökhan Bilgic, the Northern Region Director of Central Europe for BAT (brands include Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, Vuse, Glo), explains the crucial role of appropriate advertising and marketing freedom for his team and the role of education.

The slogan for this year's OWM Summit is, "Accept losses, advertising bans, sustainability: Communication in turbulent times." Will advertising no longer be displayed as it currently is?

Gokhan Bilgic responds by saying, "Advertising is expensive, but not advertising can be even more costly." This quote, by Paolo Bulgari (grandson of the founder of luxury brand Bulgari), highlights the importance of communication - particularly for companies like BAT - in today's world. Why is this important? Because in the long run, we want to establish a better future with the right brands.

Question: Can you provide a more detailed explanation?

Answer: Our most important goal is to transform our business from a tobacco conglomerate into a multi-category consumer goods company. This is primarily a health policy issue, and we aim to minimize the impact of our business on health by offering products that reduce risk. However, we can only fully inform consumers of the availability of alternative products through increased brand awareness and education. By doing so, we increase the opportunity to reduce the health risks associated with smoking for individuals and society as a whole.

Question: It's not always easy to communicate, is it?

One of the biggest challenges is how to communicate to smokers that products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products pose lower risks than smoking, even with limited options for messaging. According to data from public health organizations such as the UK Department of Health and Social Care in 2018, and the UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in 2017, the risks associated with e-cigarettes are reduced by 95%. A recent clinical study we conducted analyzed changes in biomarkers and potential harm exposure for smokers who continued smoking, switched to heated tobacco products or quit smoking over a period of 360 days. The data showed positive long-term effects of switching from cigarettes to our heated tobacco product Glo. Many studies have shown that people mistakenly believe that alternative products are just as harmful as cigarettes.

Question: Is this the place where you want to start communicating?

Answer: Lowering the risk for smokers involves providing clear and understandable information. This is the only way for adult smokers to make informed decisions. They need to know which brands and products they can trust. Therefore, in addition to necessary education, our brand awareness is also crucial. They are symbols of quality and trust that lead to consumer acceptance. With our electronic cigarette Vuse and our heated tobacco product Glo, we have created such strong brands in just a few years.

Question: So, do you have any hopes for the future?

Answer: Having enough advertising and marketing freedom is crucial for us. We require these freedoms to responsibly educate adult smokers about our brand, their products, and the benefits of smoking. In terms of health policy, we need effective educational policies rather than ineffective advertising bans. As Paolo Bulgari once said, "Advertising is expensive, but no advertising is even more expensive.

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