Imperial Brand's Development Strategy for Dual Markets

Sep.26.2022
Imperial Brand's Development Strategy for Dual Markets
Imperial Brands focuses on two markets: traditional tobacco and next-generation products. They prioritize the US, UK, and Australia.

The current development strategy of Empire Brand is to balance two markets: on one hand, to focus on the combustible tobacco product market and further enhance the market value of its product portfolio; on the other hand, to continuously explore new types of tobacco products (referred to as next-generation products by Empire Brand) in the market.


Imperial Brands concentrates its resources on the US, Germany, UK, Australia and Spanish markets, with 72% of its revenue from combustible tobacco products derived from these markets. Last year, the company saw an increase in sales in the US, UK and Australia markets, while experiencing a decline in sales in Germany and Spain. The increased market share was achieved while maintaining stable prices. Imperial Brands is intensifying its efforts in these markets to further increase its share of the market.


To further enhance profitability, the Empire brand selectively cultivates markets with potential for growth, such as Africa and Europe, while also selectively exiting markets where their business is relatively weak.


Expanding its business in new tobacco products while maintaining a stronghold in the combustible tobacco market is a crucial part of the Empire Brand's strategy for promoting sustainability. In the European market, heated tobacco is the primary category of new tobacco products. The Empire Brand believes that its advantage in the traditional tobacco market can assist in the development of new tobacco products.


Empire brand focuses on heating combustible cigarettes in the European market and on electronic cigarettes in the American market. At the same time, the brand's oral tobacco business remains focused on the European market.


Imperial Brands has launched its heated tobacco product, Pulze, in the Czech and Greek markets. Currently, heated tobacco products make up approximately 10% of the tobacco market share in the Czech Republic and over 10% in Greece, with further potential for growth in these two countries.


The empire brand has revamped its marketing strategy for the Blu e-cigarette sold in the United States in order to further increase sales.


In March of this year, Imperial Brands launched an awareness campaign for their electronic cigarette products in Canada. The aim was to educate Canadian consumers on the differences between e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco products. The company invested heavily in outdoor and digital advertising to increase product visibility. The campaign lasted for 10 weeks and was just one part of Imperial Brands' broader marketing efforts.


The Empire brand stated that their strategic goal is to establish a sustainable, consumer-centered next-generation product business system and they are currently making good progress towards this aim.


Stefan Bommhardt, CEO of the Imperial brand, stated, "We have conducted a comprehensive review of our business development strategy, searching for all possible opportunities that can bring value. Our five-year plan outlines our priorities that will determine our investment targets for the market and the brand. We will improve our working methods and create a flexible, collaborative, performance-based operating model to achieve better and more stable business performance.


Empire brand has identified three key factors to drive its development strategy: customer-centric approach, performance-based operational model, and streamlined and efficient processes. To support this strategy, the company has decided to increase investment in core business departments such as marketing by £50-60 million per year. Additionally, with business restructuring and simplification, Empire brand expects to save £100-150 million in costs by the end of fiscal year 2023.


This article contains excerpts or reprints from third-party sources, and their copyright belongs to the original media and authors. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion. Any units or individuals wishing to reprint should contact the author and refrain from directly copying.



Disclaimer

This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.

Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.

The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.

This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright Notice

This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.

No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.

For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.

 

AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice

Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.

Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.

2Firsts Data|China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%
2Firsts Data|China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%
China exported $979 million of vape-related products in August 2026, up 3.3% from a year earlier but down 6.4% from July. The UK replaced the U.S. as the main source of growth: UK-bound shipments jumped 51.4% to a 2026 high of $177 million, while exports to the U.S. fell 12.4% to $339 million. Shipments to markets outside the U.S. increased 14.2%, broadening growth beyond the market that had driven July’s rebound.
News
Sep.23 by 2Firsts Perspectives
Wisconsin Vape Directory One Year On: Retailer Reports Four Store Closures and 70% Staff Cuts
Wisconsin Vape Directory One Year On: Retailer Reports Four Store Closures and 70% Staff Cuts
Wisconsin's electronic vaping device directory has been fully enforced for more than a year, and local vape retailers say the reduced range of eligible products has contributed to declining sales, store closures and layoffs. Johnny Vapes owner Ben Hall said he has closed four of seven locations and cut about 70% of his staff. State law bars the sale of vaping devices not listed on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue directory and allows penalties of $1,000 per day for each unlisted device sold or offered for sale. In April 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit allowed enforcement of the law to continue.
Regulations
Oct.10
Product | DOJO Launches 0+6ml BLAST7K Fresh in UK in September, Retaining 2+8ml Pod Compatibility Ahead of October Per-Milliliter Vaping Duty
Product | DOJO Launches 0+6ml BLAST7K Fresh in UK in September, Retaining 2+8ml Pod Compatibility Ahead of October Per-Milliliter Vaping Duty
DOJO officially launched the BLAST7K Fresh on September 17, 2026, introducing a UK-market prefilled pod product with 6ml of e-liquid and a manufacturer-rated capacity of up to 7,000 puffs. The device features a 1000mAh rechargeable battery, the INSTA-JUICED structure and COREX BLAST dual-mesh technology, while retaining compatibility with existing BLAST pods. The launch comes less than two weeks before the UK's Vaping Products Duty takes effect on October 1. At the new duty rate, 6ml of vaping liquid would correspond to £1.32 in VPD. DOJO has not stated that the product's 6ml format was designed in response to the new duty.
Sep.20
UK Vape Duty Starts in October as Hayati, DOJO and Others Launch Lower-Capacity Products With Lower Per-Unit Tax
UK Vape Duty Starts in October as Hayati, DOJO and Others Launch Lower-Capacity Products With Lower Per-Unit Tax
The UK's Vaping Products Duty will take effect on October 1, 2026, at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid. Ahead of implementation, DOJO, PIXL and Hayati have introduced or been reported to be adding lower-capacity tiers alongside larger products. DOJO has added a 6ml BLAST7K Fresh below its 10ml BLAST10K Fresh, PIXL offers both a 12ml 8000 and a 6ml 5K, while retailer Ninja Vapes says Hayati is preparing a 7ml 4K alongside its existing 12ml 6K. The pattern points to a growing lower-capacity tier in the UK market, although the brands have not all explicitly linked the changes to the new duty.
Sep.23
Australia Tobacco Tax Debate Spreads Within Labor as NSW Premier Minns Reaffirms Support for a Cut
Australia Tobacco Tax Debate Spreads Within Labor as NSW Premier Minns Reaffirms Support for a Cut
Australia’s tobacco excise debate is increasingly exposing differences within the governing Labor Party. New South Wales Labor Premier Chris Minns reaffirmed on September 8 that he supports reducing tobacco excise, arguing that current tax settings are pushing consumers toward cheaper black-market cigarettes. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler continues to oppose an excise cut, while Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino have recently stopped short of ruling out future changes. The divergence follows the opposition Coalition’s proposal to cut tobacco excise by 80%.
Sep.08
PMI's IQOS Extends ZAMNA Electronic-Music Partnership to Spain as Vogue España Publishes Branded Content
PMI's IQOS Extends ZAMNA Electronic-Music Partnership to Spain as Vogue España Publishes Branded Content
Philip Morris International's IQOS has extended its partnership with electronic-music event brand ZAMNA to Spain, setting up a House of IQOS at ZAMNA Madrid. Vogue España and Time Out Madrid subsequently published branded content clearly labeled as collaborations with IQOS. PMI has also expanded its company-owned IQOS boutique network in Spain to seven cities this year. The company says IQOS's adjusted heated-tobacco market share in Europe reached 12.6% in the first quarter of 2026, with Spain among its stronger-performing European markets.
Sep.20