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 Rise 16.5% in July 2026 as U.S.-Bound Shipments Jump 53.5%
2Firsts Data | China’s Vape-Related Exports Rise 16.5% in July 2026 as U.S.-Bound Shipments Jump 53.5%
China’s vape-related exports reached $1.047 billion in July 2026, up 16.5% year on year and the highest monthly total of the year. Growth was heavily concentrated in the U.S., where exports jumped 53.5% to $404 million and accounted for 94.9% of the overall increase. Exports to all other markets rose just 1.2%. By category, nicotine-containing non-combustible products—primarily vapes—under HS24041200 rose 24.7% and generated 95.5% of the total increase. Vape-device exports under HS85434000 fell 0.4%, while other nicotine-substitute products under HS24041990 grew 88.9% but remained comparatively small.
DATA
Aug.24
From a 2017 Launch to 48% of South Korea’s Heated Tobacco Market, KT&G Looks Back on a Decade of lil
From a 2017 Launch to 48% of South Korea’s Heated Tobacco Market, KT&G Looks Back on a Decade of lil
KT&G announced on Aug. 13, 2026, that it has opened “lil Archive,” a brand exhibition space in Seoul showcasing the evolution, technology platforms and future direction of its heated tobacco brand lil since its launch in 2017. KT&G said lil now spans three major platforms — lil SOLID, lil HYBRID and lil AIBLE — with more than 30 dedicated consumables, and held a 48% share of South Korea's heated tobacco market in the second quarter of 2026. The opening comes as lil enters its 10th year, with KT&G continuing to position the brand for expansion beyond its domestic market.
Aug.14
UK-Listed Consumer Goods Group Supreme Sees Vape Duty as Potential Consolidation Opportunity, Holds FY27 Outlook
UK-Listed Consumer Goods Group Supreme Sees Vape Duty as Potential Consolidation Opportunity, Holds FY27 Outlook
UK-listed consumer goods group Supreme plc says it continues to expect FY27 trading to meet market expectations as the Vaping Products Duty takes effect on October 1, while maintaining a comparatively positive view of the new tax and compliance regime. Supreme has said the framework could increase compliance complexity for smaller operators and contribute to market consolidation, while its manufacturing, compliance and distribution scale may allow it to gain share. Its 88Vape brand will retain its value positioning.
Sep.18
South Korea Fully Reviews Nicotine-Analog and Nicotine-Free Vape Liquid Imports, With Over 99% From China and Chinese Supply-Chain Documents Under Scrutiny
South Korea Fully Reviews Nicotine-Analog and Nicotine-Free Vape Liquid Imports, With Over 99% From China and Chinese Supply-Chain Documents Under Scrutiny
Korea Customs Service has tightened import controls on nicotine-analog and nicotine-free e-cigarette liquids, placing the products under 100% document review and subjecting all e-cigarette liquid import declarations to pre-clearance ingredient analysis. As of September 20, 2026, South Korea had imported about 15 metric tons of nicotine-analog liquids, 99.99% from China, and about 316 metric tons of nicotine-free liquids, including roughly 315 metric tons, or 99.7%, from China. The measures follow South Korea's April expansion of its tobacco definition to include synthetic nicotine products and include new checks on Chinese manufacturing, transaction and export documentation.
Sep.24
Scottish Vape Display Rules Could Cost Businesses £61 Million, Affecting More Than 11,000 Retail Outlets
Scottish Vape Display Rules Could Cost Businesses £61 Million, Affecting More Than 11,000 Retail Outlets
A Scottish government impact assessment estimates that proposed vape display and packaging rules could create up to £61 million ($82 million) in compliance costs for businesses, affecting more than 11,000 retail outlets. The estimated costs are mainly linked to inventory adjustments, retail storage changes and the resources required for businesses to understand and implement the new requirements. The measures form part of the UK’s broader efforts to tighten vape regulation, particularly around product displays, packaging and sales practices.
Aug.10
Gallery | InterTabac 2026 Opens as VAPORESSO, SKE, GREENTANK, GEEK BAR and Other Brands Take the Floor
Gallery | InterTabac 2026 Opens as VAPORESSO, SKE, GREENTANK, GEEK BAR and Other Brands Take the Floor
InterTabac 2026 opened in Dortmund, Germany, on September 15 alongside NUBIZ and InterSupply. According to the latest figures released by the organizer, the three trade shows bring together around 750 exhibitors from 64 countries. On site, 2Firsts observed vaping and related brands including VAPORESSO, DOJO, SKE, GREENTANK, GEEK BAR, HQD and ELUX.
Special Report
Sep.15