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.

FDA Sued Over Allowing Some Unauthorized Vapes and Nicotine Pouches to Stay on Market
FDA Sued Over Allowing Some Unauthorized Vapes and Nicotine Pouches to Stay on Market
Public health groups, pediatricians and parents sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on July 14, 2026, challenging a May enforcement guidance that they say allows unauthorized e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to remain on the market while applications are under review.
Jul.15
UK Councils Seize More Than 1.3 Million Non-Compliant Vapes One Year After Disposable Ban
UK Councils Seize More Than 1.3 Million Non-Compliant Vapes One Year After Disposable Ban
One year after the UK disposable vape ban came into force, local authorities continue to seize illegal and non-compliant vaping products. FOI data compiled by nicotine retailer Northerner shows more than 1.3 million products were seized between June 2025 and May 2026, with Bolton recording the highest number of seizures and Swansea reporting the highest estimated value.
Jul.21
BAT Regional Director Fred Monteiro Supports Spain’s Nicotine Rules but Opposes 0.99mg Nicotine Pouch Limit
BAT Regional Director Fred Monteiro Supports Spain’s Nicotine Rules but Opposes 0.99mg Nicotine Pouch Limit
Spanish newspaper El Confidencial interviewed Fred Monteiro, Regional Director for Americas and Europe at British American Tobacco (BAT). Monteiro said BAT supports setting regulatory limits for nicotine products but opposes Spain’s proposed 0.99mg nicotine-per-pouch limit, arguing that such a restriction could affect adult smokers’ transition to alternatives. He said nicotine regulation should be based on scientific evidence and harm reduction principles. Monteiro also said smoke-free products now account for around 25% of BAT’s Americas and Europe business and nearly 30% of its Europe business
BAT
Jul.30
UK Reform Party Proposes Cap of 1,000 Vape Shops Under Plan to Tighten Retail Controls
UK Reform Party Proposes Cap of 1,000 Vape Shops Under Plan to Tighten Retail Controls
The UK Reform Party has proposed limiting the number of dedicated vape shops in the country to around 1,000 as part of a plan to tighten oversight of vape retail channels. The proposal was put forward by Reform UK deputy leader and MP Lee Anderson. The plan remains a political proposal and has not become UK government policy, with no detailed legislation, implementation timeline or allocation rules announced.
Aug.10
China’s Shanghai Tobacco Group Launches CNY 10.98 Million (Approximately US$1.53 Million) Procurement for Heated Tobacco Production Utility Equipment
China’s Shanghai Tobacco Group Launches CNY 10.98 Million (Approximately US$1.53 Million) Procurement for Heated Tobacco Production Utility Equipment
Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd., a tobacco manufacturing company under China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC), has launched a public tender for heated tobacco products (HTPs) production utility equipment at its Shanghai Cigarette Factory. The project is valued at CNY 10.98 million and covers six combined air-conditioning units, electrical cabinets and control systems for production facilities. The procurement includes equipment design, supply, installation, commissioning and related training services.
Aug.07
Product | OXVA Launches ONEO Pro in France, Upgrading Its Open-Pod Platform
Product | OXVA Launches ONEO Pro in France, Upgrading Its Open-Pod Platform
Vape brand OXVA has introduced the ONEO Pro, a refillable open-pod system that entered the French market in July 2026. The device features a 2,100mAh battery, up to 40W output, a 4ml refillable cartridge, multiple coil options and a 0.96-inch color TFT display. The launch reflects continued performance upgrades within the refillable open-pod segment, with brands adding higher capacity, adjustable output and smarter device interaction.
Aug.03