Analysis of cigar marketing expenditures by product category, placement strategy and geolocation in the USA, from 2017 to 2022.

Significance: The marketing of cigars, little cigars and cigarillos (CLCCs) and cigar wraps is under-regulated and understudied in the USA. To describe strategies CLCC manufacturers and vendors used to advertise their products across marketing channels, we systematically tracked CLCC marketing expenditures from January 2017 to July 2022.

Methods: Using the Kantar Media's Strategy (presently Vivvix) platform, we collected marketing expenditures for 624 CLCC products, vendors, venues, events and media outlets. Advertising data were collected from consumer magazines, B-to-B magazines, newspapers, television, radio, outdoor and internet media. Advertising expenditures were aggregated by month, designated market area, manufacturer and product category.

Results: Across the study period, cigarillo marketing comprised the largest proportion of CLCC product expenditures (49.5%), followed by little/filtered cigars (44.7%). Cigarillos dominated advertising expenditures in 2018 ($19.9M), declined to $1.4M by 2020 when little/filtered cigars emerged as the most promoted category ($10.4M); cigarillos re-surfaced as the top category in 2022. Radio advertising expenditures for CLCCs increased substantially in 2021. Outdoor CLCC vendor expenditures steadily increased during the period. Online marketing expenditures by CLCC vendors increased from 2020 to 2021, and newly reported mobile app expenditures occurred in 2021 ($22K).

Conclusion: Advertising expenditures for little/filtered cigars declined following the April 2021 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement of forthcoming flavoured cigar sale restrictions. As the FDA considers prohibiting flavoured cigars, it is essential to monitor CLCC marketing expenditures to inform policy design, promotion and implementation efforts. Surveillance of new digital marketing channels is critical as they can readily reach minoritised populations.