Philip Morris International Case Study
Targeted adult smokers seeking tobacco alternatives across APAC markets through age-verified campaigns and harm reduction messaging while maintaining strict regulatory compliance.
Campaign Overview
Philip Morris International, a leading tobacco company transitioning to smoke-free products, launched a comprehensive customer acquisition campaign across Asia-Pacific markets to promote their heated tobacco and nicotine alternative products. With a $4.18M campaign budget over 120 days, the campaign targeted adult smokers seeking reduced-risk tobacco alternatives while adhering to strict regulatory frameworks.
Strategy
Philip Morris International leveraged Blockchain-Ads to reach appropriate adult audiences while maintaining strict regulatory compliance standards.
Strategy:
- Created Custom Audience Segment: Targeted adult smokers using 1st Party Audiences and General Subscribers to reach verified adult smokers over 21 seeking tobacco alternatives, ensuring campaigns avoided youth exposure while maintaining strict regulatory compliance across APAC tobacco markets.
- Geographic Compliance Management: Deployed campaigns across approved APAC regions using precise geo-targeting to respect varying tobacco advertising regulations while reaching adult smokers in markets where alternatives are legally promoted.
- Harm Reduction Messaging: Developed ad creatives emphasizing health benefits and smoking cessation support to position heated tobacco products as safer alternatives for adults seeking to reduce traditional cigarette harm.
Results
- New Customers: 95,000 (verified adult tobacco alternative users)
- Sales Revenue: $4,180,000 (initial product purchases)
Execution
- Adult Verification Excellence: Targeting 1st Party Audiences and General Subscribers ensured campaigns reached only qualified adult smokers while avoiding underage demographics, supporting responsible tobacco alternative marketing practices.
- Existing User Focus: Utilizing Custom/Partner segments to reach current tobacco users rather than new audiences aligned with harm reduction principles and regulatory requirements across APAC tobacco markets.
- Regulatory Compliance Strategy: Precise geo-targeting and adult-verified audience selection maintained 100% compliance with complex tobacco advertising regulations while effectively communicating cessation benefits to appropriate audiences.
Insights & Learnings
Philip Morris International's APAC tobacco alternatives campaign showcases the effectiveness of compliance-first regulated product marketing with sophisticated adult audience targeting. By emphasizing harm reduction benefits and adult smoking cessation support while maintaining strict regulatory adherence, Philip Morris achieved significant customer acquisition across complex regulatory environments, demonstrating that tobacco companies can successfully promote reduced-risk alternatives through responsible, compliant marketing strategies.
Success Stories
What success looks like
42,000
New Buyers
42,000 new buyers | $39 CPA | 6.3× ROAS. “Acquired 42,000 compliant CBD customers at scale.”
120,000
Active Subscribers
120,000 active subscribers | $65 cost per subscriber | 11.2× return"Scaled premium subscribers globally while meeting regional compliance rules."
$58M+
In Alcohol Sales
$58M+ in alcohol sales | 9 Tier 1 markets | 7.8× return “Launched campaigns across Europe with age-gated targeting and consistent ROI.”
95,000
New Customers
95,000 new customers | $44 CPA | 5.9× return “Onboarded buyers for tobacco alternatives across APAC with compliant targeting.”
Get Started Now
Schedule a call to qualify and launch your ads