Akij launches Marlboro as it targets premium market
Monday, 12 May 2008
FE Report
The country's second largest cigarette manufacturer Akij Group Sunday launched the world's number one cigarette brand Marlboro in the city, as it plans to end British American Tobacco's dominance in the premium tobacco market.
Akij, which is manufacturing the cigarette as a licensee of the Philip Morris International, the owner of the most popular brand across the globe, is selling the brand at selected outlets in the city, targeting the fast growing top-brand market.
"Our objective is to make Marlboro the number one premium brand in the country," said Sheikh Bashir Uddin, the managing director of Akij Group.
The group is marketing two types of 'full flavour' and 'light' Marlboro in the country and the prices has been fixed at Tk 80 each for a 20-stick packet.
It will compete with BAT's Benson and Hedges, which has been the lone premium brand cigarette in the country ever since it was re-launched several years back.
The Akij chief said they would launch the product at other parts of the country shortly, after seeing how the market reacts to the premium brand.
Bashir had earlier said his company was banking on Marlboro to emerge as the top tobacco player in the country. Presently, sales of the group's tobacco division, which dominates the low-priced cigarette market, is around Tk 20 billion.
BAT Bangladesh, which dominates the premium and mid-priced tobacco market, had a turnover of around Tk36 billion last year.
Bangladesh is one of the fast booming tobacco markets with some 40 per cent of its male population regularly smoke cigarettes. Last year the total tobacco market stood at around one billion dollars.
Philip Morris, the world's largest tobacco company, said it would maintain the same quality that has made Marlboro the top selling cigarette.
"The very same technology that currently ensures Marlboro is made to world class standards is now in Bangladesh," said Robin Wood, general manager of Philip Morris Services India.
"That means consumers only receive the freshest possible product manufactured to the highest quality international standards," he added.
The launching of Marlboro came as Gazipur police nabbed two officials of the Akij Group late Sunday for their alleged involvement in removing posters of BAT.
The country's second largest cigarette manufacturer Akij Group Sunday launched the world's number one cigarette brand Marlboro in the city, as it plans to end British American Tobacco's dominance in the premium tobacco market.
Akij, which is manufacturing the cigarette as a licensee of the Philip Morris International, the owner of the most popular brand across the globe, is selling the brand at selected outlets in the city, targeting the fast growing top-brand market.
"Our objective is to make Marlboro the number one premium brand in the country," said Sheikh Bashir Uddin, the managing director of Akij Group.
The group is marketing two types of 'full flavour' and 'light' Marlboro in the country and the prices has been fixed at Tk 80 each for a 20-stick packet.
It will compete with BAT's Benson and Hedges, which has been the lone premium brand cigarette in the country ever since it was re-launched several years back.
The Akij chief said they would launch the product at other parts of the country shortly, after seeing how the market reacts to the premium brand.
Bashir had earlier said his company was banking on Marlboro to emerge as the top tobacco player in the country. Presently, sales of the group's tobacco division, which dominates the low-priced cigarette market, is around Tk 20 billion.
BAT Bangladesh, which dominates the premium and mid-priced tobacco market, had a turnover of around Tk36 billion last year.
Bangladesh is one of the fast booming tobacco markets with some 40 per cent of its male population regularly smoke cigarettes. Last year the total tobacco market stood at around one billion dollars.
Philip Morris, the world's largest tobacco company, said it would maintain the same quality that has made Marlboro the top selling cigarette.
"The very same technology that currently ensures Marlboro is made to world class standards is now in Bangladesh," said Robin Wood, general manager of Philip Morris Services India.
"That means consumers only receive the freshest possible product manufactured to the highest quality international standards," he added.
The launching of Marlboro came as Gazipur police nabbed two officials of the Akij Group late Sunday for their alleged involvement in removing posters of BAT.