The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To educate the audience about the largest cigarette maker in the world, Altria, including history, brands, market share, global reach, diversification, financial profile, corporate governance, community outreach, and interaction with health organizations.

Methods:

Results: Philip Morris (Altria) is the world's largest cigarette maker. Its main plant in Richmond, Virginia, one of more than fifty Philip Morris manufacturing facilities worldwide, produces 245 billion cigarettes a year. In the 1950's and 1960's Philip Morris sponsored some of the most popular television programs as a means of becoming America's number one tobacco company. With the ban on television advertising in 1971, Philip Morris created and sponsored televised sporting events and expanded into sponsorship of the fine arts. In the 1980's, Philip Morris diversified purchasing Miller Brewing, General Foods, and Kraft. In 1990, in an effort to further downplay its identity as primarily a cigarette manufacturer, Philip Morris dropped the word tobacco from its name. It was renamed Altria in 2002. Despite diversification the company continues to earn the bulk of its profits from cigarette sales. Internationally, Altria continues to expand and today holds 16.4% of the global market share and contributing 803,600 dead customers per year. The company continues to expand its influence in the global market.