The mini expo aimed to raise awareness of the potential damage to brands caused by disproportionate regulation. 

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is raising awareness of the potential damage to brands caused by ‘disproportionate regulation’ through its ‘The Future of Brands’ campaign.

The Future of Brands stand appeared for the first time at last month’s TFWA Asia Pacific Conference and Exhibition. It provided the perfect platform for discussions with consumer product companies and to alert them as to how their brands are under increasing attack.

The concept, which does not focus solely on tobacco, has been toured worldwide for the past 18 months. The aim is to encourage more brands and retailers to stand up and protect branding rights.

JTI Worldwide Duty Free Corporate Affairs and Communications Director Gemma Bateson told TRBusiness: “The duty free environment is unique. There are more than 1.5 billion international travellers passing through airports each year and hundreds of nationalities and languages.

“In this environment, it is critical that products are clearly recognisable and communication is clear.

“In many countries, a duty free item is recognised as a genuine trustworthy product, the ‘real deal’ – particularly the international brands. This image would be threatened and consumers confused by any loss of brand attributes.”

DISPROPORTIONATE REGULATION

“We’ve been in the front line fighting disproportionate regulation for several years now and have experience and expertise that we’d like to share.”

More and more companies are in the firing line, according to Bateson, who added: “Some companies and industry bodies are already voicing their opposition. We’re hoping to join up with more allies – both major companies and small businesses – raising awareness of the potential damage caused by disproportionate regulations.

“Regulators are copy-pasting tobacco-style regulations into other sectors with our industry inclusion.”

A supporter of ‘sensible regulation’, recent measures like plain packaging on tobacco are misguided, according to Bateson, who cites the failed implementation of a so-called ‘fat tax’ by the Danish government on some foods in Denmark.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage more brands and retailers to stand up and protect branding rights.

She explained: “It failed so spectacularly that the government was forced into a u-turn and ditched the tax after just 15 months because very few Danes changed their eating habits.

“Moreover, Danish shoppers drove into Sweden or Germany to buy the same goods without the fat tax. Danish companies, who had previously warned the government that the tax wouldn’t work, kept up the pressure after it was imposed until the government recognised the tax was backfiring. It was a victory for industry expertise and common sense.”

The war on brands is already being waged in duty free, emphasised Bateson. “Look at the UK & France for tobacco and Nordics and Ireland with alcohol. We and other businesses invest in our brands so that consumers have confidence and trust in our products.

“They know they’re getting the genuine article. It also allows businesses to compete with each other and innovate, so shoppers have choice and quality products.”

Bateson concluded: “We would like to inspire discussion on the scale and speed of regulation and encourage other industries to grasp fully how their brands and commercial rights are under threat.”