The end of cigalikes
Marlboro has seen staggering success throughout its sixty years of existence, but the same cannot be said for its cigalike product. Indeed, the multinational American corporation, Altria, recently announced that the cigalike is not profitable enough to stay on the market.
The cigalike looks like a traditional cigarette, but is in fact a mini e-cigarette that was developed during the first years of vaping technology. When it was created in 2003, it was one of the most well recognized vaping devices on the market. Of course, it must be mentioned just how attractive its form, weight, and color was to smokers—even the small diode at the end of the device made it look like tobacco was being burned, except for those who opted for the blue light option …
On December 7, Altria Group, Inc. confirmed its decision to stop the production and distribution of all cigalike products.
“Reduce health risks and increase leadership”
The financial loss associated with this decision is estimated at $400 million. Nevertheless, the tobacco giant wants to shift focus and develop a new strategy. The press release stated that Altria (formerly Marlboro) is determined to become a leader in the vaping industry by proposing innovative and safe tobacco alternatives to adults.
President/CEO Howard Willard says he does not see a future for cigalike. For him, it is time to redistribute the company’s resources. Regulatory restrictions have proven to be a problem for the company’s desire to rapidly improve its products, and this decision should help the company pool its resources.
Or perhaps the merger between Altria and Juul is the reason behind this decision … whatever the case, the cigalike was not able to remain relevant in the vaping industry, and the American company was never able to win over the general public with its mini e-cig device.
