Our role as a challenger

CEO Stefan Bomhard explains how Imperial is carving out a distinctive role within a dynamic sector

Our industry is going through a transformative change – and the opportunity to help Imperial Brands drive that change was what attracted me to this company.

Traditional tobacco products do have a serious negative impact on health and, from that perspective, the best advice is always to not start smoking, and, if you do smoke, to give up. However, many consumers tell us they value our products for the moments of relaxation and pleasure they provide.
 

Our role as a challenger

Our role, therefore, is to responsibly serve the needs of those adults who have made an informed choice to smoke. At the same time, we are playing a distinctive role in our industry’s transformation by innovating to create potentially less harmful products which also satisfy consumer needs.

While our industry is changing fast, the truth is that the journey towards a healthier future is still at an early stage. Worldwide, more than one billion people still smoke. No one has yet created a reduced-harm product which perfectly replicates the experience of the traditional cigarette.

We are the smallest of the major international companies in our industry. And this means the best way for us to make a meaningful contribution to reducing harm is by acting as a strong challenger.

For us, being a challenger means three things:

1. We get really close to our consumers, deeply understanding their lifestyles, mindsets and the barriers preventing them from transitioning to smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes.
2. We use these consumer insights to identify opportunities and then we innovate with agility and execute at pace.
3. We invest in data and systems to ensure our people can do their best work, every day.

As our industry transforms, so too does Imperial Brands. We have much work still to do and the full benefits of our long-term programme of change will emerge in the next few years. But, step by step, we are moving towards our healthier future.