Getting down to the nitty gritty
It appears Camel is finally getting serious in making its presence known in the snus market. Camel's initial attempts, not unlike Marlboro's, was to re-invent the wheel, so to speak, and claim ownership of a new means of nicotine transmittal. Failing that, it seems to have embraced the Swedish ancestry of snus and is now intent to improve on it for the American marketplace. This is a righteous approach ... but can Camel measure up to the task?
Consider:
In July 2010, Camel snus was completely redesigned. Not only was the container improved upon, the pouches are now larger and contain more moisture and nicotine. All four flavors: Mellow, Robust, Frost, and Winterchill will now be distributed nationally.
Camel snus is a spitless, Swedish-style dry snuff which has lower TSNA levels and is potentially less harmful than other [smokeless tobacco] products. The product is the first smokeless tobacco product to be marketed by a cigarette company in the US, and appears to have been developed to appeal to smokers. Camel snus is pasteurized which inhibits development the of TSNAs. Camel snus also has low salt, which produces less saliva and reduces the need for spitting.
PRODUCT CHEMISTRY
• Ingredients
◦ pasteurized tobacco
◦ water (33% moisture content)
◦ pouch materials
◦ flavorants
◦ sodium carbonate
◦ sodium chloride
• Nicotine levels
◦ 8mg nicotine (Mellow, Frost) and 13mg nicotine (Robust, Winterchill) per pouch
◦ 2.4mg unbound nicotine per gram of tobacco (1.44mg per pouch)
• TSNA level
◦ 1.3ug per gram of tobacco
Camel snus is a spitless, Swedish-style dry snuff which has lower TSNA levels and is potentially less harmful than other [smokeless tobacco] products. The product is the first smokeless tobacco product to be marketed by a cigarette company in the US, and appears to have been developed to appeal to smokers. Camel snus is pasteurized which inhibits development the of TSNAs. Camel snus also has low salt, which produces less saliva and reduces the need for spitting.
PRODUCT CHEMISTRY
• Ingredients
◦ pasteurized tobacco
◦ water (33% moisture content)
◦ pouch materials
◦ flavorants
◦ sodium carbonate
◦ sodium chloride
• Nicotine levels
◦ 8mg nicotine (Mellow, Frost) and 13mg nicotine (Robust, Winterchill) per pouch
◦ 2.4mg unbound nicotine per gram of tobacco (1.44mg per pouch)
• TSNA level
◦ 1.3ug per gram of tobacco
Nicotine levels are in line with the regular snus products: 8mg/pouch for Mellow and Frost; 13mg/pouch for Robust and Winterchill (equivalent to the Swedisk Sterks).
The real noticeable difference (at this time) between Camel and the Swedish snus is in the marketing:
Cross-promotions with cigarettes have been employed with free coupons for Camel snus being provided with Reynolds cigarette products. Because of cross-marketing with cigarettes and promotion among the smoker market, it appears that camel snus is designed to be used in conjunction with cigarettes.
CLAIMS
• you can receive pleasure anywhere.
• be the first one on your block to try camel snus, a different way to do tobacco.
• snus is a different kind of smokeless tobacco because it's pasteurized, whereas moist snuff is fermented.
• the camel snus web site suggests using its product at a concert, right in front of security, on a jet from Miami to L.A. Or at a bar or club.
More Info: Camel Snus - Tobacco Products
CLAIMS
• you can receive pleasure anywhere.
• be the first one on your block to try camel snus, a different way to do tobacco.
• snus is a different kind of smokeless tobacco because it's pasteurized, whereas moist snuff is fermented.
• the camel snus web site suggests using its product at a concert, right in front of security, on a jet from Miami to L.A. Or at a bar or club.
More Info: Camel Snus - Tobacco Products
This approach, IMO, is highly conducive to attracting the American smoker without relinquishing established cigarette markets. Attaching the snus brand to the cigarette brand keeps the two firmly entrenched in a smoker's mind as go-together products: for when you can smoke and for when you can't. An apparent win-win situation for the manufacturers and the smoking consumer as well. Only time, though, will determine the effectiveness of this approach. If a smoker decides to quit puffing, the makeup of the new Camel snus makes it a true competitor to the Swedish.