Analysis of Presumed IQOS Influencer Marketing on Instagram in the Czech Republic in 2018-2019

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11110%2F19%3A10398819" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11110/19:10398819 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11230/19:10398819

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=C_WSD4HsIn" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=C_WSD4HsIn</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Analysis of Presumed IQOS Influencer Marketing on Instagram in the Czech Republic in 2018-2019

Original language description

Heated tobacco products (HTP) are novel electronic devices that produce an aerosol by heating modified tobacco. In July 2017, Philip Morris launched a heated tobacco product, IQOS, on the Czech market. The release of IQOS was promoted by a massive marketing campaign using various marketing channels. AIM: This paper presents an analysis of the influencers&apos; posts promoting a heated tobacco product (HTP), IQOS, produced by Philip Morris, in the Czech Republic. METHODS: Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to uncover the hidden power relationships in both textual and visual representations of IQOS in Instagram posts. We analysed the posts of 22 Czech influencers identified with the hashtags #IQOSambassador, #IQOSambasabor, #IQOSlounge, #IQOSveVarech, and #mujIQOS, together with associated pictures and videos on Instagram. RESULTS: The hashtag #iqosambassador was used internationally in 940 posts (as of May 16, 2019). Our findings show subtle forms of persuasion that associate the IQOS product with an aspirational, exclusive lifestyle, healthy living, and a relaxed atmosphere within a community of friends. Preliminary results also show that influencers promoted IQOS to any and all Instagram users (including children and non-smokers). Covert advertising was indicated indirectly by the use of hashtags (#notriskfree, #onlyforadults, and #iqosambassador), which might be evidence that the influencers were paid indirectly by a digital marketing or PR agency. CONCLUSIONS: Czech celebrities and influencers have been actively presenting IQOS in their posts and videos since 2018 on Instagram. They present IQOS as a gateway to an aspirational, healthy, attractive and celebrity lifestyle. The preliminary results are being published as a part of a larger interdisciplinary research project by Charles University, Prague.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50802 - Media and socio-cultural communication

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2019

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Adiktologie

ISSN

1213-3841

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

19

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

7-15

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85073752127