Company: Philip Morris International, Lausanne, Switzerland
Company Description: Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leading international tobacco company working to deliver a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. he company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor and oral nicotine products.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Thought Leadership
 Nomination Title: Hate Is In The Air, Philip Morris International
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
November 2021
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 246 words used.
In the fall of 2021, Philip Morris International (PMI) published its “Hate Is in the Air” white paper as part of a wider corporate thought leadership initiative to encourage conversations about the need to address hate and hate speech in society by embracing dialogue and collaboration. Hate is a powerful and destructive force, with real people on the receiving end. And it has become more pervasive as societies grow increasingly divided and positions become more polarized and entrenched. But what—and who—is driving the rise in hate, and how can corporations confront the issue to ensure hostility isn’t permitted to impede societal progress? These were some of the questions this initiative set out to explore.
PMI is no stranger to hate. That comes with being a prominent player in an industry viewed unfavorably by much of society because of its core product: cigarettes. Today, even as the company is working to deliver a smoke-free future thanks to science-based, better alternatives for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke—moving ever closer to a time when cigarette sales will become a thing of the past—vestiges of that hate remain, impeding an open and fact-based dialogue on the potential these innovative products represent for adult smokers and public health.
Our initiative, however, did not focus on PMI or our pursuit of a smoke-free future. Rather, we aimed to spark a dialogue around hostility and division, encouraging more individuals and organizations to challenge the spread of hate and foster positive change.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 184 words used.
To drive interest and engagement around our “Hate Is in the Air” white paper, we launched a comprehensive corporate thought leadership initiative entitled “Embracing Dialogue to Disarm Hate” between October 2021 and December 2021, spanning earned, owned, social, and paid channels.
With powerful, pull-no-punches messaging, we explored today’s drivers of hate, both online and off, and offered preliminary recommendations on what corporations can do to help replace confrontation with collaboration so we can make headway on societal challenges.
Our strategic approach centered on two main components: 1. The insights from our international survey that helped bring the issue of hate and hate speech to life; and 2. The voices of two senior PMI executives, our SVP Global Communications, Marian Salzman, and our SVP External Affairs, Gregoire Verdeaux, who provided their insights and perspectives to engage KOLs, business leaders, and the public in a conversation around the importance of inclusion and open dialogue.
Following a 360° approach, we ensured the white paper, bolstered with the international survey, was supported via multiple threads—through executive thought leadership, owned and earned media, speaking opportunities, and social media engagements.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2019. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):
Total 243 words used.
This initiative consisted of:
- The white paper, entitled “Hate Is in the Air”
- Thought leadership from two senior PMI executives
- Owned assets featured on a dedicated landing page on PMI.com
- An earned media program including a radio media tour
- Speaking opportunities for PMI’s executives
- A focused paid campaign to increase visibility and reach
- Social media engagement
The initiative was successful in creating meaningful conversations, engaging business leaders, KOLs, and the public in a discussion around the importance of championing inclusion and combating disinformation and divisiveness to drive progress.
Key metrics include the following.
- The U.S. radio media tour with Marian reached an audience of 71,602,157 in total.
- Social media content, both from PMI’s corporate channels and Marian’s channels, garnered 69.4K impressions and 618 total engagements.
- Over the course of November and December 2021, the paid campaign delivered over 53 million impressions, recorded over 77,000 clicks and over 4.9 million video completions.
We know from experience that enmity is not always personal or deep-seated. Sometimes, with patience and goodwill, long-standing hostility can be dialed back, even if just briefly, to open the door to good-faith conversation. This, in turn, can lead to curiosity and even the beginnings of dialogue and understanding. As Marian wrote in one of her bylines: “Our world faces potentially cataclysmic challenges on several fronts. Let’s stop fighting one another and focus instead on the advances we so desperately need. Society expects—and deserves—better.”
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 57 words used.
Supporting materials include: a) Hate is In the Air White Paper b) Disarm Hate PMI Landing Page c) Transformative Power of Inclusion by Gregoire Verdeaux d) Go Beyond Hate by Marian Salzman e) Marian Salzman on Main Street Radio Network f) Marian Salzman on Good News Planet g) European Association of Communication Directors panel with Marian Salzman.
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