One of the Tories key election advisors has acted as a consultant and communications specialist to the tobacco giant Philip Morris, a SpinWatch investigation can reveal.
Mark Textor is a PR specialist, who along with fellow Australian Lynton Crosby, has been advising Michael Howard on the Tories election strategy. Their hardball approach on issues such as immigration and gypsies coupled with strategic polling advice is credited with narrowing the gap between the Tories and Labour to just three points.
The Tories refuse to discuss Textors role in the election, although both the British and Australian press have widely reported how he is helping Crosby in his role as Conservative Campaign Director. Texor’s tobacco past is at odds with the Tories’ election campaign where they have made health a key issue.
Crosby is an election-winning guru, and one of Australia’s most successful political strategists. He is the mastermind behind four general election wins for the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. Crosby has been called the Australian equivalent of Bushs key strategist Karl Rove.
His business partner, Mark Textor is a market research expert, and both men run a consultancy down under called Crosby / Textor, the Australian affiliate of the PR company company Wirthlin Worldwide.
Wirthlin has worked with the worlds largest tobacco company, Philip Morris, for over a decade offering strategic polling and PR advice, including how to exploit the issue of youth smoking.
Textor is a controversial character. Labour has already highlighted Textor’s role in previous Australian elections and his use of so-called push-polling techniques in which voter surveys are used to spread defamatory rumours about political opponents.
On Crosby / Textor’s web-site, Mark Textor lists Philip Morris as a past client. So what did Textor do for the tobacco company? SpinWatch has uncovered documents that show that Textor acted as a key consultant for Philip Morris in Australia, and was a delegate at a conference where the tobacco company discussed exploiting the issue of youth smoking and outwitting their opponents.
Internal tobacco industry documents show that Textor attended Philip Morris Corporate Affairs Conference in Australia in 1998 at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove Hotel in Queensland. It was a lavish affair with tai chi sessions for delegates, boat excursions and swimming. However the real business is shown by issues on the agenda such as “Youth Smoking“ issues and the agenda of our opponents.
One of the documents discussed at the conference was an analysis of the anti-smoking movement, called the antis. With articulate and media-savvy advocates such as Simon Chapman, Steve Woodward, Anne Jones and Judith Watt, the antis never miss an opportunity for public condemnation of the industry. One of those singled out, Judith Watt, went on to be the Head of the NHS’s Smoke-Free London programme.
This presentation also argued that there are several reasons for antis success on the public relations front .. Philip Morris has made a conscious decision not to debate smoking and health issues. as Mark Textor showed yesterday, their campaign can certainly claim some success, as the public and opinion leaders appear to believe that we market to kids and we are deceptive or evasive.
When it came to the strategy part of how to counter the antis, the presentation noted: After all, while negative perceptions of the tobacco industry are undoubtedly widespread, as Mark Textor pointed out yesterday, they may be more shallow than we imagine.
Wirthlin has over a decade of advising Philip Morris in polling and spurious PR techniques. A Research Briefing for Philip Morris Tobacco Taskforce from 1995 written by the Wirthlin Group includes headlines such as continuing the national communications campaign and initiatives aimed at minors.
The research brief was to track the success of Philip Morriss PR campaign. One of the contentious issues examined was the tobacco industrys youth smoking policies. When internal industry tobacco documents were first leaked in the nineties they showed just how much the industry targets children and teenagers which are needed to replace adult smokers who quit or die from smoking. These new smokers are overwhelmingly under the age of eighteen.
In response to criticism from anti-smoking groups and health professionals the tobacco companies started youth smoking adverts, ostensibly telling youngsters not to smoke. However the Wirthlin documents show the real reason why the industry was interested in running this type of campaign. One of the questions asked by Wirthlin was Would knowing that a tobacco company voluntarily promotes strict penalties for anyone who sells cigarettes to minors make your opinion of that company more favourable, less favourable, or would it have no affect? To which 70 per cent agree that it would be More favourable.
It is not surprising that Wirthlin therefore recommends Emphasise support of strict penalties for selling cigarettes to minors. Wirthlin also recommends using Minor adverts whereby Philip Morris spells out its position on youth smoking, to bolster the companys image. One campaign recommendation is tighten message focus: minors and consider stronger Philip Morris identification, especially on Minor ads as this would be beneficial. The document goes on to note that: Philip Morris initiatives towards minors could yield important benefits.
Another communications document produced for Philip Morris by Wirthlin discussed the tactics Philip Morris can employ in order to show responsible leadership. These included a preemptive initiative to eliminate tobacco advertising that would be an example of a dramatic action that would grab attention and cause people to rethink their views on PM. Another idea would be a major news conference to open a dialogue on the Tobacco Replacement devise.
Other ideas were to use other PM companies to bolster the image: Have Miller Brewing Take a Stand on alcohol and .. teen drinking? Drunk Driving ..or eliminate beer advertising? Need a major responsible action to deliver consistent message throughout the PM companies.
The final one was to exploit world hunger and respected development NGOs to improve Philip Morris image: Have KGF initiate a major worldwide initiative regarding hunger together with a reputable, world-class, non-profit organisation (i.e. Red Cross, UNESCO etc) starting in Somalia where news coverage can only provide daily, unpaid media benefits. This could be KGFs only charitable cause, using money previously committed to a myriad of places which did little or no good for either KGF or PM because the impact from any individual effort, being diffused, was not relevant, nor leveraged.
When SpinWatch asked Tory central press office to clarify the roles being played by Crosby and Textor the conversation was as follows:
SpinWatch: I was wondering if you could clarify the role that Lyndon Crosby and Mark Textor are having in the Tories election campaign.
Tory press-spokesperson: Lyndon Crosby is the campaign Director and the man in charge. That is all I can tell you.
SpinWatch: And Mark Textor?
Tory: I cant tell you anything about Mark Textor,
SpinWatch: Why not?
Tory: Because its not policy to do so,
SpinWatch: Is he working for the Tories?
Tory: I cant say anything about it.
SpinWatch: You cant say anything about it? – Can I take your name?
Tory: No
SpinWatch: Thats not very helpful. Is there any reason why you are not being helpful?
One of the Tories key election advisors has acted as a consultant and communications specialist to the tobacco giant Philip Morris, a SpinWatch investigation can reveal.
Mark Textor is a PR specialist, who along with fellow Australian Lynton Crosby, has been advising Michael Howard on the Tories election strategy. Their hardball approach on issues such as immigration and gypsies coupled with strategic polling advice is credited with narrowing the gap between the Tories and Labour to just three points.
The Tories refuse to discuss Textors role in the election, although both the British and Australian press have widely reported how he is helping Crosby in his role as Conservative Campaign Director. Texor’s tobacco past is at odds with the Tories’ election campaign where they have made health a key issue.
Crosby is an election-winning guru, and one of Australia’s most successful political strategists. He is the mastermind behind four general election wins for the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. Crosby has been called the Australian equivalent of Bushs key strategist Karl Rove.
His business partner, Mark Textor is a market research expert, and both men run a consultancy down under called Crosby / Textor, the Australian affiliate of the PR company company Wirthlin Worldwide.
Wirthlin has worked with the worlds largest tobacco company, Philip Morris, for over a decade offering strategic polling and PR advice, including how to exploit the issue of youth smoking.
Textor is a controversial character. Labour has already highlighted Textor’s role in previous Australian elections and his use of so-called push-polling techniques in which voter surveys are used to spread defamatory rumours about political opponents.
On Crosby / Textor’s web-site, Mark Textor lists Philip Morris as a past client. So what did Textor do for the tobacco company? SpinWatch has uncovered documents that show that Textor acted as a key consultant for Philip Morris in Australia, and was a delegate at a conference where the tobacco company discussed exploiting the issue of youth smoking and outwitting their opponents.
Internal tobacco industry documents show that Textor attended Philip Morris Corporate Affairs Conference in Australia in 1998 at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove Hotel in Queensland. It was a lavish affair with tai chi sessions for delegates, boat excursions and swimming. However the real business is shown by issues on the agenda such as “Youth Smoking“ issues and the agenda of our opponents.
One of the documents discussed at the conference was an analysis of the anti-smoking movement, called the antis. With articulate and media-savvy advocates such as Simon Chapman, Steve Woodward, Anne Jones and Judith Watt, the antis never miss an opportunity for public condemnation of the industry. One of those singled out, Judith Watt, went on to be the Head of the NHS’s Smoke-Free London programme.
This presentation also argued that there are several reasons for antis success on the public relations front .. Philip Morris has made a conscious decision not to debate smoking and health issues. as Mark Textor showed yesterday, their campaign can certainly claim some success, as the public and opinion leaders appear to believe that we market to kids and we are deceptive or evasive.
When it came to the strategy part of how to counter the antis, the presentation noted: After all, while negative perceptions of the tobacco industry are undoubtedly widespread, as Mark Textor pointed out yesterday, they may be more shallow than we imagine.
Wirthlin has over a decade of advising Philip Morris in polling and spurious PR techniques. A Research Briefing for Philip Morris Tobacco Taskforce from 1995 written by the Wirthlin Group includes headlines such as continuing the national communications campaign and initiatives aimed at minors.
The research brief was to track the success of Philip Morriss PR campaign. One of the contentious issues examined was the tobacco industrys youth smoking policies. When internal industry tobacco documents were first leaked in the nineties they showed just how much the industry targets children and teenagers which are needed to replace adult smokers who quit or die from smoking. These new smokers are overwhelmingly under the age of eighteen.
In response to criticism from anti-smoking groups and health professionals the tobacco companies started youth smoking adverts, ostensibly telling youngsters not to smoke. However the Wirthlin documents show the real reason why the industry was interested in running this type of campaign. One of the questions asked by Wirthlin was Would knowing that a tobacco company voluntarily promotes strict penalties for anyone who sells cigarettes to minors make your opinion of that company more favourable, less favourable, or would it have no affect? To which 70 per cent agree that it would be More favourable.
It is not surprising that Wirthlin therefore recommends Emphasise support of strict penalties for selling cigarettes to minors. Wirthlin also recommends using Minor adverts whereby Philip Morris spells out its position on youth smoking, to bolster the companys image. One campaign recommendation is tighten message focus: minors and consider stronger Philip Morris identification, especially on Minor ads as this would be beneficial. The document goes on to note that: Philip Morris initiatives towards minors could yield important benefits.
Another communications document produced for Philip Morris by Wirthlin discussed the tactics Philip Morris can employ in order to show responsible leadership. These included a preemptive initiative to eliminate tobacco advertising that would be an example of a dramatic action that would grab attention and cause people to rethink their views on PM. Another idea would be a major news conference to open a dialogue on the Tobacco Replacement devise.
Other ideas were to use other PM companies to bolster the image: Have Miller Brewing Take a Stand on alcohol and .. teen drinking? Drunk Driving ..or eliminate beer advertising? Need a major responsible action to deliver consistent message throughout the PM companies.
The final one was to exploit world hunger and respected development NGOs to improve Philip Morris image: Have KGF initiate a major worldwide initiative regarding hunger together with a reputable, world-class, non-profit organisation (i.e. Red Cross, UNESCO etc) starting in Somalia where news coverage can only provide daily, unpaid media benefits. This could be KGFs only charitable cause, using money previously committed to a myriad of places which did little or no good for either KGF or PM because the impact from any individual effort, being diffused, was not relevant, nor leveraged.
When SpinWatch asked Tory central press office to clarify the roles being played by Crosby and Textor the conversation was as follows:
SpinWatch: I was wondering if you could clarify the role that Lyndon Crosby and Mark Textor are having in the Tories election campaign.
Tory press-spokesperson: Lyndon Crosby is the campaign Director and the man in charge. That is all I can tell you.
SpinWatch: And Mark Textor?
Tory: I cant tell you anything about Mark Textor,
SpinWatch: Why not?
Tory: Because its not policy to do so,
SpinWatch: Is he working for the Tories?
Tory: I cant say anything about it.
SpinWatch: You cant say anything about it? – Can I take your name?
Tory: No
SpinWatch: Thats not very helpful. Is there any reason why you are not being helpful?
Tory: I am not saying any more