Ramzi G. Salloum, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy, was the lead author on a paper, “Cigarette price and other factors associated with brand loyalty in Zambia,” published by Tobacco Control in a supplement on the Economics of Tobacco Control in July 2015.
The paper examined cigarette pricing and brand loyalty among smokers to provide important foundational research for tobacco control efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study analyzed data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Zambia Survey.
The study concluded that 75 percent of factory-made cigarette smokers and 64 percent of smokers who used a combination of roll-your-own and factory-made cigarettes reported having a regular brand. The study also found that younger smokers and those with a lower income were less likely to be brand loyal. Choice of cigarette brand among Zambians was predicted mostly by what brands their friends smoked, individual tastes, and brand popularity. Price was more likely to be the reason for brand loyalty among older individuals and those who are more addicted to cigarettes.
“Because there is such a scarcity of literature on the economics of tobacco use in Africa, this research using the ITC survey has the potential to provide key information for policymakers and a baseline for future research,” Salloum said. “Finding that the degree of brand loyalty in Zambia is quite high, even among the poorest of smokers, provides important insight into cigarette purchasing behavior in this region of the world.”