Decades of selling cigarettes has led Philip Morris International (PMI) to become one of the world’s largest corporations. Today, the company’s “smoke-free” alternatives, such as IQOS, have successfully lured smokers away from cigarettes to less harmful alternatives. But it was no mean feat, as Tommaso Di Giovanni, Vice President Market Activation & Support, tells Executive. It took years of trial and error before the company landed on the model we know today. Despite IQOS global presence, the cigarette business remains primary for PMI in some countries, Di Giovanni says, which brings business stability and wards off competitors. Philip Morris International has embarked on a strategy that has now gone global; embracing innovation, design thinking, and an intuitive approach to problem solving. Can you explain to me this repurposing exercise that started before we saw the first IQOS in 2014? For example, what was this exercise anchored in? What was the by-in of the
