Adweek interviews CVS CMO about company decision to go tobacco-free

NORMAN DE GREVE, CVS Health Corp.'s senior vice president and senior marketing officer, talked about the company's health care strategy in a recent interview with Adweek magazine. / COURTESY CVS HEALTH
NORMAN DE GREVE, CVS Health Corp.'s senior vice president and senior marketing officer, talked about the company's health care strategy in a recent interview with Adweek magazine. / COURTESY CVS HEALTH

WOONSOCKET – Adweek magazine interviewed CVS Health Corp.’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Norman de Greve, about the company’s “game-changing” decision to stop selling tobacco-related products two years ago, as well as its latest campaign, “Be the First,” a five-year, $50 million effort to fight tobacco addiction and create the first tobacco-free generation.
In the interview, deGreve said the decision to stop selling tobacco products was part of a strategy that had been in the works for 10 years to shift the brand from being the “drugstore on the corner” to a “multifaceted health care company.”
CVS acquired MinuteClinic, a walk-in clinic provider, in 2006, then in 2007, it merged with pharmacy benefits manager Caremark. In 2013, it bought Coram, a home infusion services company.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
Adweek: CVS’ decision to change its position on tobacco has helped distinguish the brand from its competitors. Why do you think that was right for the company, and why do you think it resonated?
de Greve: When you want to be a health care company, it’s really hard to sell cigarettes. What’s interesting to me about that and what was compelling to me was I cannot think of another example in corporate America where a company sacrificed $2 billion of revenue for what they felt was the right thing to do. It’s a stunning thing. And we know these facts are true, that more purpose-driven companies, a) millennials and consumers want to do business with … and b) it’s great for recruiting. It proved out for us in both of those ways.

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