Skip to main content
. 2006 Jun;15(3):231–241. doi: 10.1136/tc.2005.015321

Table 1 Philip Morris (PM) anti‐divestment campaign strategies.

Gathering intelligence Planning/organising Reshaping the environment
1. Monitoring activists: 7. Budgeting for divestment activities: 13. Framing divestment discussions:
 Tobacco control/socially responsible investing conferences  Reactive planning  Continuously updated/edited counter‐divestment position paper
 Press releases/ press conferences  Strategic planning  Computerised state‐specific talking points
 Publications/e‐lists 8. Counter‐divestment staffing:  Articles in professional publications
 Correspondence with institutional investors  Reactive/ad hoc staffing  Mass media publications: letters to the editor, articles, op/eds
 Media reporting on “antis” activities  Organised divestment team/task force  State‐specific “Commitment to jobs and economic growth”
2. Tracking divestment discussions/actions:  Divestment status reports  Mass media advertising of economic contributions
 Divestment tracking charts 9. Preparing staff briefing materials:  White papers on related subjects:
 Government affairs weekly report  Corporate issues manual and “Issues and answers”  – losses due to South Africa divestment
 Lobbyist/consultant reports  Collected media reports on divestment  – superiority of PM returns over other options
 Mass media reports, media RFIs  Divestment issues handbook  – portfolio return compared with/without PM
3. Monitoring institutional investments:  Divestment questions and answers 14. Exerting personal influence on decision‐makers through:
 Periodic holdings/turnover reports 10. Briefing “local legislative consultants”  “Old boys:”
 Identification/analysis of sell‐offs  Regional/local as needed  – alumni
4. Identifying potential allies including:  1996 Government Affairs Conference  – overlapping board memberships
 Public policy groups 11. Claiming privilege for internal communications:  – political/social connections
 Investment policy groups  Attorney/client communication  Top echelon executives:
 Stakeholders not previously friendly:  Attorney work‐product  – divestment‐specific contacts
 – “organised labour”  Trade secrets  – in the ordinary course of business
 – “teachers” 12. Monitoring corporate activities for compliance with:  – management response video
 – “government employees”  “lobbying regulations”  – rapid response teams
 – “college professors”  “the Securities and Exchange Commission”  Peers/professionals:
 – “the elderly”  “other…federal, state and local laws”  – institutional investors
5. Contracting “third party research firms” to assess potential divestment sites  – outside analysts
6. Opinion polling “elected officials and the general public”  – legal/fiduciary authorities
 Local operatives and lobbyists
15. Mobilising “third parties”
 “Groups which, in the past, have not had favorable opinions of the company”
 “Third party public policy and investment policy groups”
 “Responsible investing' Internet page”
 “Third party investment advisors”
16. Planning legislation to alter state investment rules/monitoring state investment rule law‐making