BAT Cluster Head of Marketing, Global Travel Retail & China Waliur Rahman (pictured) talks about accelerating transformation in travel retail with the company’s brands.
I’ve been with BAT for 19 years, holding various marketing and consumer-centric roles across Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa before I was appointed Head of Marketing for Global Travel Retail earlier this year.
During my last decade with BAT, I have witnessed our company’s transformation firsthand, evolving from a tobacco business to the dynamic consumer goods company it is today. Our product portfolio has shifted from a single category to a multi-category portfolio – now offering the widest choice of smokeless products with reduced-risk potential to smoking.
This February, BAT has committed to building a smokeless world – one where smokers migrate from cigarettes to smokeless alternatives. We have also made it clear that we aim to become a predominantly smokeless business by 2035.
I am excited to be leading the marketing function of our Global Travel Retail across more than 70 countries, elevating consumer experience and driving accelerated business transformation towards this smokeless world across the travel retail space.
Driving product innovation
Over the past decade, we have put a sharp focus on progressively transforming our portfolio and actively migrating smokers to smokeless alternatives. This year, we have introduced a number of new smokeless products in the travel retail space.
One of our latest launches in the travel retail is glo hyper Pro, our most innovative heating product to date, offering the new HeatBoost technology for superior taste and consumer satisfaction.
It also features a new EasyView screen, a premium AMOLED display showing the detailed device settings and remaining sessions for an elevated consumer experience.
With the new TasteSelect dial, it allows consumers to easily choose between two satisfying taste modes: Standard and Boost.
glo hyper Pro is now being rolled out across multiple airports in the travel retail, including Japan, Korea, UAE, Switzerland, and Germany.
Under our flagship vapour brand Vuse, which remains the world’s number one vaping brand*, we have rolled out Vuse Go Reload in a number of markets, and we hope to enter the travel retail space in the near future.
This new device comes pre-loaded with a pod which can also be interchanged with other flavours in the range, allowing the travellers to enjoy their preferred flavour easily with the same device.
This latest innovation underscores our commitment to developing quality products with sustainability in mind.
Our VELO nicotine pouches, which can be consumed on-the-go provide a convenient in-flight experience for adult nicotine consumers.
VELO has taken on a new look through our latest marketing campaign. Dubbed ‘Weirdly Wonderful’, the campaign uses unconventional visuals and themes to illustrate the unique consumer experience for VELO (as pictured right with Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport).
Innovative activations
We recognise that transition to the Smokeless World won’t happen overnight. This is why we are investing in creating an engaging and informative consumer experience at the travel retail about smokeless products to enable adult consumers to make informed decisions to switch to alternative products with reduced-risk potential to smoking.
We are now featuring our entire range of smokeless products – consisting of Heated Products, nicotine pouches, and vapour products in key airports such as Dubai and Geneva.
The wide choices of available smokeless alternatives enable adult consumers to learn and choose the products that best cater to their preferences and needs.
Recently, we have reopened our smoking lounge at Narita International Airport, Tokyo. The lounge is largely divided into two sections – one for smokeless products and the other for traditional cigarettes.
In addition to the digital visuals available at the smoking lounge that highlight the reduced-risk potential of smokeless alternatives, our brand ambassadors continuously engage with adult smokers to inform them about the availability of smokeless products to encourage the switch.
We have created personalised shopping experiences at various travel retail outlets. The latest innovative activation includes the VELO Tasting Bar, where adult consumers can try our product.
As VELO comes in a variety of flavours and nicotine strengths, trials at the tasting bars enables adult consumers to choose the product that best caters to their preferences before purchase. These interactions not only enhance the consumer retail experience to be more customised to their needs, but also provide us with valuable feedback to refine our product offerings globally. The Tasting Bar has also been updated with ‘Weirdly Wonderful’ branding, inviting customers to try the offerings.
Through a thrilling collaboration with McLaren Formula 1 Team and Qatar Duty Free, we launched a limited-edition VELO product at the Hamad International Airport in Doha. This partnership was timed to coincide with the Qatar GP, and was available at the VELO x McLaren Formula 1 Team Pop-up Activation, where it featured a McLaren Formula 1 Team simulator and exclusive gifts to offer F1 race fans a unique and holistic brand experience.
As I transition into this role, I’m excited to further elevate consumer moments in our Travel Retail business, transforming every engagement with our consumers into a memorable experience. We have strong plans for 2025 across categories which will strengthen our portfolio proposition and help us to progress in our smokeless ambition. We look forward to sharing exciting news in upcoming editions.
*Based on Vuse estimated value share of vapour pods and pre-filled devices from Recommended Retail Price in total measured retail in key vapour markets: USA, Canada, France, UK, Germany, Poland and Spain as of May 2024.
