What Cigarillo Companies are Putting on Instagram: A Content Analysis of Swisher Sweets' Marketing from 2013-2020.

This article analyzes the marketing strategies used by Swisher Sweets, a leading U.S. cigarillo brand, on its official Instagram account from 2013 to 2020. The content analysis of 1,402 posts revealed frequent use of smoking cues, flavor depictions, event promotions, celebrity endorsements, and imagery featuring predominantly young Black/African American adults, signaling targeted marketing toward vulnerable populations. While no FDA-prohibited modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) claims were found, potentially misleading language such as "smooth," "quality," and "natural" appeared in posts, which may contribute to misperceptions about the harms of cigarillo smoking. The study highlights the role of visual and textual social media marketing in shaping consumer perceptions and suggests that these tactics could influence initiation and continued use, underscoring the need for further research and potential regulatory action.