Rebranding of Phillip Morris to Altria

The rebranding of Phillip Morris to Altria took place in 2003. The company wished to emphasize that its business consists of more than tobacco; at the time, it owned an 84% stake in Kraft, [ [http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/169641/ Philip Morris completes its rebranding to Altria Group - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic ] ] although that business has since been spun off. [ [http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/03/15/coca-cola-vs-altria-altria.aspx?terms=altria&vstest=search_042607_linkdefault Coca-Cola vs. Altria: Altria ] ] The name "Altria" comes from the Latin word for "high" and was part of a trend of companies rebranding to names that previously did not exist, Accenture and Verizon being two other notable examples. [ [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-2337818_ITM Altria Director Discusses Rebranding Company, CNNfn. | Finance Wire (November, 2003) ] ] The rebranding took place amidst financially troubled circumstances. [ [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-97170567.html US TOBACCO giant Philip Morris changed the name of its parent company to Altria last week but the rebranding failed to hide the weak state of its business. - Sunday Business (... ] ] The name change was mocked by Doonesbury, which had a cartoon reminding readers to think of cancer and death when they see "Altria."

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