Corporate Responsibility Consulting
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Corporate Responsibility Consulting is a public relations company that has worked for the tobacco industry.1
Tobacco Industry Activities
It has worked for British American Tobacco (BAT)2 and since 1997 has run the Atmosphere Improves Results Initiative (AIR) which is funded by the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association.34 In June 2000 CRC undertook a joint effort with BAT to install “smoking tables”, originally designed and manufactured by Colt, in a bar at Birmingham International Airport. The airport subsequently revoked its smokefree policy. 5
CRC has also carried out research for the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign, which is run by the tobacco industry funded group Forest. In June 2011, Save Our Pubs & Clubs published CRC research it had commissioned which claimed that “traditional inner city pubs have suffered the most since the introduction of smoking bans in Scotland, England and Wales”.6
CRC’s research was cited by Imperial Tobacco in its attack on Professor Linda Bauld, who wrote a report on the impact of smoke-free legislation, commissioned by the Department of Health.7
CRC unsuccessfully pitched for a contract from the TMA to represent the Tobacco Alliance (now known as the Tobacco Retailers Alliance) in 2000.8
People
CRC is run by Oliver Griffiths. He trained with Procter & Gamble and has worked for US and UK marketing agencies for clients that include the BBC, Guinness, Scottish & Newcastle and SmithKline.9