Many tobacco companies’s names - American Tobacco, British Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, R. J. Reynolds – are most familiar in the context of litigation. Before the 1990s, however, when they began to lose cases, taxes on their profits increased and the tide of public opinion turned firmly against them, Dichter and his institute worked with many to promote their products. These reports therefore highlight an interesting period in their history of product innovation, sophisticated marketing and rapid change.

The product innovations that occurred between the forties and seventies can be easily charted through reports on new packaging (such as An investigation of flip top and slide box packaging of the Capstan and Players brands), longer cigarettes and the introduction of filters. Influencing brand choice is another key topic, with Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, Raleigh and Marlboro all represented. While these sometimes investigate product features such as taste, the focus on how to affect brand choice is usually on marketing (as seen in A motivational research study on smoker typologies and cigarette brand choice, A study of symbols and vocabulary for use in cigarette advertising and promotion).

One of the most influential and successful marketing campaigns was the Marlboro Man, designed to boost sales of filtered Marlboro cigarettes among men, and the original version featuring a cowboy was rigorously tested by Dichter as seen in this long report: The motivating response patterns to the Marlboro "Rancher" commercial.

Reports within this industry also feature related products such as cigars and lighters, and even one or two reports such as A report on the American Cancer Society questionnaire entitled Survey of medical opinion towards smoking from 1955 that touch on the potential effects of this industry and its produce.