Cigarette Brand loyalty?

Over the summer I took up smoking cigarettes fairly regularly and now do it everyday. My usual choice are Camel Lights but the otherday I was forced to buy a pack of marlboro reds. They were terrible. Not at all similar to my usual camel lights.

A friend told me this is because the munfacturers deliberatly make it so, in order to make certain of brand loyalty. Is there any truth to this? or is my friend just making this stuff up