Electronic Cigarette And E-cigarette Liquid Marketing

Electronic cigarettes are marketed to smoking and non-smoking men, women, and children as being safer than cigarettes. E-cigarette businesses have considerably accelerated their marketing spending. All of the large tobacco businesses are engaging in the marketing of e-cigarettes. For the majority of the large tobacco businesses these products are quickly becoming a substantial part of the total advertising spending. E-cigarette businesses have a vested interest in maximizing the number of long-term product users. The entrance of traditional transnational tobacco businesses in the marketing of such products is a serious threat to restricting tobacco use. E-cigarette businesses have been using intensive marketing strategies like those used to publicize traditional cigarettes in the 1950s and 1960s. While advertising of tobacco products is banned in most countries, television and radio e-cigarette advertising in several countries may be indirectly encouraging traditional cigarette use.

E-cigarette advertisements have had marketing messages containing pseudoscientific health claims. The available evidence demonstrates that e-cigarette aerosol is not just "water vapour" as is frequently asserted in their marketing. Widespread advertising and promotion included the assertion that vaping would present little risk to bystanders. Despite that, drawbacks and adverse effects have been cited in numerous articles, and the negative effects of its passive vapor have been shown in numerous studies. E-cigarette packages and advertisements require health warnings under US law, stating "WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical." E-cigarettes are marketing, among other things, as a tool to get around smoke-free policies by allowing users to "smoke anywhere." Assertions of effectiveness for giving up smoking are not supported by the available scientific evidence, according to a 2014 review. E-cigarettes are marketed to young non-smokers. Cost has been used as a marketing tactic on social media.

Celebrity endorsements are used to encourage e-cigarette use. E-cigarette products have appeared in movies, talk shows, and music videos. Sponsoring sporting events such as football, motor racing, golf, powerboat, and superbike racing are used as promotional tools for e-cigarettes. Most vape shops mainly use social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Twitter, and YouTube and specific events accessible to the general public to market their products. E-cigarette marketing tactics have the possibility to glamorize smoking and enticing children and never smokers, even when such outcomes are unintended. E-cigarette marketing with themes of health and lifestyle may encourage youth who do not smoke to try e-cigarettes, as they may believe that e-cigarettes are less harmful and more socially acceptable. This belief may decrease one's concerns relating to nicotine addiction. E-cigarette advertising approaches have successfully spread to young adults and youth. The money spent in e-cigarette marketing has been accompanied with a rise in vaping in young adults and youth.

Containers for e-liquids (the liquid used in vape products) can seem tempting to children of all ages for many reasons. For example, some e-liquids may have labeling or advertising that misleads youth into thinking the products are things they would eat or drink –like a juice box, piece of candy, or cookie. There are still many unresolved questions with respect to how the selling and marketing of e-cigarettes ought to be regulated. Whether e-cigarettes reduce or increase health risks relies on an intricate and changing interactivity among the businesses marketing e-cigarettes, users, regulators, and scientists, among other things. In the US and many other countries, e-cigarettes are not subject to the same marketing and promotion restrictions that apply to traditional cigarettes. As a result, e-cigarette businesses are permitted to advertise on television and in mass media as well as through newer channels such as the Internet. Assertions of effectiveness as a quitting smoking tool have been seen in e-cigarette advertisements in the US, UK, and China, despite such assertions had not been supported by regulatory bodies.

Background

Understanding the role of electronic cigarettes requires understanding the long history of tobacco use in the US, including the role of nicotine delivery, the multiple examples of "reduced-harm" products and associated health claims, and the impact of using tobacco products on the public's health. Since the late nineteenth century, when the "modern" cigarette came into use, scientists and public health officials have linked cigarette smoking to a remarkable number of adverse effects, and it is now recognized as the primary cause of premature death in the US. Correspondingly, for a century, manufacturers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and public health leaders have promoted or recommended product changes that might remove some of the harmful elements in cigarette smoke. E-cigarettes are among the latest products.

E-cigarettes are designed for users to inhale nicotine, flavors, and other additives through an aerosol (vapor). The claims and marketing strategies employed by the e-cigarette businesses, and the efforts made by others to develop scientific and regulatory tools to deal with these new products, both contribute to the current discourse on e-cigarettes. According to a 2016 US Surgeon General report, many lessons for assessing the potential (and future) consequences of these products can be learned from examining the relevant experiences of the past century, especially the introduction of novel products (including e-cigarettes as well as other tobacco and nicotine products) and the claims of reduced exposure to toxicants made by the industry and elsewhere.

Manufacturers can make the nicotine solution flavorless, but many businesses add flavors, including mint chocolate truffle, whiskey, bubble gum, gummy bears, and cotton candy. A US congressional report from spring 2014 accused e-cigarette manufacturers of using these flavors to appeal to youth, a marketing strategy that is prohibited for tobacco cigarettes because it is so effective at attracting young users. In contrast to tobacco products, e-cigarette sales were not age-restricted in 2014, and in 2012 an estimated 1.78 million students in grades 6–12 had tried the devices.

A 2015 review stated, "As tobacco consumption is being curbed, there is a growing demand for cessation. Pharmacological treatment of nicotine addiction remains an active area of research. There are many nicotine preparations (nicotine gums, patches, e-cigarettes and inhalational agents) that are freely available in most parts of the world. These products are being heavily promoted and marketed as magical remedies."

Philip Morris International

As a component of a public relations scheme, one of the tobacco industry's approaches is to finance scientific research. For example, Philip Morris International created and financed the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. The organization states that it will assist with the idea of "ending smoking in this generation by eliminating the use of cigarettes and other forms of combustible tobacco." In 2017, Philip Morris International stated that it will donate $960 million over a 12-year period to the organization. $80 million each year is approximately 0.1% of Philip Morris International's income and below 1% of its earnings. However, Philip Morris International allocates billions on various types of promotion and lobbying for the tobacco industry. The organization cannot be considered independent from Philip Morris International, as of September 2018. "Absent true independence achieved through structurally separating the funding, priorities and management of the Foundation from the existing prearrangement that clearly benefits Yach and PMI, the FSFW may function operationally to advance and amplify tobacco industry messaging and potentially exacerbate conflicts within public health," according to the journal ''Tobacco Control'' in 2018.

Philip Morris International states that the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World intent is to advance the end of smoking, but tobacco control advocates are skeptical, stating that the company continues to market traditional cigarettes that they know are not safe. By promoting the continuation of nicotine addiction with the use of vapes and heated tobacco products, by the tobacco industry still making money from the selling of these products, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is merely "a platform for its sponsor's latest products". In 2020, advocacy groups that are indirectly funded by Philip Morris International through the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World are putting out information that contradicts public health officials that are stating that the effect from the use of e-cigarettes is unknown as well as their potential for causing harm. The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) dismissed the relationship between e-cigarette use and making individuals more susceptible to infection from COVID-19. "Such spin can take a dangerous toll, not just on public health but now on the global economy as well," stated Michél Legendre, a campaign manager at the not-for-profit Corporate Accountability International.

Philip Morris International anticipates a future without traditional cigarettes, but campaigners and industry analysts call into question the probability of traditional cigarettes being dissolved, by either e-cigarettes or other products like IQOS. Outside of an IQOS store in Canada, marketing included a display sign on the pavement with the message, 'Building a Smoke-Free Future'. Philip Morris International has opened IQOS stores in Japan and other places around the world. The emissions of Philip Morris International's IQOS product produce both aerosol and smoke. In 2012, Phillip Morris International researchers stated that this product produces smoke. Phillip Morris International made the decision in 2016 that the IQOS product does not produce smoke. In 2017, a commentary published in ''JAMA Internal Medicine'' was written by a Swiss scientist. That angered Phillip Morris International because it stated that the IQOS product generated smoke.

''Death in the West'' is a 1976 anti-smoking documentary film. Reporter Peter Taylor got Helmut Wakeham, then vice president of Philip Morris USA's science and technology, to acknowledge that there are carcinogens found in regular cigarettes. Wakeham stated: "There are all kinds of things that are unhealthy...what are we to do, stop living?" Wakeham also stated, "The average doctor is a layman with respect to intimate knowledge of smoking and health." When Taylor pushed him again about the carcinogens, he responded, "Anything can be considered harmful. Apple sauce is harmful if you get too much of it." Taylor interviewed American cowboy Bob Julian next to a campfire. Julian stated: "I started smoking when I was a kid following these broncobusters." He added, "I thought that to be a man you had to have a cigarette in your mouth. It took me years to discover that all I got out of it was lung cancer. I'm going to die a young man." Julian died just a few months after being interviewed.

Overview

In general, product marketing is designed to inform people about the products being offered (and thus develop brand "awareness") and to persuade people to buy particular brands (i.e., develop brand "preference"). Branding is particularly important for products considered to be "commodities," such as traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, where the offerings are similar and branding differentiates the products. Marketing is particularly critical for e-cigarettes, as new products must be introduced to potential users.

Like marketers of traditional cigarettes, marketers of e-cigarettes use a number of channels and tactics to advertise and promote their products. These channels have included extensive marketing on the Internet and advertising in mainstream media, including popular magazines, retailer point-of-sale advertisements, product placement on popular media, and even television commercials – an advertising option unavailable to traditional cigarette manufacturers because of regulatory policies.

By promoting e-cigarettes as the healthier option, tobacco companies are working to rebrand themselves. E-cigarettes are marketed as a smoking cessation tool, and their use is increasing particularly among middle and high school students in the US, but among adults as well. Despite the high prevalence of use, e-cigarettes have not been thoroughly investigated; the benefits and risks of their use are unknown, including the chemicals being consumed. Voluntary consumer and health-care reports cite hospitalization for pneumonia, seizures, disorientation, congestive heart failure, and hypotension as e-cigarette related. However, studies so far show mixed evidence, including no significant relationship regarding smoking cessation and e-cigarettes and potential for cessation, while others suggest e-cigarettes encourage "dual use" in conjunction with smoking tobacco. The usage of e-cigarettes is actively promoted. They are advertised on radio and television, and in print as occurred in the 1950s with tobacco.

In 2016, in an analysis in ''The BMJ'', researchers stated:

Tobacco promotion and advertising is directly associated with tobacco consumption among the general public. Tobacco promotion and advertising is an important cause of tobacco use initiation and escalation among youth. Television and radio advertising of tobacco have been prohibited in the US since 1971, and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 established, through the US FDA Center for Tobacco Products, new advertising and promotions restrictions. These new regulations, however, do not extend the congressional ban on cigarette television advertisements to e-cigarettes or limit promotion tactics and the use of flavored liquids, all of which increase the appeal of these products to youth. E-cigarette companies market their products to children and adolescents by promoting flavors and using a wide variety of media channels – approaches used (with success) by the tobacco industry to market traditional tobacco products to youth.

E-cigarette companies, almost all of which are either owned or have an investment stake by major tobacco companies, use promotional tactics including: television advertisements targeted to stations with clear youth appeal; advertisements at the point of sale at retail stores; product web sites and social media; targeted advertisements through search engines and web sites that focus on music, entertainment, and sports; and sponsorships and free samples at youth-oriented events. The use of social media and youth influencers, in particular, seems to be the primary mechanism through which e-cigarette promotion has occurred. For example, while Juul appears to have spent little to no money on traditional advertising, it has had one of the most effective social media campaigns which help promote its product across the nation. Many of these e-cigarette methods of advertising are illegal for traditional cigarettes, precisely because such tactics promote youth initiation and ongoing tobacco product use.

Meanwhile, e-cigarette advertising has effectively reached youth. In 2016, 78.2% of middle and high school students – 20.5 million youth – were exposed to e-cigarette advertisements from at least one source. Exposure to advertisements increases intention to use e-cigarettes among adolescent non-users, and is associated with current e-cigarette use, even in a dose-dependent fashion, as increasing exposure is associated with increased odds of use. The increased use of and exposure to e-cigarettes among youth, combined with dramatic increases in advertising, have serious potential to undermine successful efforts to deglamorize, restrict, and decrease the use of tobacco products. Incorporating and extending tobacco advertising restrictions to include bans on e-cigarette product advertising and promotion in forms that are accessible to children and adolescents would be a crucial, evidence-based measure to decrease youth e-cigarette use.

The social media landscape is being dominated by pro-vaping messages disseminated by the vaping industry and vaping proponents, whereas the uncertainty surrounding e-cigarette regulation expressed within the public health field appears not to be reflected in ongoing social media dialogues. Latest generation e-cigarettes are resembling less and less their first generation cig-a-like counterparts and are being promoted not only as a smoking cessation device and safer alternative to smoking but also as a recreational activity whereby the user can create their own unique vaping experience with the use of flavors, device modification, and vape tricks.

Marketing expenditure

In contrast to cigarette and smokeless tobacco businesses, e-cigarette businesses are not mandated to provide their marketing and promotional spending to the US Federal Trade Commission, therefore, the total amount they spend is uncertain, as of 2018. E-cigarette businesses have largely expanded their marketing spending. As of 2017, e-cigarette advertisement spending across every media channel is rising every year. As of 2016, the majority of the large tobacco businesses own at least one e-cigarette brand and these products are quickly becoming a substantial part of the total advertising spending. As of 2017, all of the large tobacco businesses are engaging in the marketing of e-cigarettes. Some traditional transnational tobacco businesses are vigorously competing against the independent e-cigarette businesses for market share. A 2017 review states that the "Increased concentration of the ENDS market in the hands of the transnational tobacco companies is concerning to the public health community, given the industry's legacy of obfuscating many fundamental truths about their products and misleading the public with false claims, including that low-tar and so-called "light" cigarettes would reduce the harms associated with smoking. Although industry representatives are claiming interest in ENDS because of their harm-reduction potential, many observers believe that profit remains the dominant motivation."

Between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2012, 131 different brands advertised their e-cigarette products. The majority were e-cigarette brands and there were a few retailer brands such as Vaporium. In 2013, blu accounted for more than 60% of expenses. In 2013, Njoy, Fin, Mistic, and 21st Century Smoke accounted for the remaining top 5 promotional expenses. Six large e-cigarette businesses in the US spent $59.3 million on promoting e-cigarettes in 2013, which was more than double the amount spent in 2012. These businesses employed many techniques previously used to market traditional cigarettes that are prohibited, such as television advertisements and sponsorship of music festivals. These marketing tactics are known to lead youth to start smoking, and some, including television advertisements, have been prohibited for traditional cigarettes for well over a decade. US e-cigarette marketing expenditures increased from $3.6 million in 2010 to $125 million in 2014, which translated into rapid increases in youth e-cigarette use. In just three years leading up to 2015, the amount of money spent on advertising e-cigarettes increased more than 1,200% or 12-fold in the US. In recent years leading up to 2017, there has been an upsurge in e-cigarette marketing spending in the US. In the US and Canada, over $2 million is spent yearly on promoting e-cigarettes online, according to a 2015 report. E-Lites, Vype, SKYCIG, NJOY, and Gamucci e-cigarette businesses spent a total of approximately £8.4 million on promoting e-cigarettes in the UK in 2013, across various outlets. British American Tobacco spent £3.6 million in the UK in marketing its Vype product in 2014. In 2014, SKYCIG (rebranded as blu eCigs or simply blu) stated they will invest £20 million in the UK in marketing efforts. Between 2015 and 2017, Juul spent $2.1 million in marketing efforts.

Manufacturers noticed the fast rise in consumer interest in e-cigarettes, so they quickly pushed to expand the sale of their products to brick-and-mortar retail stores. Sales of cigalikes and related products were first observed in Nielsen's store-scanner database in 2007, and between 2009 and 2012, retail sales of e-cigarettes expanded to all major markets in the US. This growth coincided with a surge in marketing expenditures by the e-cigarette companies across all media platforms The available evidence suggests that investments in e-cigarette advertising has been growing since 2012; that a variety of places they are being marketed such as mass media and online; and that promotional tactics differ among manufacturers. Marketing expenditures in 2013 were targeted at developed countries, where purchasing of traditional cigarettes may be, at that time, diminishing. Non-smoking promoters maintain the tobacco industry is marketing e-cigarettes to teens, as research indicates the developing market for traditional cigarettes will keep on dropping.

In 2016, the Royal College of Physicians released a report, stating "This escalation of marketing expenditure reflects the increased resources available following the wave of investments in e-cigarettes by the tobacco industry, with the latter's engagement in marketing raising distinct concerns." Millions of dollars spent on marketing aimed at smokers suggests e-cigarettes are "newer, healthier, cheaper and easier to use in smoke-free situations, all reasons that e-cigarette users claim motivate their use". E-cigarette manufacturers have deployed a significant amount in advertising to depict "vaping" as a publicly respectable and alluring activity. E-cigarette advertising expenditures increased sharply, while safety and long-term health effects are still opaque based on the available scientific evidence, as of 2018.

Although the e-cigarette marketplace is complicated by the differences in brands that are owned by tobacco businesses versus independent businesses, e-cigarette businesses continue to change and to influence the manufacturing, price, marketing and promotion, and distribution of e-cigarette products and accessories. The e-cigarette market has grown and changed rapidly, with notable increases in total sales of e-cigarette products, types of products, consolidation of companies, marketing expenses, and sales channels.

Market ownership

Traditionally dominated by small start-up companies, the e-cigarette market has experienced rapid growth and transition, and more recently, large manufacturers and transnational tobacco companies have come to dominate the market, as of 2019. Major tobacco companies have entered the vaping industry by either acquiring e-cigarette companies and brands or developing their own products. Major tobacco companies now involved in the vaping industry include British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, the Altria Group, Reynolds American, Philip Morris International, and Japan Tobacco International. These companies have benefited from large advertising and marketing budgets, which enable promotion across the World Wide Web. In 2003, Hon Lik created the modern e-cigarette. In 2004, the device was marketed in China as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. In 2006 it was launched worldwide. In 2012, Imperial Brands paid him the amount equaling EUR55 million to buy the patent. Vaping products are now a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry.

As traditional cigarette businesses have acquired the largest e-cigarette brands, they currently benefit from a dual market of smokers and e-cigarette users while simultaneously presenting themselves as agents of harm reduction. This raises concerns about the appropriateness of endorsing a product that directly profits the tobacco industry. Importantly, profit alone is unlikely to increase their market share, particularly in the highly restrictive regulatory environment in which tobacco businesses operate. In addition, the unequivocal refusal to associate with the tobacco industry which appears, if only for self-serving reasons, to support tobacco harm reduction, could unintentionally damage the credibility of the tobacco control community.

Regardless of their industry ownership, e-cigarette businesses would nevertheless have a vested interest in maximizing the number of long-term product users. The ethical onus then falls on governments to restrict the influence of industry through appropriate regulations targeting product manufacturing, availability, and use, devised in light of public health interests, a 2016 review stated. In 2014, the World Health Organization released a statement encouraging government bodies to restrict e-cigarette promotion and sponsorship, including ensuring that any advertisement does not target youth, non-smokers, or people not using nicotine. Insufficient regulation might contribute to the expansion of the e-cigarette market, in which tobacco businesses have a substantial stake, potentially renormalizing smoking habits and negating years of intense campaigns against traditional tobacco use.

Methods and claims

Tobacco industry marketing tactics

An area of concern for the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and other health organizations is with respect to how e-cigarettes are marketed to people, among other things. The marketing of e-cigarettes is common, and it is partly responsible for e-cigarettes becoming growingly popular. The entrance of traditional transnational tobacco businesses in the marketing of such products is a significant threat to restricting tobacco use. Big Tobacco transitioning from smokers to vapes has rekindled excitement in a formerly inactive marketing sector. "It's a marketer's dream," Brice O'Brien, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's executive Vice President of consumer marketing, said. "Continuing the long tradition of designing products that appeal explicitly to new users, in recent years, tobacco companies have significantly stepped up the introduction and marketing of flavored non-cigarette tobacco products, especially electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and cigars," the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids stated in 2017. E-cigarette businesses have been using intensive marketing strategies like those used to publicize traditional cigarettes in the 1950s and 1960s. E-cigarette advertisements are found in all forms of media, including television and radio where traditional cigarette advertisements were banned more than 40 years ago. Some e-cigarette advertisements from about the last two years leading up to 2013 looked very similar to tobacco advertisements appearing in the 1960s, 1950s, and 1930s.

Although the marketers of e-cigarettes have made claims that differ from those made for traditional cigarettes (such as use for smoking cessation, which is illegal without being an approved cessation drug or device), a 2014 content analysis of e-cigarette marketing and the observations of tobacco marketing surveillance systems point to several similarities, including the use of young, attractive models; lifestyle claims; and celebrities. Other claims made in e-cigarette advertising have been used in the past by traditional cigarette brands (such as having fewer carcinogens, lower risk of tobacco-related disease) or by smokeless tobacco products (such as the ability to use them where smoking is prohibited). However, under the deeming rule that was published in May 2016, after August 8, 2016, e-cigarette manufacturers cannot make modified risk claims (although this provision has been challenged in pending lawsuits).

The use of e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products is heavily affected by the marketing approaches of tobacco companies, is an area of concern. This is due to the large tobacco companies own a part of all the main nicotine-based products, including traditional cigarettes, as well as snus, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, as of 2019. There is a fair amount of controversy surrounding the marketing of e-cigarettes. The advertising and marketing of e-cigarette products has generated skepticism among public health professionals and legislators, who have noted many similarities to the advertising claims and promotional tactics used for decades by the tobacco industry to sell traditional tobacco products. E-cigarette businesses are using methods that were once used by the tobacco industry to persuade young people to starting using traditional cigarettes. Some e-cigarette marketing mimics the highly profitable tobacco advertising advocating, among other things, an independent existence and a freedom of choice. E-cigarette products are marketed with a variety of unsubstantiated health and quitting smoking messages, with some websites featuring videos of endorsements by physicians (another reprisal of old tobacco industry advertising). Stuart Elliot, a writer for ''The New York Times'', stated in 2013 that "Some of the slogans, like 'A perfect puff every time,' echo classic tobacco cigarette taglines like 'Not a cough in a carload,' or 'A treat instead of a treatment.'"

Marketing messages and advertising

Marketing messages echo well-established traditional cigarette themes, including freedom, good taste, romance, sexuality, and sociability as well as messages stating that e-cigarettes are healthy, are useful for smoking cessation, and can be used in smoke-free environments. These messages are mirrored in the reasons that adults and youth cite for using e-cigarettes. Large tobacco businesses have purchased some of the e-cigarette businesses and greatly increased their advertising expenditures. Large tobacco businesses are investing tremendously in these products and are utilizing polished marketing techniques mimicking those formerly used to glamorize and encourage young people to smoke. This marketing trend may normalize the use of a questionable product. Moreover, since they are intended to replicate the action of smoking; it may contribute to the re-normalization and re-glamorization of the action of smoking. E-cigarette companies do not use the word cigarette in advertisements because of its stigma.

In addition to television, e-cigarette advertisements are on the radio, magazines, newspapers, online, and in retail stores. Early on, e-cigarettes were mainly advertised online. From 2011 to 2013, e-cigarette television advertisement frequency rose 256%. At least 40 unique advertisements for e-cigarettes appeared on US television in 2013 and early 2014. Between 2010 and 2014, e-cigarettes were second only to traditional cigarettes as the top advertised product in magazines. The three most common media were print, television, and e-mail, and spending was highest for print advertisements, as of 2014. E-cigarettes are routinely marketed as a substitute to traditional cigarettes. E-cigarette advertisements regularly make claims. For example, they are advertised as being effective for quitting smoking. The most frequent advertised claims for e-cigarettes were, depicting them as a healthier substitute compared with traditional cigarettes, and as a tool to get around smoke-free policies. In addition to some e-cigarettes are designed to look like traditional cigarettes and be used in a similar way; the marketing of them in television and other venues encourages using them in a way that simulates using traditional cigarettes. Permitting vaping in working areas and public areas contributes to the re-glamorization of smoking, of which e-cigarette businesses are trying to accomplish via their marketing tactics.

A blu e-cigarette advertisement appeared in the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' in 2014. Without showing the model's face, it depicted a bikini bottom adorned with the firm's name. It included the phrase "Slim. Charged. Ready to go." "The advertising just hit a new high in terms of chutzpah," Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, said. The ''Sports Illustrated'' bikini advertisement entices youth, Vince Willmore, a representative from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, stated. blu ran printed advertisements that looked like warning labels in 2017. Those were "Important: Contains flavor", "Important: Vaping blu smells good"; and "Important: No ashtrays needed". The mocking warnings appeared in the June–November 2017 issues of well-known magazines such as ''Esquire'', ''ESPN'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''Us Weekly''. Although e-cigarette advertisements are not allowed to make direct claims that they are a lower risk in contrast to traditional cigarettes, some of blu's advertisements had other kinds of reduced-harm statements such as "Important: Less harmful to your wallet".

E-cigarette marketing targets diverse groups including older smokers but also young people. Some e-cigarettes are marketed as socially appropriate or even ethically better. For competitions in magazines, e-cigarettes have been offered as prizes. Using flavors in the marketing of e-cigarettes are areas of concern. E-cigarette marketing advocate weight control and emphasize use of nicotine with many flavors. These marketing angles could particularly entice overweight people, youth, and vulnerable groups. E-cigarette advertisements have had marketing messages containing pseudoscientific health claims. Several e-cigarette brands are stating in their advertising about vitamin vaping and help with weight management for reduced appetite. E-cigarette marketers are stating on their websites that vitamin vaping may assist with controlling weight. VitaminVape, VapeFully, VitaStik, and NutroVape offer products that are similar to e-cigarettes that they say do not contain nicotine and that they provide vitamins and nutrients. NutroVape states that its product provides "nutritional supplements," and VitaminVape suggests that the effects of vaping Vitamin B is like getting an injection of Vitamin B. In New York City in 2016, neon signs were used to advertise the most recent flavors. A marketing tactic may be packaging an e-cigarette to look like a traditional cigarette pack. Marketing approaches employed by e-cigarette businesses include giving out samples free of charge. Gamucci set up a 323-square foot designated vaping area in 2013 in a departure room of Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport. The vaping area allows people to vape and sample Gamucci's products.

Some marketing specialists stated that product features such color seem to be directed at women. VMR Products designed an e-cigarette called Vapor Couture that is directly targeted at women. Vapor Couture comes in colors such as "deep purple" and "rose gold." Flavors such as "bombshell" and "strawberry champagne" are intended to appeal to women. Vapor Couture has been promoted through point-of-sale marketing and engaging with bloggers. A video advertisement for Vapor Couture e-cigarettes directed at women stated, "break free from the pack" with the "slim, sleek, sparkling" devices in shades that come "straight off the runway." Vaping Vamps designed an e-cigarette that is unambiguously targeted at women. Anna Breslaw, a writer for the website Jezebel, "argues that the Vaping Vamps are problematic – not because they're targeted to women, but because they don't offer anything new to consumers besides a 'girly' package."

Marketing on social media

E-cigarettes are heavily promoted across all media outlets. E-cigarette businesses promote their e-cigarette products on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Promotional content created by people are seen on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Online blogs and forums contain promotional content created by e-cigarette users. A 2017 review found "The rise of new media has enabled the tobacco industry to penetrate channels such as Twitter and YouTube with information offsetting tobacco control denormalisation strategies, of which the electronic cigarette industry is now capitalising on." E-cigarettes are being promoted at popular events and venues, in addition to, on business websites, social media, and via other online places, including Groupon. E-cigarette brands use websites to interact directly with their customers through direct-to-consumer marketing (e.g., direct mail and direct e-mail). A cartoon character called Mr. Cool appeared on blu's website as well as on YouTube in 2014. Vapestick designed an old-fashion looking PC game dubbed ''Electronic cigarette wars''. In 2013, an e-cigarette advertisement was seen in an iPad game designed for children. In October 2013, British American Tobacco, owner of Vype e-cigarettes, was notified by educator Graham Brown-Martin with a tweet to British American Tobacco's business account about the advertisement in the My Dog My Style HD children's game. The company withdrew its advertising and stated: "We've investigated and found a breach of protocols by third party used by ad agency. It's unacceptable and we're taking the issue seriously." Marketing firms are tweeting on Twitter to promote vaping and regularly include links to where they can be purchased online. Some business Twitter accounts have promoted vaping as a quitting smoking aid. E-cigarettes have been heavily marketed across Twitter feeds, offering discounts, "kid-friendly" flavors, algorithmically generated false testimonials, and free samples. They are also marketing online through promotional videos that provide information on how to use such products. E-cigarette businesses, such as Eonsmoke, have paid YouTubers to have their products reviewed on YouTube. Most of the YouTube videos associated with vaping portray this activity as a safe and cool replacement to smoking. E-cigarette businesses have advertised online on Google Search, Yahoo! Search, and Bing. The evidence indicates e-cigarettes are being marketed on social media as a harm reduction alternative, with retailers and manufacturers utilizing marketing techniques historically used by the tobacco industry.

An important determinant of the popularity of the product is product marketing. For instance, previous research has shown that product marketing plays an important role in the perception of the product for potential users of e-cigarettes. Factors that increased the likelihood of potential users to try an e-cigarette were as follows: no health warnings, the presence of flavors, and low or no nicotine content. Similar findings have been reported for waterpipe products. Smokers and recent quitters appear receptive to e-cigarettes when exposed to advertisements of the products. Recently as of 2018, a whole new possibility for marketing has become available through social media. Retailers can easily advertise and promote their products to a large audience through websites such as Twitter and Instagram. These marketing aspects of the products themselves and in advertisements can lead to fast increases in the popularity of products and should therefore be considered when evaluating the market developments of new products.

Between Juul's 2015 launch and fall 2018, their marketing campaign "was patently youth-oriented," a 2018 Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising report concluded. Juul's launch was accompanied with sampling events in large US cities. Young people handed out Juul devices without cost at movie and music events. "The principal focus of these activities was to get a group of youthful influencers to accept gifts of Juul products" and "to try out their various flavors, and then to popularize their products among their peers," a 2018 Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising report states. In 2015, Juul started a campaign titled "Vaporized". As part of their multimillion-dollar advertisement campaign for the Juul device, the company had a vividly colored billboard displayed in Times Square and a featured spread in the July issue of '' Vice magazine''. The advertisements on billboards, in magazines, and on social media depicted models that appeared to be in their 20s. Juul advertisements looked like cigarette advertisements, according to a different study from the Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising. Juul paid people who have a substantial audience on Instagram to publicize their products. The people Juul paid frequently posted images of young people using the Juul device, or were performing tricks or were being humorous with their own device. Juul has used launch parties to provide free product samples. Greater than 1,500 samples were handed out at every launch party. Visitors at the launch parties in New York City and other places were encouraged to post selfies on social media. After a 2010 law was revised to include e-cigarettes, Juul started asking people to pay a $1.00 for the device. Juul does "very little marketing," a representative from the company, stated in 2018.

Concerns have been expressed in relation to the youngness of the men and women depicted in the Juul advertisements along with the design of the device, which critics maintain gives a false impression with regard to the possibility of addiction. There has been substantial discussion relating to Juul on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit and other social media platforms. A 2018 report stated, "Because the audiences of these platforms disproportionately represent youth and young adults, Juul's marketing and promotion on social media may increase the appeal, experimentation, initiation and use of Juul among that population." Juul publicized its sugary flavors as one of the foremost reasons to using the device. A 2016 Juul advertisement states to "Save room for Juul" and states the flavorings are "easy to pair with your favorite foods." In August 2017, a Twitter advertisement for Juul's " creme brulee" pods suggested to people to retweet if they savored the "dessert without the spoon." In May 2018, Juul's Twitter account had no age restrictions and "these kind of social media posts can increase exposure to pro-e-cigarette imagery and messaging, by making JUUL use look cool and rebellious."

Juul stated in June 2018 that it has a new approach for social media. Moving forward, Juul will not depict models in photographs posted on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Juul will utilize former smokers who now use Juul. In a pre-written statement, Kevin Burns, the CEO of Juul, wrote: "While JUUL already has a strict marketing code, we want to take it one step further by implementing an industry-leading policy eliminating all social media posts featuring models and instead focus our social media on sharing stories about adult smokers who have successfully switched to JUUL. We also are having success in proactively working with social media platforms to remove posts, pages and unauthorized offers to sell product targeted at underage accounts. We believe we can both serve the 38 million smokers in the U.S. and work together to combat underage use – these are not mutually exclusive missions." The shift in social media priorities comes at a time when they are trying to deal with the rising young users' use of its products.

E-cigarette businesses have offered consumers a free 14-day trial for e-cigarette products. The "free trials" for e-cigarette products are offered online. Cost reductions are offered via social media on the Internet. For instance, a Facebook page had the message: "V-Shisha sunshine promo!! Save 20% ... off our 5-pack of 0% nicotine, fruity and sparkly disposables." On social media, products are advertised and sometimes offered for free such as batteries for e-cigarettes. Alternatively, free shipping or discounts up to 10% are offered for various products. This offering of products with reduced pricing involves dozens of messages monthly. Manufacturer or importer websites sometimes offer the possibility to become an ambassador of their product line. Such an ambassador is expected to set up a community to share experiences and being active as a blogger or on social media. Some marketing activities were specifically aimed at youth by focusing on youth culture. For instance, pop-up bars set at various events and locations are part of the campaign of the e-cigarette "Juul." The "bar" in this case is a vapor lounge with brightly colored billboard display. In addition, images or cartoons of a young woman were shown in advertisements. Other advertisements were aimed at smokers who would switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, describing the technology of some products as "developed by smokers," "same feeling as a real cigarette," or "smoking the healthy way."

E-cigarette businesses have a robust existence in social media, which bolters their marketing efforts. E-cigarette marketing and advertising online, including countries where such products are not permitted to be used, may promote their use. Independent e-cigarette businesses use social media for promotion of their e-cigarette products. E-cigarettes have been marketed on Facebook even though its policy does not allow for promotion of such products, and in a lot of these cases, age restrictions have not been implemented. In 2018, in the journal ''Tobacco Control'', Stanford researchers stated that less than 50% of the pages they visited, related to nicotine products, restricted the access to individuals who were below 18 years of age. Fruit flavored e-liquid is the most commonly marketed e-liquid flavor on social media. Flavor plays a significant role for the marketing of e-cigarettes online, which encourages users to communicate with one another, in addition to, providing a positive experience to the user. In 2018, the journal ''Tobacco Control'' found that Juul advertised mainly on social media rather than in other venues such as on billboards or in magazines.

Vape retail websites and social online accounts have made an array of direct and indirect marketing assertions, the majority being related to assertions about health benefits, reducing harm compared with tobacco, and providing aid to giving up smoking. A 2014 report evaluated 59 vape retail websites in 2012 stated that the most prominent assertions were that the products are safer, less costly, and cleaner compared with traditional cigarettes; may be used anywhere; may be used in places where smoking is not allowed; will not create passive smoke; and are stylish. Assertions associated with health using text and imagery and video with depictions of doctors have been seen. Assertions associated with quitting smoking were also observed.

E-cigarettes are vigorously advertised, mostly via the Internet, as a quitting smoking or minimization tool, and a less costly and more eco-friendly, socially agreeable, and safe substitute to traditional cigarettes. A 2014 review stated, these claims have been evaluated in studies. The conclusions of those studies were conflicting and mixed.

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Impact of marketing on use

The expansion in the marketing of e-cigarettes is believed to be contributing to the escalation in product awareness. Numerous small e-cigarette businesses are promoting e-cigarette in every possible way. E-cigarette vendors have marketed their products as a cheaper and safer smokeless alternative to traditional cigarettes and a possible smoking cessation tool. Consequently, many cigarette smokers have turned to e-cigarettes, and the number of e-cigarette smokers is increasing. In recent years leading up to 2014, on the international market, e-cigarettes have been widely advertised via television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. This mass marketing and commercialization of e-cigarettes is estimated to increase consumer awareness and the future use of e-cigarettes.

"Brand awareness is raised through promotion in the press, trade press, magazines, television, company websites, sponsorships, online promotions and social media," according to a 2013 Cancer Research UK report. In 2014, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease expressed concerned that the marketing, awareness, and use of such products is increasing exponentially. While advertising of tobacco products is banned in most countries, television and radio e-cigarette advertising in several countries may be indirectly encouraging traditional cigarette use. Marketing and advertisement play a significant role in the public's perception of e-cigarettes. Exposure to e-cigarette advertising influences people to try them. Seeing e-cigarette advertisements online is linked with greater positive views of e-cigarettes, a more likelihood of use, while seeing them at retail locations is linked with greater positive views and a more likelihood of use.

Cigarette smokers were found to be more likely to be susceptible to the e-cigarettes advertisements than non-smokers. The results of a web-based 2015 survey indicated that exposure to e-cigarettes advertisements might enhance interest in trying e-cigarettes, particularly among cigarette smokers. In a 2015 study of 519 adult smokers and former smokers who seen a television advertisement for blu e-cigarettes on the Internet, 76% of smokers stated that it resulted in them to ponder about using traditional cigarettes, 74% stated it resulted in them to ponder about giving up using traditional cigarettes, and 66% stated it resulted in them to consider going on to use an e-cigarette. The 34% of the people who took part in the study who had vaped were much more likely to ponder about using traditional cigarettes after seeing the advertisement compared with non-users. This study indicated that seeing an e-cigarette advertisement could incite thoughts relating to smoking and prompt the desire to smoke. E-cigarette television advertisements could be attracting previous tobacco users to use a traditional cigarette.

As a result of the large-scale marketing, e-cigarettes gained widespread pervasiveness among all age groups, including vulnerable adolescents and youths populations. The proliferation of e-cigarettes as well as the Juul pod device and other pod devices seems to be associated with millions of youth who had seen their advertisements and social media promotions. In various high income countries, a rise in marketing has led to a rise in the use of vaping products. The increased prevalence of vaping among males can be due to sociocultural characteristics or marketing messages and current trends. There are growing concerns that e-cigarette advertising campaigns unjustifiably focus on young adults, adolescents, and women.

A 2017 study found that being exposed to e-cigarette advertisements resulted in the belief that vaping is safer in contrast to cigarette smoking in women typically, and pregnant women. A 2016 experimental study of youth found that "participants exposed to flavored e-cigarette advertisements rated them as more appealing than those exposed to non-flavored e-cigarette advertisements." E-cigarette advertisements with warnings could strengthen e-cigarette harm perceptions, and lower the likelihood of buying e-cigarettes. Some e-cigarette businesses that use cartridges state their products are 'eco-friendly' or 'green', despite the absence of any supporting studies. Some writers contend that such marketing may raise sales and increase e-cigarette interest, particularly among minors.

Safety

Since about 2006, e-cigarettes have been widely marketed as a 'cleaner' type of recreational nicotine product than traditional cigarettes in the US, UK, and Europe. Tobacco manufactures have vigorously promoted the use of alternatives to traditional cigarettes with supposedly safer tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, as a way to lower the harms of tobacco. The objective of the tobacco firms is to maintain their sales by using marketing tactics that de-emphasize the harms and focus attention on e-cigarettes as a "much safer alternative" to traditional cigarettes while publicizing flavors that are enticing to children.

E-cigarettes are marketed to smoking and non-smoking men, women, and children as being safer than traditional cigarettes. A 2015 report states, "they are being marketed as safe for recreational use by the general population." Unsupported or exaggerated assertions about safety and quitting smoking are recurring marketing strategies used to target smokers. Although they are marketed as being safer than traditional cigarettes, the accuracy of this assertion is unknown, as of 2014. A 2017 review states, "there are no definite conclusions regarding the safety and long-term health effects of electronic cigarettes; however, there is evidence that they are being marketed online as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes." E-cigarettes are frequently presented as a healthier, less costly, and cleaner option than tobacco smoking; assertions that are supported with little scientific evidence, and as products change, these assertions may become irrelevant.

In 2014, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies released a position statement, stating "Electronic cigarettes are nicotine delivery devices that have rapidly gained popularity because of marketing and the belief that they are safe and helpful for cessation of cigarette smoking. The health risks of these products, however, have not been adequately studied." E-cigarette marketing is of particular concern, because it is creating an illusion that e-cigarettes are safer and healthier than traditional cigarettes, whereas their safety is still a matter of ongoing debate. E-cigarettes are marketing as being safer than traditional cigarettes, but there is a lack of available evidence to adequately support that view. A 2018 review stated, "Manufacturers of e-cigs claim that their products are nontoxic, but multiple adverse effects including pneumonia, wheezing and coughing have been associated with them." E-cigarettes are promoted as being safe to use in contrast to traditional cigarettes, though they are not absence of hazardous substances. A 2017 review stated, "There is a justifiable concern that any broad statement promoting e-cig safety may be unfounded considering the lack of inhalational toxicity data on the vast majority of the constituents in e-cigs. This is particularly true for individuals with existing lung disease such as asthma." A 2016 review states "various tobacco products are being commercially marketed such as 'reduced exposure,' 'light,' or 'nicotine-free' products including electronic cigarettes with different levels of nicotine, nitrosamines, and other toxic chemicals, claiming a reduced health hazard compared with regular brands. However, recent studies from our laboratory and others assessing the differential BBB lood-brain barriertoxicity of various cigarette products have challenged the claimed safety of these reduced or low-exposure cigarette brands."

E-cigarettes are asserted as being safe to use. Despite this, the US FDA has stated that e-liquids used in the e-cigarettes contained nitrosamines, diethylene glycol, heavy metals, and other contaminants that are possibly toxic. The marketing of e-cigarettes as being safe to use in contrast to traditional cigarettes is under dispute, because the e-cigarette aerosols are a significant source of toxic heavy metals. The available evidence demonstrates that e-cigarette aerosol is not just "water vapour" as is frequently asserted in their marketing. A 2014 report evaluated 59 e-cigarette business retail websites in 2012 and concluded marketing on the sites regularly asserted that e-cigarettes generate merely "harmless water vapor." Similar marketing techniques were being utilized in the UK. Assertions that e-cigarettes and nicotine are safe and even healthy are commonly found in the media and on business websites, is an area of concern. E-cigarette businesses commonly promote that their products contain only water, nicotine, glycerin, propylene glycol, and flavoring but this assertion is misleading as researchers have found differing amounts of heavy metals in the vapor, including chromium, nickel, tin, silver, cadmium, mercury, and aluminum. The widespread assertion that e-cigarettes emit "only water vapor" is not true because the evidence demonstrates e-cigarette vapor contains possibly harmful chemicals such as nicotine, carbonyls, metals, and volatile organic compounds, in addition to particulate matter. E-cigarette companies have advertised that substances including glycerin are "FDA approved" or "generally recognized as safe," but this classification is applicable to eating food rather than the inhalation of the e-cigarette aerosol.

Marketers of e-cigarettes have asserted that the "cancer causing chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes are not found in electronic cigarettes". A 2016 review stated, "Despite widespread promotion that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes due to less tar production, there are multiple chemicals found in these products. These include nicotine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, lead, acetone, copper, and cadmium. These compounds can be addictive and/or carcinogenic. For example, formaldehyde is an International Agency for Research on Cancer group 1 carcinogen." The makers and marketers of such products frequently assert that the products they offer are a safe substitute to smoking, especially because they do not generate carcinogenic smoke. Despite this, "no studies have been conducted to determine that the vapor is not carcinogenic, and there are other potential risks associated with these devices," a 2012 World Medical Association report stated. As of 2014, the e-cigarettes that were being marketed may have used a significant number of interchangeable components that enabled users to alter the composition of the inhaled aerosol. Provided that scientific evidence about the safety of e-cigarettes is largely inconclusive, marketing claims that use words such as ''safer'' to describe their products could contribute to confusion about their overall safety, especially among youth. Promoting a product by claiming that it is healthier than tobacco smoking, the leading cause of preventable death, is therefore controversial and may only have merit when targeting smokers who are contemplating quitting or reducing use.

Independent e-cigarette businesses have directed marketing efforts at smokers, stating it is a safe nicotine product. Statements that e-cigarettes are safe and beneficial in comparison to traditional cigarettes may hamper approaches to tobacco control. These products are being advertised as a harm reducing substitute. There is no evidence that the traditional cigarette brands are selling e-cigarettes as part of a plan to phase out traditional cigarettes, despite some stating to want to cooperate in "harm reduction". "Perceived and marketed as a 'healthier alternative' to conventional cigarettes, few data exist regarding the safety of these devices and their efficacy in harm reduction and treatment of tobacco dependence; even less is known about their overall impact on population health," a 2014 review stated. E-cigarettes were initially presented as being safer than traditional cigarettes, but marketing approaches may be surpassing such claims by connecting e-cigarettes with words identified with healthy foods. Some vaping brands assert that their devices will provide vitamins instead of nicotine. On social media sites these products are being advertised with images that include salads or split avocados. A 2018 review states that "The recent advent of 'vitamin vaping' and aggressive marketing by some e-cigarette companies that claim that vaping e-cigarettes containing a variety of vitamins (vitamins A, B12, C, and D) is worrying as at this current time, clinically determining the concentration of any given vitamin that is systemically absorbed by inhalation route is not possible."

The manner in which e-cigarettes are marketed greatly influence the beliefs of the users regarding their harms and benefits and making choices to use such products. Many cigarette smokers have turned to vaping because e-cigarette vendors have previously marketed their product as a cheaper and safer smokeless alternative to traditional cigarettes, and a possible smoking cessation tool. The US FDA rejected these claims, and in September 2010 they informed the President of the Electronic Cigarette Association that warning letters had been issued to five distributors of e-cigarettes for "violations of good manufacturing practices, making unsubstantiated drug claims, and using the devices as delivery mechanisms for active pharmaceutical ingredients." The marketing of such products as being safer than traditional cigarettes has resulted in a rise in their use in pregnant woman.

Marketing and other factors may differ in various countries, thus rates of use and the overall public health effects may not be identical. Many circumstances associated with the public health impacts of large-scale availability and unimpeded marketing of e-cigarettes have been discussed, including impacts on starting to smoke in youth, giving up smoking, dual use in long-term smokers, and going back to smoking in previous smokers. Fear exists that wide-scale promotion and use of e-cigarettes, fueled by an increase in the advertising of these products, may carry substantial public health risks. The rise in nicotine-containing products, primarily e-cigarettes, indicates that such products may be thought of as being safer in contrast to traditional cigarettes. Despite this, there still are many questions with regard to the public health impacts of such products.

Claims related to pharmaceuticalization are made, presenting e-cigarettes as medical nicotine products. By switching from traditional cigarettes to nicotine products, traditional transnational tobacco businesses could make money from smokers, new users, and from people who are interested in quitting smoking. Pharmaceuticalization constitutes the next stage of the tobacco industry, and another risk to public health.

Harm to bystanders

Widespread advertising and promotion included the assertion that vaping would present little risk to bystanders. In spite of that, "disadvantages and side effects have been reported in many articles, and the unfavorable effects of its secondhand vapor have been demonstrated in many studies." E-cigarettes are marketed as "free of primary and second-hand smoke risk" due to no carbon monoxide or tar is expected to be generated during use. However, the health impact of nicotine and other ingredients, is an area of concern. Marketing efforts mislead people, who would be exposed to passive vapor, to perceive vaping as having been confirmed to be safe. A 2014 practice guideline by NPS MedicineWise states, "Although data on health effects of passive vapour are currently lacking, the risks are argued to be small, but claims that e-cigarettes emit only water vapour are nevertheless incorrect. Serum cotinine levels (a metabolite of nicotine) have been found to be similar in bystanders exposed to either e-cigarette vapour or cigarette smoke."

Addictiveness

Some manufacturers of e-cigarettes voluntarily carried health warnings in their advertisements. Sellers in the US are not allowed to display advertisements for e-cigarettes or other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) without a health warning statement. E-cigarette packages and advertisements require health warnings under US law, stating "WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical." According to a 2014 review, the advertising of vaping on television and radio is large-scale marketing of a habit-forming nicotine product, which is in support of its recreational use, to a new group of users who have not previously viewed this type of marketing.

A 2019 World Health Organization report states that "Apart from the known harmful effects of nicotine on the developing brain, nicotine is addictive and could lead people, particularly young people, to take up more harmful forms of nicotine or tobacco consumption. Further, by using flavourings and branding strategies that appeal to young people, the industries involved in the manufacture and marketing of ENDS are employing tactics to expand their consumer base under the guise of contributing to public health work." To maintain continuing sales, independent e-cigarette businesses have directed marketing efforts at dedicated smokers, using the addictive substance nicotine. The assurance they give is that the nicotine being used is safe. Another tactic used to imply the safety of these products is that the e-liquid containing nicotine is typically labeled as "e-juice" and promoted in candy and fruit flavors, such as cotton candy, gummy bear, chocolate mint, watermelon, and grape. The fact that e-cigarettes contain nicotine is downplayed in e-cigarette advertising. Younger adults and youth who are experimenting with these products may not realize that e-juice contains the highly addictive chemical nicotine, and that the products are classified as a tobacco product. A 2014 review stated, "Children are targeted for addiction with the addition of flavorants including the addition of strawberry and chocolate to mask the otherwise bitter taste of the product." E-cigarettes are marketed with various amounts of nicotine, and the amounts of this substance absorbed is still not clear.

A point of contention for pro-regulation advocates is that e-cigarettes are yet another tobacco industry marketing ploy. Rather than a strategy designed to offset declining tobacco sales, public health researchers argue e-cigarettes are a vehicle to addict future tobacco consumers, as well as creating a new income stream in the meantime. One, in particular, argues that by using e-cigarettes in this way, the tobacco industry aims to negate the current cessation trend, re-glamorize tobacco and smoking, present nicotine as benign to younger people and re-addict ex-smokers. It is argued that e-cigarettes are not a big tobacco marketing ploy, and that on the contrary, laws banning nicotine products that are not tobacco or approved therapeutic products actually protect the tobacco industry's dominant market position – a dominance that e-cigarettes may break if they are not regulated out of the market.

"Smoke anywhere"

E-cigarettes were initially advertised as a form of tobacco that could circumvent existing smoke-free legislation, with initial confusion as to whether existing smoke-free legislations also apply to e-cigarettes. Increasingly, smoke-free legislations banning combustible tobacco cigarette smoking in indoor public places have been amended to expand their coverage to e-cigarettes. Many exceptions exist. For instance, vaping is allowed in vape shops and also in venues that hold vaping conventions (even if the use of e-cigarettes is banned in those venues during other events). The US Surgeon General called on states and localities to include e-cigarettes in smoke-free policies. In order to protect the public from both second-hand smoke and second-hand aerosol, the US Surgeon General emphasized that smoke-free policies should be modernized to incorporate e-cigarettes, an approach that "will maintain current standards for clean indoor air, reduce the potential for renormalization of tobacco product use, and prevent involuntary exposure to nicotine and other aerosolized emissions from e-cigarettes". E-cigarettes are presented as a way to get nicotine where smoking is not allowed, but state and local representatives in the US have expanded their smoke-free air laws to also ban e-cigarette use in places where smoking is banned to prevent harm. As of October 1, 2018, 789 municipalities, 12 states, and two territories include e-cigarettes as products that are prohibited from use in 100% smoke-free environments.

A 2018 review stated, "E-cigarettes were initially advertised as a form of tobacco that could circumvent existing smoke-free legislation. Their increasing popularity brought initial confusion as to whether existing smoke-free legislation also applies to e-cigarettes." E-cigarettes are marketing, among other things, as a tool to get around smoke-free policies by allowing users to "smoke anywhere." E-cigarettes could also be used as a tool to get around policies against smoking by people who have a nicotine dependence that are less willing to give up cigarette smoking. Older adults are vaping as a way to give up smoking or to get around smoke-free bans, and they believe the marketing of such products makes smoking normal again. Frequent marketing strategies include aiding people to stop using traditional cigarettes and permitting people to maintain using nicotine in places where smoking is banned. Many advertisements state that e-cigarettes are a way to get around smoking bans, which undermines smoke-free social norms. Some e-cigarette marketing encourages continued use as a substitute to tobacco, and short-term use in public areas where smoking is not allowed.

E-cigarette marketing messages promotes "the freedom to enjoy the personal pleasures associated with smoking in places where conventional smoking has been banned." An-cigarette business highlighted this point by using the name Lite-Up Anywhere for its device. Another encouraged dual use, staying that its "smart plastic case sdesigned to fit snuggly in the pocket, protect the e-cig, and even house one regular tobacco cigarette for those adult smokers who chose to dual between the two."

The Action on Smoking and Health UK stated in 2013 that it "does not consider it appropriate to include e-cigarettes under smokefree regulations," upholding one of the e-cigarette businesses' main marketing pitches that vaping can be done everywhere without the limitations and social stigma associated with smoking. An undetermined amount of e-cigarette advertising uses misleading health claims and youth is among its targeted audience, which encourages disobedience in opposition to smoke-free regulations. E-cigarettes are marketed for use where smoking is not allowed and due to their similarity with tobacco products it is possible that using them where smoking is not permitted, will result in enforcing bans on smoking harder.

A major drawback of traditional cigarettes is the smoke they emit, which is known to contain thousands of chemicals dangerous to human health, and for this reason, traditional cigarettes are now subject to smoking bans and smoke-free policies all over the world. E-cigarette proponents frequently highlight the smoke-free aspect of vaping and that these devices can be used where tobacco is currently restricted. Marketing that accentuates that e-cigarettes can be used anywhere may undermine enforcement of smoke-free policies and tobacco control efforts and expose non-users to toxicants. A 2015 survey of a representative sample of American adults found that increased frequency of exposure to e-cigarette advertising was associated with lower support for policies that restrict use in public places. These results suggest the need for more publicly available information regarding the chemical composition and possible health consequences of inhaling second-hand vapor.

Shortly after UK researcher Kate Hunt seen e-cigarette advertising on television, an unsolicited e-mail arrived on January 16, 2014, promoting an 'e-cig starter kit'. This showed 'Megan' (attractive, slim, elegant, professional, confident and happy) 'smoking' an e-cigarette, apparently on a plane. Incongruously, the e-cigarette billows smoke. The sender's address and titles of embedded links suggest the ease of trying e-cigarettes, and that e-cigarettes are healthy and inoffensive. Ingeniously, the advertisement can be read as showing that holding a cigarette object is attractive and socially desirable, and that e-cigarettes are (somewhat) distinct from 'ordinary' cigarettes. Within present legislation in 2014 in the UK, 'Megan' can 'smoke' her e-cigarette in public spaces because e-cigarettes are not subject to smoke-free regulation. E-cigarettes can also be advertised, although some may question whether a 'smoking' e-cigarette complies with guidelines.

Smoking cessation

Advertised as a quitting smoking tool, vaping has received a fair amount of controversy but the experimental research on this topic has been limited. Marketing of e-cigarettes may encourage continual use as a replacement for tobacco. E-cigarettes are being promoted as a quitting smoking tool to assist smokers to reduce the number of traditional cigarettes used. It is also promoted that they may be used along with traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are repeatedly promoted as possible replacements to nicotine replacement products. They are also advertised for use as nicotine replacement products. Some businesses are using or may use e-cigarette advertising to encourage smoking, deliberately or unintendedly, are areas of concern. E-cigarettes are advertised as a way to quit smoking, though they could also act as a gateway to traditional cigarette use, is an area of concern.
E-cigarettes are marketed for quitting smoking, but it is uncommon youth use them for this reason.

A 2019 review found "Vaping has been promoted as a beneficial smoking cessation tool and an alternative nicotine delivery device that contains no combustion by-products. However, nicotine is highly addictive, and the increased use of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes among teens and individuals who are not in need of smoking cessation may lead to overall greater nicotine dependence in the population." A 2019 review found these "devices have rapidly become the most common tobacco products used by youth, driven in large part by marketing and advertising by e-cigarette companies. There is substantial evidence that adolescent e-cigarette use leads to use of combustible tobacco products."

Businesses have promoted e-cigarettes for quitting smoking since their entrance into the market, but there has not been an e-cigarette approved as a quitting smoking tool by US FDA, as of July 2015. Businesses are marketing e-cigarettes in an indirect way as quitting smoking tools, but no e-cigarette has been approved for this type of use by the US FDA. E-cigarette businesses have made indirect claims regarding quitting smoking via consumer testimonials. Statements from e-cigarette users supporting their effectiveness for quitting smoking have appeared in promotional materials. In September 2008, the World Health Organization released a report, stating that "marketers should immediately remove from their web sites and other informational materials any suggestion that WHO considers it to be a safe and effective smoking cessation aid" because "WHO has no scientific evidence to confirm the product's safety and efficacy."

There is limited supporting evidence to back up the direct and indirect marketing assertion that vaping will assist smokers to give up or cut back their use of traditional cigarettes. Despite massive advertisements asserting the benefits of vaping for giving up smoking, several studies concluded that the use of e-cigarettes did not result in completely abstaining from smoking. Assertions of effectiveness for giving up smoking are not supported by the available scientific evidence, according to a 2014 review. Many e-cigarette businesses market their products as a smoking cessation aid without evidence of effectiveness. E-cigarette marketing has been found to make unsubstantiated health statements (e.g., that they help one quit smoking) including statements about improving psychiatric symptoms, which may be particularly appealing to smokers with mental illness. E-cigarettes are being advertised by businesses as a harmless device to assist with quitting smoking, but the available evidence does not support this claim. "Manufacturers and distributors mislead people into believing these devices are acceptable alternatives to scientifically proven cessation techniques, thus delaying actual smoking cessation," a 2012 World Medical Association report stated.

One concern is that e-cigarette advertising may perpetuate dual use of traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, a concern that comes from the visual depictions of e-cigarette use that may serve as smoking cues to current and former smokers of traditional cigarettes, increasing the urge to smoke and decreasing intentions and efficacy to quit or abstain from smoking. Consistent with cue-reactivity studies about traditional cigarettes, exposure to e-cigarette use in a laboratory was associated with increased urge to smoke traditional cigarettes among smokers and an urge to use e-cigarettes among users of that product. Whether exposure to depictions in advertising of the use of e-cigarettes triggers urges to begin or continue to smoke traditional cigarettes or weakens users' resolve to quit has received little attention. Some research indicates much smaller proportions of e-cigarette advertisements are now endorsing these devices as quit aids, and cited reasons for use by vapers have significantly shifted away from smoking cessation toward use to increase social image. Of concern is that these results suggest that e-cigarette uptake is not solely driven by a desire among smokers to quit smoking.

Marketing to non-smokers

E-cigarettes are marketed to non-smokers. Of concern is their potential to make attitudes towards tobacco smoking more positive (i.e., to renormalize it) through, for example, marketing of objects that appear very similar to tobacco cigarettes that appeal to both adult and children who are non-smokers. The extensive marketing and advocacy through various channels broadens exposure to e-cigarette marketing messages and products; such activity may encourage non-smokers, particularly young adults and youth, to perceive e-cigarette use as socially normative. E-cigarettes are promoted to a certain extent to forge a vaping culture that entices non-smokers. It has been suggested that these devices may be a less harmful alternative to smoking, provide health benefits to smokers who switch completely to them, lessen cigarette cravings, and facilitate smoking cessation. However, promotion of e-cigarettes may also encourage non-smokers, particularly young people, to initiate use, facilitate experimentation with traditional tobacco products, and undermine tobacco control efforts.

Independent e-cigarette businesses have directed marketing efforts at non-smokers by promoting them as lifestyle accessories, among other things. E-cigarettes are marketed at young non-smokers as being socially appealing and part of a fast expanding trend. The aim for independent e-cigarette businesses with selling to non-smokers (as well as smokers) is to maximize profit using a 'next generation' product. Many non-users (as well as users) perceptions regarding vaping were consistent with an array of unsupported assertions that were regularly stated in the advertisements of such products such as vaping is a healthy substitute compared with smoking, is an area of concern. A 2014 review stated that it would be appropriate to implement restrictions on the marketing of these products to non-smokers. Concerns have been raised that the marketing directed at young adults and non-smokers could undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

An e-cigarette advertisement for the firm VIP appeared on television in 2014, which depicted a woman using an e-cigarette. Professor Martin McKee, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, commented that the advertisement was "highly sexualised and gives the impression at being aimed at non-smokers." A spokesperson for VIP told BBC
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