They look and feel like real cigarettes, but they’re much
more than that. Doubling in market share annually, electronic cigarettes are
taking off. Introduced to the U.S. market in 2007, e-cigarettes give smokers
the freedom to smoke whenever and wherever they want, tobacco-free, while
simultaneously quitting their traditional smoking habits. But there are still a
lot of question surrounding the boom of the e-cig.
In the U.S., e-cigs aren’t subject to tobacco laws and the
Food and Drug Administration has yet to officially speak out against them.
E-cig brands seem to be popping up everywhere. Presented as healthier, cheaper,
and more environmentally-friendly than cigarettes, smokers are using them to
break their habit and celebrities are endorsing them–but this new high-tech
smoking trend presents a variety of aspects worth a second look.
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Components Of E-Cigs
It looks like a cigarette, smokes like a cigarette, but
doesn’t damage or smell like one. This product is a tobacco-free simulation of
the cigarette experience. It’s actually an electronic inhaler. The flame is
simulated, along with the vapor smoke, and plastic ash tip. The whole
experience is “fake,” but satisfying. E-cigarette smokers inhale and exhale a
liquid nicotine vapor heated by a battery; the amount of nicotine is chosen by
the user.
Is it safe? This is a question that you must answer for
yourself–even if you’re not a smoker. Both manufacturers and
customers speak about the advantages of the nicotine vapor
in comparison to traditional cigarette smoke, but there’s never been a specific
health or safety claim stated. Many regulatory agencies and health experts
aren’t sold on the safety of this product, and there haven’t been any long-term
health studies to really test it.
Hazards Of Marketing
There are many concerns when it comes to the effective
marketing of e-cigs–a potential problem for the future of this product.
Although e-cigs lack tobacco, they do have nicotine and other potentially
harmful ingredients.
With this comes a slew of potential restrictions. While
e-cigs aren’t considered to be real cigarettes, why do both Facebook and Google
forbid their manufacturers to advertise on their sites? This leads us to
question both the effects and components of this product.
Another topic causing concern is the sale of e-cigs to
children. This is nothing new to the cigarette industry, but the e-cig product
is a bit different in terms attracting minors. While manufacturers may not be
directly marketing toward minors, the nicotine cartridges come in flavors
likely to appeal to kids–for example, strawberry, chocolate, and caramel. Is
the ease of this potentially hazardous product enticing children?
And marketing isn’t the only cause for concern. Unlike
traditional cigarettes, which require consumers to provide proof of their age
upon purchase, e-cigs aren’t bound to the tobacco laws of the U.S. and are
mainly sold online. This opens the door for people of all ages to purchase them
discretely–even minors.
The Disruption Of The Market
The e-cig was birthed in 2003. That year they held less than
one percent of the $80 billion market share in the U.S. cigarette industry, but
it has doubled every year since–a surprisingly high number for a product
lacking standard marketing efforts. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. is just
one of the major brands at play in the e-cig market. (Disclosure: They are one of my clients.)
The U.S. holds the top spot for having the largest e-cig
market worldwide, but in the U.K., there are expected to be one million e-cig
users by mid-2013. They have most certainly become a global trend–in fact,
500,000 people in France are using e-cigs daily. It’s hard to say whether this
tobacco-free product is just a long-winded fad or a successful product gaining
momentum.
Is This The Future Of The Cigarette?
Many other substitutes have failed, but the smoking
experience provided by e-cigs is a sure sign of success for this product and
market. Why? Because people addicted to cigarettes are addicted to holding the
packing, taking out a cigarette, putting it to their lips, and inhaling. The
entire step-by-step process is a package that triggers the emotional response
of the smoker.
The niche for this smokeless product might be the key to
understanding the success of the e-cig. Take smoke as an example. Both smokers
and nonsmokers hate the smell of smoke; e-cigs have a pleasant aroma–an
important differentiator in the market.
Cigarettes were once a cause for alienation of their users,
but e-cigs have made it possible for users to “smoke” indoors with little-to-no
disruption of other patrons. The indoor smoking of this product has been
prohibited in some locations. Although it seems that it’s up to an
establishment to make this decision. The vote is still out about the safety of
secondhand nicotine-vapors, although smoking from the comfort of your couch is
still a positive.
The e-cig market is undoubtedly booming, but the variety of
concerns for this product may lead to rocky future.
Have you ever used an electronic cigarette? Do you think
this market will continue to grow?
Article Credit: http://www.forbes.com
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