Flavors, freedom of use, reduced harm: the marketing arguments for nicotine pouches

A study[1] of Truth Initiative, published in Tobacco Control, reveals that the marketing methods of popular nicotine pouch brands (Altria's On!, Swedish Match's Zyn and RJ Reynolds' Velo) are similar to those used for e-cigarettes. They are designed to recruit young consumers. Most of the ads use the same arguments of reduced harm, multiple flavors and the freedom to consume these pouches anywhere.

The authors analyzed nearly 120,000 advertising occurrences of 286 distinct advertisements for the three nicotine pouch brands broadcast across different media: online, print, radio, and TV, between January 2019 and September 2021.

Oral nicotine pouches are a new product in the tobacco industry's portfolio, typically offered in a variety of flavors. These products are sold in pouches, similar to snus (snus is a moist smokeless tobacco powder that is typically placed under the upper lip, and does not require spitting unlike chewing tobacco) and are consumed in the same way. The difference is not in the method of consumption but in the nature of the product: instead of containing tobacco leaves, these pouches are filled with white powder containing nicotine.

Advertising strategies comparable to those for vaping products

Nicotine pouches first hit the market in the United States in 2016 and their popularity quickly skyrocketed, with sales increasing more than 300-fold. The market value grew from $710,000 to $216 million between 2016 and 2020. Their popularity has made them a growing concern for public health officials due to the addictive nature of the products.

Advertising spend for the top three brands reached nearly $25 million between 2019 and 2021. Velo led the way with $94.7 billion of the budget, followed by Zyn and On! Most ads aired on radio ($75.9 billion), to a lesser extent on television ($16.2 billion), and online ($6.7 billion), with potential shifts over time in the strategies deployed to market these products in line with those for vaping products. E-cigarette marketing initially focused on television and radio, then expanded to social media with a youth-targeted audience. However, following the mobilization of public health organizations and the intervention of the FDA, vaping product marketing then shifted away from social media to traditional marketing channels such as radio and television.

Across all media channels, nicotine pouch ads were heavily inserted on entertainment sites such as People, Rolling Stone And Vibe (34.7 %), but also sports sites such as Sports Illustrated, NFL.com And MBA.com. : 9.5 %. A recent study analyzing e-cigarette marketing spend showed similar spending with magazines Sports illustrated And Rolling Stone[2].

Advertisements focused on the ease of use of nicotine pouches

The researchers found that more than 25 separate advertisements published during the study period emphasized the “freedom” of using nicotine pouches with phrases such as “anywhere,” “experience freedom,” and “now you can!” For example, one of the most commonly used taglines for Zyn was “Can’t Smoke? Can’t Vape?” emphasizing the potential for using these products in spaces where traditional tobacco and nicotine products are not permitted.

These results corroborate those of a previous investigation of Truth[3] which indicated that nicotine pouches are promoted as a product that can be consumed anywhere, unlike other tobacco and nicotine products. RJ Reynolds, for example, has increased its marketing targeting to co-consumers by focusing on the "benefits" of nicotine pouches, namely that they can be consumed in public places where smoking is prohibited.

A communication also praising the diversity of aromas

Many advertisements for these pouches used phrases such as “flavor explosion” and “maximum flavor,” which appeal to young adults and first-time tobacco users. Regarding the brand On!, more than 9 out of 10 advertisements focused on its flavors. However, previous studies have established a link between the existence of diverse flavors and the increased risk of incitement and entry of young people into the consumption of tobacco products. According to the authors of the study, advertisements for flavored nicotine pouches participate in this same objective.

Arguments suggesting that nicotine pouches are less harmful

Advertisements for nicotine pouches also use claims that they are less harmful than traditional tobacco products. Nearly 10 of the 286 advertisements included in the study contained claims such as “no tobacco/tobacco-free.” This type of promotion largely reflects the arguments used to promote new nicotine products in comparison with traditional tobacco products.

For Zyn, the two advertising slogans with the most occurrences, after "Can't smoke, Can't Vape?" were "Tobacco-free nicotine pouches" (14.8 %), and "Now you can enjoy tobacco-free nicotine pouches" (9.9 %). These formulations suggest that the products are healthier and less risky for their consumers. In doing so, manufacturers do not mention their potential health risks and their addictive nature in order to attract a new, often young, clientele.

According to the authors, continued monitoring of the prevalence of nicotine pouches and marketing expenditures allocated to these products is important given the recent growth in their sales and the lack of awareness of their potential health risks.

Keywords: nicotine pouches, Velo, Zyn, On!, marketing, flavors

AE

[1] Duan Z, Henriksen L, Vallone D, et al Nicotine pouch marketing strategies in the USA: an analysis of Zyn, On! and Velo Tobacco Control Published Online First: 11 July 2022. doi: 10.1136/tc-2022-057360

[2] Tobacco-free generation, US: Public health measures have curbed marketing spending by vaping manufacturers, published September 13, 2022, accessed September 14, 2022

[3] Czaplicki L, Patel M, Rahman B, Yoon S, Schillo B, Rose SW. Oral nicotine marketing claims in direct-mail advertising. Tob Control. 2021 May 6: tobaccocontrol-2020-056446. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056446. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33958422.