JUUL targets youth and non-users on Instagram

A study published in the journal Tobacco Control[1] analyzed Instagram posts promoting the JUUL vaping brand or JUUL-compatible products. The results indicate that 90% of the promotional posts contained appeals to try the product, most often aimed at youth and non-users.

The study focused on the JUUL e-cigarette given its dominant position in the United States in 2018 in the pod-based nicotine delivery device market. JUUL is one of the leading e-cigarette manufacturers in North America, owned since December 2018 by the tobacco company Altria Philip Morris. The choice of this brand also results from the use of the hashtag #juul by compatible or competing product brands in their promotional efforts to gain exposure on social media. Instagram was selected due to its popularity among young people and its relatively high engagement rate compared to other social media platforms.

Keyword filters collected over 50,000 JUUL-related posts from March to mid-November 2018. Over 40% of these posts were commercial, almost all of which (91%) contained calls to try the product. This included messages inviting people to quit smoking for JUUL, or promotions, gifts linked to the purchase of the product, and 71 % included incentives for current users to continue using the product, for example, through loyalty programs or discount coupons.

JUUL product associated with a 'lifestyle' on Instagram

The study authors observed marketing messages aimed at non-users that contained references to the JUUL brand but also to JUUL-specific community groups, thereby increasing brand recognition among novices and strengthening the existing community around JUUL users.

Topics associated with targeting new users included the cross-promotion of marijuana-based products, which are potentially attractive to marijuana users. Flavors, traditionally used to recruit new users, were highlighted, as were references to sponsored events. Finally, the study noted the use of influencers to promote a certain JUUL lifestyle (#vapenights, #goodvibes).

None of these posts addressed the risks of vaping or included a message related to quitting vaping. Instead, they attempted to attract new users, particularly tobacco and/or marijuana smokers, with "wellness" hashtags like #detox.

Posts aimed at the JUUL community, which already uses JUUL, included references to customizing JUUL products. These included offerings such as decals and product packaging. They also featured the promotion of alternative or compatible pod brands and tips for using the products differently, including changing vapor strength, flavors, and more.

Marketing targeting focused on teenagers and young adults

These findings are consistent with existing data on the marketing strategies used by tobacco companies to promote tobacco products to young people and potential new users, while retaining current users.

A previous study, published in Tobacco Control[2], revealed that more than half of Instagram posts about JUUL are youth- and lifestyle-focused. The company used young models and influencers to promote its brand on social media. The study found that more than half of the posts (55 %) contained youth-related content, including language, memes and cartoon images, and celebrity references. JUUL was featured in schools and other youth-friendly settings.

The tobacco industry has been known for decades for using aggressive marketing strategies to attract young people and encourage them to consume its products. Internal tobacco industry documents revealed how tobacco companies used opinion leaders perceived by young people as reliable sources of information to influence them. The tactics now being analyzed by researchers in the marketing of vaping products reflect similar practices.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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Keywords: Instagram, JUUL, youth, vaping, influencers, marketing [1] Kostygina G, Tran H, Czaplicki L, et al Developing a theoretical marketing framework to analyze JUUL and compatible e-cigarette product promotion on Instagram Tobacco Control Published Online First: 21 February 2022. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057120 [2] Czaplicki L, Kostygina G, Kim Y, et al Characterizing JUUL-related posts on Instagram Tobacco Control 2020;29:612-617. National Committee Against Smoking |