The age of vaping

A new ecosystem and new subscription economy has widely opened up the next generation products and vaping in tobacco industry. Nearly 1 billion people around the world light up cigarettes (burnt tobacco) every day. The number of vapers (e-cigarettes/ electronic nicotine delivery systems/ vaping devices) has been increasing rapidly to 50 million and widely anticipated that figure would go up over 100 million very soon.

Consumers into vaping expect a frictionless experience across all channels to derive multitude of experiences to support a new phase and seemingly positive change in their lives - the step to stop them from smoking permanently. The last couple of years have seen unprecedented move in consumer core values and characterisation.

1. Vaping has now become a community of connections around stores, both in the digital and physical spaces. There are different dynamics between players in the market, and their businesses as being built on trust and human relationships. Vape store owners are anchored around ‘small-business’ values and take pride in the relationships that they have established with consumers.
2. Vaping has now reached a level where there is an abundance of choice when it comes to flavours and brands. They like to be able to try different brands and flavours without being limited by set of cartridges, while many of them recognise that much of the liquids taste the same, they enjoy exploring different brands and trying new flavours from time to time.
3. The future of vaping would be more sensorial, based on taste, smell and touch. The people are well versed in the newest flavours on the market, as well as how each of the devices smoked i.e. the amount of smoke that is produced from each hit.
4. As well as the established brands and stores, vaping also lives in the fringes or the ‘underground’ as it’s commonly referred. Enthusiasts, influencers and industry icons create homemade mods, small-batch liquids and custom designed machines, to hack their vaping experience and push it to new levels. This alternative culture is where innovation breeds, and where new technologies are first tested and validated before bleeding into the mainstream further down the line.

The last couple of years have also seen significant evolution of the ecosystem with more disruption, digital possibilities and emergence of network of networks.

1. Healthcare providers and regulators network across the globe have communicated that e-cigarettes are not harm-free and deemed as safer alternative but there are numerous versions and points of view from myriad healthcare bodies and regulators which is making it even more complicated and sometimes confusing for the audience.
2. The media and technology network have a role to play in making it a rapidly growing phenomenon. People tend to buy vaping products in order to resonate better, join ‘like-minded’ segments to incorporate a more holistic view of other people and their needs and beliefs around vaping.
3. Logistics and global manufacturing network play a crucial role in distribution, availability, import-export and personalisation of wide range of vaper devices, types and e-juices. The consumers fluctuate between brick and mortar supermarket outlets, vape shops and online shops.
4. Accessories and complementary services partners provide a network to create a marketplace similar to the mobile phone and tablet market. There are coils, batteries, chargers and vape pens manufacturers and service providers popping up everywhere to be part of the game.

The advancements in digital technology are improving battery life, building better processors and microchips, focusing on flavour intensity and innovation with new e-juices, developing longer lasting atomiser coils all with the focus on better quality with eye catching designs.

The cloud providers are enabling high speed to market with new customer engagement models, marketing, commerce and digital platforms for both direct to consumer and electronic storefront for retailers and vape stores. Several companies in this industry are in the midst of transformation with the aim to streamline their customer and consumer strategy. Digital initiatives include next generation customer engagement, direct to consumer with marketing, commerce and social strategies. Huge focus on consumer trials, switching, retention and loyalty with alternative products.

On the counter other disruptors are focusing on vaper control checks by coming up with products such as HALO IoT smart sensor and vape detectors. I would not be surprised if more general policy and regulatory updates are introduced that would come down heavily as the societies’ knowledge evolves in dealing with this big shift.

Digital natives and other consumers are pushing the companies to offer market leading innovation in products and service. Hence there is immense pressure on product development, and to speed up concept to market timeline and R&D that could pose serious risks to the health due to chemicals that may not go through full cycles. There have been number of reports of serious lungs damage cases due to certain chemicals.

E-cigarettes were introduced to America in 2007. They were coined as ‘the step to stop one from smoking permanently’. In reality, it is the bridge that many people cross to make them feel that inhaling toxins isn’t damaging the body. I will admit that vaping e-cigarettes is a better choice than original cigarettes that produce masses of over 5000 chemicals. This does not suggest that smoking E-cigarettes and vaping are any better for your health. Overall, I believe that the impact of E-cigarettes have been damaging the mind sets of young people, and it calls for a much more frequent and open communication.

Pharma industry follows stringent clinical trials to test new treatments and indications are safe, side effects are understood, works better and improves quality of human life. Stakeholders might see that such research methods are needed in vape sector to understand how new chemicals, liquids and flavours would affect people’s health from the offerings of the big tobacco and next generation product companies. There is need for more supervision of electronic cigarettes industry, local laws and regulation of vapour products. Despite what people think we need to create healthy balance in the ecosystem encompassing consumer behaviour, local context, safety, healthcare costs, risks, production, legislation, brand promotion, technology and sustainability.