Big Vape’s popularity boom is often attributed to the vast number of flavors, but what about its more covert marketing tactics? Social media is inextricably entwined with Gen Z, making it the perfect vessel for vape brands.
Does Social Media Influence Vaping Trends?
Several studies have found a correlation between social media use and vaping trends, especially among adolescents.
One study measured the association between the frequency of TikTok use and exposure to tobacco-related content with e-cigarette use, current use, and initiation among adolescents. The study focused on socioeconomically and racially diverse Los Angeles high school students.
There were higher odds of ever-use, current use, and initiation among adolescents who use TikTok several times a day, compared to students who use TikTok less frequently or not at all. Frequent exposure to tobacco content on TikTok correlated to an increased risk of e-cigarette initiation and use among adolescents.
These findings are reflected in other studies from across the globe.
The University of York reviewed 11 research studies with a broader reach, covering Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. Drawing on a combination of focus groups, content analysis, cross-sectional studies, and experiments, researchers found that commonly used vape marketing tactics on social media resulted in more users and intentions to use among adolescents.
Dr Su Golder, Assistant Professor at the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, said, “In a scoping review, it’s common to see several different sub-stories emerging – but it’s notable that all our studies said the same thing. Seeing this type of promotion does affect young people; as a result, they are more likely to experiment with, start, or even increase vaping habits.”
How Social Media Platforms Influence Vaping Trends
E-Cigarette Marketing Statistics
- From 2009 to 2010, the number of tweets containing popular e-cigarette keywords increased 10-fold. 93% of those tweets were advertisements
- Research from 2014 suggests that most of the e-cigarette content on YouTube portrayed the products in a positive light
- In a cross-sectional online survey sent to approximately 1,000 people aged 15 to 30 years in Australia, China, India, and the United Kingdom, 85% of participants who were aware of e-cigarettes reported being exposed to e-cigarette advertising via at least one type of media. The average number of media types was five. As the number of media types increased, so did the chance of ever use of e-cigarettes
JUUL Adverts On Social Media
JUUL is one of the most controversial e-cigarette brands, often subjected to intense scrutiny for its policies and products. JUUL withdrew from social media platforms in the U.S. in 2018, but the brand’s presence is still felt.
One study analyzed 583 unique Instagram images using the hashtag #JUUL between June 18 and July 18, 2018. Vendors were responsible for posting 291 of the 583 images, and e-cig enthusiasts were responsible for posting 99.
Researchers coded the images and found that:
- 64% were classified as products
- 54% had flavor appeal
- 21% had cartoon appeal
Researchers concluded that Instagram’s image focus offers more opportunities to create advertisements that might appeal to adolescents.
Even without being active on social media platforms, JUUL’s imagery still targets adolescents. The user-led nature of Instagram means that popular vape brands will always be present, whether or not they create content themselves. It appears the only solution is for social media platforms to implement harsher regulations around e-cigarette content. But, as we’ll see later, social media platforms are not keen to enforce even basic measures around e-cigarette marketing.
The Role of Influencers in E-Cigarette Marketing
Social media offers an alternative to the star-studded celebrities of yesteryear. Now, idols are far more accessible, often streaming straight from their living rooms. Every industry imaginable has legions of dedicated influencers, ready to smile on cue and recommend products.
Influencer marketing gained popularity in the late 2000s, with figures like Zoella, PewDiePie, and Tanya Burr becoming YouTube staples. E-cigarettes hit the U.S. market around 2005, and when they gained popularity in the 2010s, influencers were a firmly established part of pop culture, marketing, and online life.
Instagram Influencers and E-Cigarette Marketing
Researchers conducted a social network analysis to find the influencers and e-cigarette brands most involved in promotional activities in 2020.
- Asian and U.S. influencers had five to six times more teenage followers compared with European influencers
- 75% of all influencers didn’t put age restrictions on their content
- Voopotech, Innokin, Geekvape, Lost Vape, Smok, and Vaporesso collaborated with the most influencers
The landscape is bleak; even amid federal regulations (more on that later), e-cigarette marketing is still a staple on social media sites.
Twitch Influencers and E-Cigarette Marketing
Twitch is a social media platform made for streaming. At first glance, Twitch might seem an unlikely player in the e-cigarette marketing sphere. But before 2023, Twitch’s policies were non-restrictive, meaning users (or influencers) could promote e-cigarettes, provided it was legal in their state.
During this time of unregulated activity, researchers noticed a growing number of Twitch streamers using vape products. They also spotted a new, far more worrying trend. One influencer posted promotional content on Instagram and encouraged their fans to visit their Twitch for more in-depth content, essentially pushing audience members to access unregulated information about e-cigarettes.
Twitch is especially popular among young people. As of February 2024, 15.07% of Twitch users were between 16 and 24 years old, with 52.14% of the group aged 25 to 34 years old. This, combined with the evidence of cross-platform marketing, suggests that the vape industry’s tactics might be even more questionable than previously thought.
User-Generated E-Cigarette Content On Social Media
One study conducted 20 focus groups with 82 pre-adolescents and adolescents aged 11 to 16 to ascertain the impact of user-generated and influencer marketing on social media. User-generated content can be anything from profile pictures to reels.
- Participants agreed that e-cigarettes are often glamorized as “cool” and “fashionable” by influencers, and viewed as a modern lifestyle accessory
- Participants typically viewed e-cigarettes as less harmful than traditional cigarettes
- Participants expressed concerns about the scarcity of health and age warnings
- Participants stated that the adverts were branded to target their age group
Earlier this year, I reported on e-cigarette marketing tactics that position vape products as aspirational. By portraying vape products as “cool” and “fashionable”, vape brands have reimagined their products as essential accessories for modern, trendy young people.
This strategy pays dividends, as more adolescents see e-cigarettes as symbols of social hierarchy, they will create user-generated content containing vape products on social media, fueling the endless cycle of covert marketing.
You can read more about aspirational e-cigarette marketing in Behind the Vapor: Vape Marketing Strategies & Their Impact on Youth.
YouTube Influencers and E-cigarette Marketing
YouTube prohibits the sale and promotion of e-cigarette products. It is one of the few social media sites that enforce its e-cigarette regulations, and the policies are so strict that many e-cigarette influencers have been forced to leave the platform altogether.
There’s still space for vape reviewers and enthusiasts, but any content considered pro-vape must be labeled as harmful and dangerous. Popular content creators such as Mike Vapes, GrimmGreen, and Jai Haze continue to create content, albeit with plenty of health warnings.
Even with these added measures, researchers still found a link between user-generated e-cigarette content and positive e-cigarette associations. One of these studies reviewed hundreds of e-cigarette-related text, audio, and video content on YouTube and Instagram.
- Vaping was portrayed positively in 86.5% of the Instagram posts and 66% of the YouTube posts
- Age warnings only appeared in 43.3% of the YouTube videos and 20.2% of the Instagram posts
- Health warnings only appeared in 25.8% of the YouTube videos and 21.2% of the Instagram posts
Researchers concluded that the vast majority of YouTube and Instagram content about e-cigarettes promoted their use. However, the relatively small sample size of Instagram posts and YouTube videos raises questions about the validity of the study. Like a lot of vape topics, more research is needed to properly ascertain the extent of positive user-generated vape messaging on these platforms.
Social Media and Anti-Vape Messaging
Anti-vape campaign groups have started leveraging the power of social media to warn people about the dangers of vaping.
In 2022, Prolific recruited 459 young adults aged 18 to 30 and showed them five image-based Instagram posts about the health problems linked with e-cigarettes. They were asked how they would engage with the post via these metrics: a comment, reshare, send to a friend, like, or screenshot.
Here are the findings.
- Daily internet use was associated with intentions to comment on and like the post
- Total number of social media sites used was associated with intentions to like the post
- Young people who reported past 30-day e-cigarette use had higher odds of using TikTok and Twitter, as well as a higher total number of social media sites used, compared to young adults who reported never using e-cigarettes
Researchers concluded that social media campaigns highlighting the harms of vaping may be an effective way to engage younger audiences. However, this research relies on self-reported data on social media use, which has a low level of accuracy.
E-Cigarette Marketing Regulations On Social Media
In an effort to combat adolescents’ exposure to e-cigarettes, various regulatory bodies in the U.S. have established marketing regulations for social media sites.
In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released guidelines for social media influencers. Influencers must clearly label posts, videos, and statements that relate to a material partnership with a vape brand.
Then, in 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered all e-cigarette retailers to provide detailed information about their social media practices.
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter all prohibit the promotion of tobacco products, which include e-cigarettes. Most of these social media platforms only altered their policies a few years ago amid growing pressure from anti-vape groups and members of Congress.
In theory, this multi-faceted approach should have been enough to eradicate vape influencers and user-generated content that portrays vape products positively.
Effectiveness Of E-Cigarette Marketing Regulations
Like many of the regulations in the vape world, social media policies, federal rules, and even the frantic anti-vape rhetoric gripping the States have done little to stop e-cigarette adverts and promotional collaborations appearing on social media sites.
A cursory glance at some of the most popular e-cigarette influencers shows that social media sites do not enforce their own rules.
Truth Initiative collected a list of vape influencers with 100,000 or more followers, analyzed samples of their Instagram posts from 2021, and conducted a conceptual content analysis to identify unambiguous vaping advertisements. The goal was to find whether the posts complied with e-cigarette advertising regulations.
Here are the findings.
- 91.2% of the posts featured vaping products
- 76.2% of the posts were unambiguously branded vape advertisements
- 14.3% of the posts included a link to the vape product
Out of 4,158 posts, only one complied with FTC disclosure guidelines. Researchers rightfully concluded that federal and app-specific regulations have little effect on e-cigarette advertising on social media.
Researchers proposed several ideas for better policing on social media platforms, including improved age verification systems, creating more user-friendly, intuitive reporting processes, and using AI to detect prohibited vape content. Unfortunately, these proposals only work if social media sites are willing to enforce them.
Final Thoughts
E-cigarettes exist in a liminal marketing space; the popularity of e-cigarettes proves that consumers want them, but the health effects force social media sites to ban almost any mention of them.
Still, vape companies don’t have to consider this dilemma too thoroughly. Despite numerous federal and social media regulations prohibiting e-cigarette marketing, research shows that this sales pipeline is still thriving. Worse still, platforms like Instagram give vape brands access to visual marketing, one of the most effective, furtive types.
As long as images of e-cigarette products are still allowed, vape brands will continue to position their products in a way that appeals to adolescents. Namely, as aspirational accessories.
To eradicate e-cigarette marketing on social media, sites such as Instagram and Facebook would have to ban them entirely. Seeing as these sites can’t even enforce their existing, much less severe policies around e-cigarettes, I won’t hold my breath.
