Concerns Over Vuse e-Cigarette Digital Marketing and Implications for Public Health Regulation
Author Information
Author(s): Eileen Han, Lauren K Lempert, Francesca Vescia, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher
Primary Institution: University of California, San Francisco; Stanford University
Hypothesis
How does Vuse market its products on social media and do these posts contain potentially youth-appealing themes?
Conclusion
Vuse Alto e-cigarettes were heavily marketed on social media despite not having FDA marketing authorization, using themes likely to appeal to youth.
Supporting Evidence
- Vuse Alto was mentioned in 59.5% of the posts analyzed.
- 41.5% of posts referred generally to 'Vuse' without specifying a product.
- 43.1% of posts featured themes of creativity or innovation.
- 60.4% of posts included promotional incentives.
Takeaway
The study looked at how Vuse promotes its e-cigarettes on social media and found that they use fun and creative themes that might attract kids.
Methodology
Content analysis of Vuse's official Instagram and Facebook posts from October 2019 to February 2022.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the analysis being based solely on posts from the official company accounts.
Limitations
The analysis was limited to two social media platforms and did not include unofficial marketing channels.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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