The Importance of Naming in the World of E-Cigarettes

According to Neil McKeganey, in the illicit drug world, few substances have become popular as quickly as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. If you're wondering what this oddly named substance is, you'd likely recognize its street name - ecstasy. Prior to its release, drug developers had considered calling it "empathy," but ultimately decided on "ecstasy" - after all, who could resist the chance to experience it? As it turned out, the drug's sales reached millions worldwide. This anecdote illustrates that every savvy marketer understands: names matter. In fact, when it comes to driving consumer purchases of your product, the name may be more important than the substance itself.

In recent years, the world of electronic cigarettes has faced heavy intervention from regulatory bodies, with a focus on limiting the range of flavors that can be legally sold. Senior health officials, some media outlets, lobbyists, parent groups, and others have strongly advocated for a ban on "kid-friendly" flavors. However, the restrictions on flavors have gone far beyond those considered appealing to vulnerable groups.

Out of approximately 1.6 million tobacco products seeking marketing authorization prior to listing in the United States, not a single flavor has been approved. In a recent statement from Brian King, head of the Tobacco Products Center at the Food and Drug Administration, menthol is now in regulators' crosshairs. Faced with expanding regulatory actions, it's easy to imagine a world where only one electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) flavor - tobacco - remains, making e-cigarette products closer to combustibles and almost certainly weakening their ability to provide a pathway to smoking cessation.

In a world of uniform taste, flavor branding could become a new fertile ground for promising consumers an endless variety of taste, just like the expensive Hi-Fi world where quality differences are almost indistinguishable, yet still attracts consumers seeking unique sensory and taste experiences.

As spices disappear from the market, the next step may be the regulation of their names. Regulators believe that it is the names, rather than the spices themselves, that encourage consumers to purchase these products. In this case, manufacturers will be able to present evidence to regulators to prove that their tobacco-flavored products with specific names do not appeal to young people and that these named flavors are actually helping adults quit smoking. This will become increasingly important.

It is worth noting that US regulatory authorities have already been involved in deciding which words can and cannot be used when referring to tobacco products. Some states have banned the use of food terms when referring to tobacco products, and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act prohibits the use of terms such as "mild," "light," and "ultra-light" when referring to tobacco products. Faced with such regulatory restrictions, companies have replaced these terms with words like "gold," "silver," and "blue." In a study published in Tobacco Control in 2014, Gregory Connolly and Hillel Alpert found that smokers were still able to identify their preferred products even with these name changes.

In the world of ENDS, some e-liquid manufacturers have decided to move away from flavor-based names. For instance, Bidi Vapor has chosen to use product names such as Winter, Summer, Dawn, and Marigold when describing their product line. A few years ago, e-liquid manufacturer Five Pawns also chose to use vocabulary derived from chess, such as Gambit and Grandmaster, to name their products. These names do not convey any information about flavor or sensory experience.

In due time, anti-e-cigarette lobbying groups may push for further reduction in the variety of tobacco-flavored names, demanding that manufacturers only differentiate their products through numbers. Is this unlikely? Perhaps not for those who remember players of No. 6, No. 10, and No. 555. Flavor names may be the next item on regulatory authorities' hit list.

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