Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Mar 28, 2020
Date Accepted: Jun 15, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jul 14, 2020
Tactics for drawing youth to vaping: A content analysis of e-cigarette advertisements
ABSTRACT
Background:
The use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, has risen exponentially among North American youth in recent years and has become a critical public health concern. The marketing strategies used by e-cigarette companies have been associated with the uptick in use among youth, with video advertisements on TV and other electronic platforms being the most pervasive strategy. It is unknown how these advertisements may be tapping into youth needs and preferences.
Objective:
The aim of this two-phase study was to examine the marketing strategies that underpin e-cigarette advertisements, specifically in the context of television.
Methods:
In phase 1, a scoping review was conducted to identify various influences on e-cigarette uptake among youth. Results of this scoping review informed the development of a coding framework. In phase 2, this framework was used to analyze the content of e-cigarette advertisements as seen on two popular television channels (Discovery and AMC).
Results:
In phase 1, a total of 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. The resultant framework consisted of 16 key influences on e-cigarette uptake among youth, which were categorized under four headings: personal, relational, environmental, and product-related. In phase 2, 38 e-cigarette advertisements were collected from ispot.tv, and represented 11 popular e-cigarette brands. All of the advertisements tapped into the cited influences of youth e-cigarette uptake, with the most commonly cited influences (product and relational) tapped into the most at 97.4% (n=37) and 52.6% (n=20), respectively.
Conclusions:
The findings bring forward the multi-dimensional influences on youth uptake of e-cigarettes, which has important implications for developing effective anti-vaping messages, and assist public health professionals in providing more comprehensive prevention and cessation support as it relates to e-cigarette use. The findings also bring forward tangible strategies employed by e-cigarette companies to recruit youth into vaping. Understanding this is vital to the development of cohesive strategies that combat these pro-vaping messages.
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Copyright
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