Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Nov 17, 2023
Date Accepted: Oct 10, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Views of Vuse Ads: How Vuse Product Marketing on Social Media Targets Adolescents
ABSTRACT
Background:
In October 2021, FDA issued Marketing Granted Orders (MGOs) authorizing the marketing of Vuse Solo e-cigarette devices and their tobacco-flavored pods, making Vuse Solo the first e-cigarette authorized by FDA through the Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) process. These marketing authorizations are contingent upon the company adhering to the MGOs’ stated marketing restrictions, including reducing exposure and appeal to youth via digital, radio, television, print, and point-of-sale advertising. Little is known about the differences of Vuse marketing messages on social media before and after the MGOs were issued, particularly whether the ads are appealing to adolescents.
Objective:
We examined: (1) marketing of Vuse Solo and other Vuse products on social media before and after the Vuse Solo MGOs were issued, and (2) whether social media posts about Vuse contain potentially youth-appealing themes.
Methods:
We conducted content analysis of the official RJ Reynolds Vapor Company (RJRV) Instagram and Facebook accounts. We collected all posts from October 10, 2019, when the PMTA application was submitted, to February 21, 2022. We coded 17 themes and examined the themes before and after the MGO.
Results:
439 unique posts were identified. During the study period, there were no posts on social media (Instagram or Facebook) marketing Vuse Solo (the authorized product). Instead, Vuse Alto (unauthorized to date) was heavily marketed. Further, “Vuse” was marketed on social media without differentiating between the authorized and unauthorized products. The marketing messages in general remained consistent before and after Vuse Solo MGOs, with several youth-appealing themes including creativity, innovation, and individuality/freedom among the most common themes. Higher percentages of alcohol and nature-themed posts were found after MGOs.
Conclusions:
While Vuse Alto has not yet obtained FDA marketing authorization, it is co-marketed with Vuse Solo and has been the primary Vuse e-cigarette device marketed on social media both before and after Vuse Solo’s authorization. Vuse social media posts use themes that are appealing to adolescents and are likely to promote youth use, including creativity and innovation, self-expression, arts and music, nature, technology, and alcohol imagery. FDA should (1) enforce against RJRV for marketing unauthorized Vuse products whose marketing targets adolescents and is likely to promote youth use, and (2) prohibit companies from co-marketing unauthorized products alongside authorized products.
Citation
