“Smoking Revolution”? A content analysis of electronic cigarette marketing websites

Background: Electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes) are novel nicotine delivery products advertised widely and aggressively on the internet. The products and their marketing are currently unregulated. This study identified the marketing messages and selling features on e-cigarette retail websites.

Methods: One-hundred websites were identified using anonymized iterative searches, using terms such as electronic cigarette, e-cigarette, and e-cig. The top 50 results of each search were examined to identify the top 100 unique retail Web sites. Sites were content analyzed by four independent coders.

Results: Six main messages were identified:1) using e-cigarettes has health benefits compared to using tobacco cigarettes, 2) e-cigarettes can be used to circumvent clean indoor air laws, 3) e-cigarette vapor is less harmful than secondhand smoke, 4) e-cigarettes can be used to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes 5) e-cigarettes are the new and modern way to smoke and 6) using e-cigarettes is cheaper than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Novel features of websites included instructional how-to videos, “testimonial” videos, celebrity endorsements, holiday promotions, and “affiliate” programs recruiting consumers to become e-cigarette sellers.

Discussion: E-cigarette marketing websites frequently include health and cessation claims and features with youth appeal that could have negative effects on public health if they deter or undermine cessation or recruit novices to start using nicotine. Health claims should be supported by objective data (not produced or funded by e-cigarette manufacturers) and youth appeals should be eliminated.