Luo Yonghao Enters Vaping, Spotted Seeking an OEM Factory

Luo Yonghao's E-cigarette is here, and he has been spotted looking for an OEM factory for e-cigarettes. According to reports from Blue Hole New Consumption, multiple sources have revealed that Luo Yonghao, the founder of Smartisan Technology and internet celebrity, is about to "personally" enter the e-cigarette market.

The information comes from two completely independent sources, and combined with images of OEM factories circulating on Weibo, this matter is almost confirmed.

Although at the launch event of Chat Treasure on January 15, Luo announced the release of the FLOW e-cigarette alongside his first employee, Zhu Xiaomu, it seems that after observing the market, Luo felt that watching others was not enough and decided to "personally" get involved.
This "personally" could mean two things. One is that he will personally endorse the e-cigarette brand and make a grand announcement about his entry into the market. The other possibility is that he will have a trusted associate start the brand while he provides support.

Luo's ability to drive sales is unquestionable. For fast-moving consumer goods, he could potentially sell hundreds of thousands of units. Given that his fans are generally open to new products and are active internet users, if Luo truly enters the market, it would not be surprising for him to sell tens of thousands of units at a launch event.

There are already some clues on Weibo.

Sources indicate that Luo is looking for an e-cigarette OEM factory, not one for Smartisan. Some patents from Smartisan have been sold to Toutiao, and some employees have transitioned to Toutiao, indicating that Smartisan is clearly a thing of the past.

The "001" employee mentioned is Zhu Xiaomu, the founder of FLOW.

This creates a bit of awkwardness, as Zhu Xiaomu was Luo's first employee when he founded Smartisan, and now he has started an e-cigarette brand. Why does Luo also want to enter the market personally?

We cannot be sure about the insider information, but Blue Hole does not believe that FLOW e-cigarettes do not have Luo's shares. Zhu Xiaomu's departure and Luo's support suggest that there must be some connection and interests involved.

Blue Hole's imagination runs wild, and we might as well make some bold guesses.

One possibility is that during the Spring Festival, Luo observed Zhu Xiaomu managing the FLOW brand and analyzed the huge market for e-cigarettes, concluding that there is room for many brands, thus opting for a multi-brand strategy. Just like you wouldn't just choose Head & Shoulders without considering Rejoice, even though both belong to Procter & Gamble. This is the logic behind multi-branding.

Another possibility is that Luo is dissatisfied with Zhu Xiaomu's management of FLOW and wants to personally get involved. However, this could be challenging, as the rumored transaction between Smartisan and Toutiao may bind Luo for a while, typically for three years, during which he may not be able to serve as CEO of a new project.
This issue is not difficult to resolve; Luo could simply establish a new brand with a trusted associate. Luo does not lack talent in the supply chain; he previously hired Wu Dezhou from Huawei to serve as CTO of Smartisan, and Wu was once responsible for Huawei's Honor product line. It is likely that Wu has some capable people in the supply chain. The e-cigarette industry is still in its early stages, and the supply chain integration is not as complex as that of smartphones. Luo and Wu Dezhou may not even need to personally get involved; at least they won't publicly announce their involvement, but will leverage their influence and ability to hold launch events for promotion, especially since there is still an acquisition agreement with Toutiao.

Whether Luo personally enters the market or finds someone else to establish a brand, this will send shockwaves through the e-cigarette startup market. Luo's sales-driving ability is incredibly strong; e-cigarettes are precisely the kind of fast-moving consumer goods that have a fan base. It is said that Smartisan's luggage sold over 100,000 units; could a 300-yuan e-cigarette not sell over a million units?

What impact will this have on the industry? Some capital may chase after Luo while abandoning other startup projects. Essentially, Blue Hole believes that current e-liquid e-cigarette brands are fundamentally about supply chain integration. Whoever can drive sales effortlessly will have a faster monetization capability.

E-liquid e-cigarettes may not make money on the devices, but the continuous consumption of e-liquid can lead to a steady stream of terrifying revenue.

Luo is likely to regain the face he lost at Smartisan through e-cigarettes, and it will happen very quickly, which is quite frightening to think about. #p#分页标题#e#

The remaining gossip is how Luo and Zhu Xiaomu will interact in the future. Will it be a competitive growth like the relationship between Vivo and Oppo, or a cutthroat competition? This is worth looking forward to.

In the world of business, there are debts and grievances.

However, if Luo really decides to sell e-cigarettes, his idealistic sentiments that he has always advocated will truly be shattered. Can Smartisan fans accept this? How could Luo possibly sell e-cigarettes?

Although the Chat Treasure, which has a golden reputation, has already shattered Luo once...