E-Cigarette Target Users: The Journey of Cigarette Smokers

This article is the opening of a series on e-cigarettes #701 - Analyzing the user trajectory in the e-cigarette industry. After purchasing my eighth e-cigarette device in 2018, I reduced my cigarette consumption from one pack a day to 1-2 cigarettes a day. Quitting smoking is not easy, and I became curious about how this works.

Before discussing e-cigarettes, let's first talk about the user needs for traditional cigarettes.
1. Initial demand for cigarette consumption:

Initial demand: When first exposed to cigarettes, the need that cigarettes fulfill is primarily social.

1) Curiosity

"I see people around me smoking, so I want to try it and see what it feels like." A typical example is young people sneaking a puff from their elders' cigarettes or even picking up a discarded cigarette from the ground.

2) Conformity

"Everyone cool around me smokes, so I will too." In situations of conformity, it often involves someone offering you a cigarette to try. Whether it's a boss handing you one or a school bully, when people in your social circle smoke, whether they are influential or just regular folks, you want to be like them. Once the psychology of conformity kicks in and the cost of trying is low (it's handed to you), will you give it a shot?

3) Identity expression

In social relationships, those who conform often stand out (they are unique, powerful, or distinctive). By smoking, they feel good about themselves. This is most common among teenagers. Among adults, possessing cigarettes, especially "premium cigarettes," often reflects one's identity. A typical comparison is between smoking Zhonghua and Liqiu, which have different identity attributes.

2. Long-term demand for cigarette consumption:

Subsequent craving demand: Corresponding to the initial "social" demand, craving demand is the "original sin of nicotine."

Most people experience a cough the first time they smoke, leading to a split in the user group. Some will continue to develop a nicotine addiction due to ongoing social relationships, while others will reject cigarettes due to the unpleasant coughing sensation. The reason it's called "temporary" rejection is that social relationships are constantly changing, and the next instance of "conformity" or "trying to look cool" could arise at any moment.

1) Nicotine addiction

Nicotine, commonly known as tobacco alkaloid, is a highly addictive chemical substance. When nicotine enters the body, it is transmitted through the bloodstream and can cross the blood-brain barrier, reaching the brain in an average of just 7 seconds after inhalation. Once nicotine reaches a certain concentration, individuals become dependent on it. When cravings hit, not smoking becomes very uncomfortable. To alleviate cravings, consuming some nicotine can relieve the discomfort caused by cravings, but it does not produce much "pleasure." In fact, excessive nicotine intake can cause dizziness and even vomiting.

2) Hand cravings

Cravings can also produce hand cravings. Some smokers, when trying to quit, often want to put something in their mouth, which leads them to substitute food for cigarettes, resulting in weight gain.

When cravings hit, hands are very obedient to the brain's commands, reaching for cigarettes in pockets or on tables. The hands and brain are interconnected.

3) Psychological cravings

After developing a long-term dependence on nicotine, many aspects of life become intertwined with smoking:

A cigarette after meals; a cigarette upon waking; a cigarette during bathroom breaks; a cigarette after sex; --> surpassing the enjoyment of betel nut and cigarettes --> incredible power, is it real?

The fascinating thing about nicotine is that if you believe in it, it can make your brain feel satisfied. If you don't believe, then indeed, there is no magic or power.

3. How the cigarette market meets these demands:

(Doing traffic products)

Cigarettes that cost 2 yuan at the factory, after layers of taxation and distribution, end up costing consumers 15 yuan a pack, 40 yuan a pack, or even 100 yuan a pack. Some retail stores sell a pack of cigarettes for a profit of 0.5 yuan; why do they still sell at such low profits? Because of traffic.

(Doing great channel business)

Water is the source of life; wherever you can buy water, you can buy cigarettes. Most adults see cigarette sales channels primarily in supermarkets, convenience stores, and tobacco shops. This part satisfies the "craving" need, meaning that when cravings hit, you can find a solution within a minute's walk. The efficiency is extremely high.

(Doing great products - self-sharing attributes)

For the initial social demand, the solutions provided by tobacco products are also impressive:

1. Each pack contains 20 sticks, allowing you to share freely;

2. One lighter is enough; I’ll even light it for you;

(Small channel fine management - targeted solutions for vertical customer groups)

1. Selling single sticks for 0.5/1 yuan -- directly lighting it for you (targeting the youth vertical customer group); 2. Soft Zhonghua at 30 yuan, selling for 10 yuan more per pack. In fact, it’s the same product, just with different production lines. It can be marketed as "premium" (for customers willing to pay an extra 10 yuan to showcase their identity); 3. Tsinghua Centennial, priced at 10,000 yuan per box, because there exists a group of people who need to "express their identity," making it a premium gift.

The business models at various stages of the cigarette industry chain are truly impressive, being extremely strong in products, brands, channels, and markets. If e-cigarettes want to gradually take over the cigarette market, how should they play?

In the next article, we will first explore the role of e-cigarettes and the user trajectory of e-cigarettes.

Original: He Shunjie