MOOSEE Unfazed by Cutthroat Competition, Committed to a Long-Term Brand Strategy

Recently, the vaping industry has been unusually lively. The fourth quarter has only just begun, yet several leading brands have already clustered their new product launches together. At the same time, some emerging brands have refused to be left behind, with frequent moves such as financing rounds, new product releases, and flagship store openings making headlines one after another. The entire industry may gradually be shaking off its slump and beginning a steady recovery.

We observed that on September 27, emerging vaping brand MOOSEE launched its first pod-based vaping device, releasing six colors of device sticks and 15 pod flavors all at once. Having just completed a new financing round and then immediately launching a new product, MOOSEE has been highly active in the industry lately. Its successful fundraising of tens of millions of yuan has also been widely seen by industry insiders as a sign that the market is warming up. Combined with the recent moves by other vaping brands, it does indeed reflect, to some extent, a thawing of the industry’s prolonged winter.

As we have been discussing MOOSEE recently, we noticed some interesting details, mainly at the brand and product levels. In conversations with people familiar with the company, we learned that from the very beginning, the MOOSEE team was determined to take a firm brand-driven path. Even at the naming stage, they put considerable thought into it. In an interview, MOOSEE COO Li Zhenjie explained the origin of the name: the English name is MOOSEE, in which “SEE” means seeing, while “MO” comes from “MORE,” meaning more; the added “O” forms the infinity symbol “∞.” The Chinese name “慕色” is a phonetic rendering, and its meaning draws from ideas such as admiration and color. Together, MOOSEE conveys a life without limits, rich in variety, and full of infinite possibilities—advocating a lifestyle and a state of mind. Compared with some more familiar brand names, MOOSEE seems to give the brand more individuality and charm.

Another noteworthy detail is MOOSEE’s design. At first glance, the MOOSEE logo immediately conveys a strong sense of design, cleverly linking the two letters “O” into the “∞” symbol. The typeface itself also clearly shows careful craftsmanship. We learned that when the MOOSEE team was first formed, it specifically hired a professional design team to create the logo, which then developed into a complete set of brand VI design standards. From the start, the company approached design according to the standards of a formal brand. Usually only major brands operate this way, so for a startup brand, this is quite unusual.

In addition, the logo design elements were also embedded into MOOSEE’s newly launched Desire series. The breathing light on the device is the logo’s infinity symbol “∞,” and with CNC precision engraving used to present it, the overall product design is significantly elevated. As different modes are used, the breathing light also changes color, which aligns closely with MOOSEE’s color philosophy.

As for manufacturing, we learned that MOOSEE’s products are made in the same OEM factory used by leading brands in the industry. The facility is highly modernized, holds multiple international certifications, and operates at a world-class management level. This also reflects MOOSEE’s pursuit of product quality. Further evidence can be found in remarks previously shared by COO Li Zhenjie, who said that MOOSEE would never lower product quality to cut costs. To ensure consistency in flavor delivery, the new product uses a ceramic coil made with the more expensive thick-film printing technology.

In addition, according to reliable sources, even before its products were launched, MOOSEE had already reached a strategic partnership with a research institution at a well-known domestic university. The main research direction is harm reduction in vaping, and this news is expected to be announced publicly soon. Even before product launch, MOOSEE had already laid the groundwork for harm-reduction research. For a new brand, this kind of forward-looking planning is indeed rare.

All of these details reflect MOOSEE’s commitment to branding. It seems almost to have an obsession: a firm belief in long-term brand building. In an interview, COO Li Zhenjie said that he believes the e-cigarette market is a long-term market, and that in the future, it will belong to brands that move steadily and focus wholeheartedly on products and the market. Perhaps that is MOOSEE’s choice—to commit from the very beginning to a long-term brand strategy.

MOOSEE is more like a microcosm of brands that insist on a long-term path. Whether the vaping device market is truly recovering or not, we hope both new and established brands will stay true to their original intentions and work together to maintain order in the vaping industry. Standardization and regulation are the real way forward for the industry, and also its best protection. In this long process, brands that stick to the long-term approach are more likely to become the final winners.