Are E-cigarette Flavor Names Becoming ‘Perfume-Style’? E-liquid Expert Says It Strengthens Brand Ide

VUSE has launched four e-cigarette flavors with “distinctive” names in South Korea. Hu Xin, an expert in e-liquid, said this naming style is a more sophisticated way of defining flavors and also a means of strengthening brand identity.

【2Firsts Original】Recently, VUSE GO, the well-known e-cigarette brand under British American Tobacco, launched four products with “distinctive” flavors in South Korea. 

The four flavor names are Sunset Fresh, Yellow Breeze, Summer Fresh, and Pearl Fresh. 

2Firsts has learned that these four names correspond to the following flavors: 

• Sunset Fresh — Mango

• Yellow Breeze — Banana

• Summer Fresh — Watermelon

• Pearl Fresh — Blueberry
  

This relatively abstract naming style is different from the usual way e-cigarette flavors are named. Normally, e-cigarette flavor names directly reflect the flavor itself, such as cherry, blueberry, or cola, making it easier to communicate flavor information to consumers. The names of these four VUSE GO flavors, however, are more like perfume-style naming. 

The four VUSE GO products launched in South Korea | Image source: Korean e-cigarette reviewer 

In response, 2Firsts interviewed e-liquid expert Hu Xin to learn his views on this naming approach. 

Hu Xin said that different companies may use different ways of naming flavors, but their common goal is to provide users with an excellent experience and evoke pleasant associations. 

Regarding the names of the four VUSE flavors, Hu Xin believes this kind of naming is very common in the personal care industry, especially in the perfume sector. Perfume is a relatively high-end category, and some e-cigarette flavor naming is influenced by the perfume industry, imitating its naming style to suggest appealing scenarios to consumers. 

Hu Xin believes that international e-cigarette companies like VUSE have a more advanced understanding of branding, and that this naming style is a sophisticated way of defining flavors while also serving as a tool to strengthen brand identity.