Research Article
Study explores characteristics of tobacco and e-cigarette online advertisements
A study examining tobacco and e-cigarette online advertisements finds that the ads primarily focus on promoting e-cigarettes, snus, and cigars. The study, published in the peer reviewed journal, Tobacco Control, is the first to conduct broad surveillance of tobacco and e-cigarette online banner/video advertising in the U.S. and Canada over the course of a full year, from April 2012 to April 2013.
$2 Million
Over a one-year period, almost $2 million were spent by the e-cigarette and tobacco industries on the placement of their online product advertisements in the U.S. and Canada.
The study found that over a one-year period, about $2 million were spent on the promotion of tobacco and e-cigarette products online, with most of the advertising dollars spent on NJOY e-cigarettes and Swedish Snus. More than half of the online ads promoted various brands of e-cigarettes. Compared to other products advertised, e-cigarette ads were placed on websites with the highest average percentage of a youth audience, with some websites having an estimated youth audience as high as 35 percent.
Key takeaways
Snus ads appeared on a wide variety of websites covering many different topics from news and health, to cars and job search sites. Conversely, e-cigarette ads predominantly appeared on websites focused on music and entertainment or news.
Compared to the other products advertised, e-cigarette ads were placed on websites with the highest average percentage of a youth audience, with some websites having an estimated youth audience as high as 35 percent
More than half of all the ads, when clicked, linked to another website or landing page, typically the company’s home page. None of those landing pages featured information on how to quit smoking.
Compared to other products advertised, e-cigarette ads were most likely to feature themes of harm reduction; use as an aid to quit smoking; being more environmentally-friendly alternative to cigarettes; or as an alternative to cigarettes when someo
