Vape brand Lost Mary is inviting vapers and smokers to register interest in its new Reduced Nicotine Kit and provide feedback on the concept.
The kit brings together a BM6000 device with three prefilled pods and containers in different nicotine strengths (2%, 1% and 0%), all in one pack, so vapers and smokers can lower the nicotine strength as they progress on their quitting journeys.
The concept was first developed last year, shaped in part to engage smokers who remain reluctant to make the switch to vaping.
When presented with the initial concept - under the ElfBar brand as part of an Opinium survey of 6,000 UK adults in December last year, it was well received by current smokers.
Receptive response
More than half (53%) were receptive, compared with just 8% who were unreceptive, while 51% said they would be interested in trying it, compared with 26% who said they wouldn’t.
Many smokers and ex-smokers commented that it was a positive approach to supporting smokers in quitting both smoking and vaping.
However, the original plain brown packaging was frequently described as bland, boring, colourless or not distinctive enough, despite some recognition that its muted design could reduce youth appeal.
This feedback shaped a revised packaging approach, with the concept brought forward under the Lost Mary brand. It addresses the lack of distinctiveness by building on the simple, functional design, while “introducing colour to provide clearer visual cues to identify nicotine strengths, help navigate the kit and denote flavour,” the brand said.
New research
The concept and revised design were then explored in qualitative research conducted this month, where a group of vapers and a group of ex-smokers both highlighted the appeal of having multiple nicotine strengths available within a single kit, rather than needing to purchase them separately.
The concept’s presentation also drew favourable feedback, with one participant, a smoker, noting that its appearance helped communicate a clear and specific purpose - a distinction that may hold particular appeal for other smokers who have yet to try vaping.
Chris Kader, head of PR and communications for Lost Mary in the UK, said: “The Reduced Nicotine Kit explores a different approach to engaging with smokers, particularly those who remain hesitant to switch to vaping.
“The current proposals under the Tobacco and Vapes Act risk deepening this reluctance - as the measures being put forward could have the unintended consequence of deterring smokers from adopting the products designed specifically to help them quit.
“For smokers who already have reservations about vaping, the Reduced Nicotine Kit is being shaped with them in mind, but regulations that make products less identifiable and accessible are likely to add another barrier to that transition.”
Smokers and vapers can register their interest in the Reduced Nicotine Kit and provide feedback via the Lost Mary website.
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