Before the TPD came into effect, there was a vaping
free-for-all where manufactures could package their liquids
any way they saw fit.
Then as details of the restrictions that regulation would impose
became known, it was felt that the post-TPD world would
be one where standard 10ml bottles were being sold…and
nothing else.
However we know that things have not turned out exactly
like that and the variety of packaging on the shelves of any
vape shop is about as diverse as ever.
In fact rather than harmonise e-liquid shelves, all stocked
with only regulation 10ml bottles, the TPD has had the
unintended side-effect of opening the door for new products
to enter the market.
Case in point: the requirement that the nicotine health
warning must cover at least 30% of the two largest areas
of e-liquid packaging. This is very restrictive for juice
manufacturers who only have a 10ml bottle to work with.
How can your brand stand out from the competition with this
restriction in place?
A simple solution now being employed to great effect is the
multipack. Go to any vape event, browse online or go to your
nearest vape store and you will soon see many examples
of multipacks in all shapes and sizes. And while to be TPD
compliant these packs must still cover 30% of the packaging
with the health warning, there is a lot more space available
for attractive and eye-catching designs.
Some companies have gone a step further. Rather than
just putting three or four liquids into a standard box and
plastering their logo on the front, Dinner Lady’s Summer
Holidays multipack was decorated to look like a suitcase
with leather straps.
Since becoming fully TPD compliant, Nasty Juice has
introduced 5x 10ml multipacks in sturdy metal tins. These
have proven to be very popular, not only for their design but
also their potential to be reused for vape supplies or any
number of other purposes.
Other examples include Fizzy Bull’s six pack, which comes
in a tubular metal casing that reinforces their brand image
by resembling a can of energy drink. Meanwhile, Zap!
use sealed pouches for their 3x10ml packs and their foil
packaging is the same as that which is used for coffee and
foodstuffs. All these are examples of being creative with
product marketing while still being fully compliant with the
TPD regulations.
Whatever happens post-Brexit, it is almost inevitable that
vaping’s increasing popularity will be met with further
restrictions somewhere along the line. There is the whole
debate about short fill which has shown a huge flaw in the
TPD regulations. This is a loophole which many feel could
easily be closed by regulators and if that happens then
where will the e-liquid marketers go next?
However as has already been shown, e-liquid manufacturers
are a very resourceful group of people and it is certain that
they will continue to find ways of marketing their brands to
best advantage while still complying with the law.
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