Vapouround magazine ISSUE 17 | Page 52

FEATURE A WHOLE WORLD ONE OF THE UK’S LARGEST VAPE COMPANIES ON NEW CONSUMER NEEDS AND CRAFTING THE ULTIMATE MOD By Leo Forfar Selling hugely in the UK, Italy, France and the US, blu is one of the world’s largest and most prominent e-cigarette providers. In 2012, blu were measured as accounting for 75 percent of total e-cigarette advertising, and their place is now sealed. With capital, visibility and longevity on their side, blu have used their influence as a flagship company to help increase vaping’s visibility and widen the knowledge of scientific studies and evidence making the case for e-cigarettes. Naturally, the vape trade is always curious about what they have planned next. Their interview with us at the Vaper Expo in May came with a strong emphasis on mod quality and creating consumer confidence in delivery systems. Melvin Riugrok leads blu’s UK operations. He provided indispensable insight into recent activity, alongside colleague George Tucker, blu’s communications manager. ON BLU’S MOD RANGE Melvin says: “It’s essential for us to emphasise the efforts we’ve made to establish blu as a brand. The whole vapour product category is growing, and we’ve tracked the consumer journey and how it has moved towards vapour. Following on from that, we track how consumer needs are expanding in the vaping sector. Every day we try to improve our understanding of what they’re after and bring new products to the market which serve those needs. Our commitment to the best possible delivery system is very clear and shapes all our recent work. The launch of myblu is the key focus and we’re expanding that; we’re very keen to partner and work with leading experts of the industry. For people who are starting vaping, we’ve recently seen the need for more convenient devices; simpler, ready to use, no hassle. There’s a lot out there for people who are already established vapers. Their journey into vaping and towards more sophisticated products is still open for more innovation. We’re responding to those needs with both myblu, and blu ACE and we’re confident that we’ll continue to play a significant role in the coming years. I must emphasise the responsibility and attention to product quality required to create journeys for consumers which are consistent and safe. It’s why we invest so much in this area.” And blu aren’t just strengthening ties with their consumer base by releasing and promoting new products but offering incentives. George pointed us to blu’s focus on the guarantee of quality and reliability of their products, where buyers will receive a free battery replacement if it fails. With so many anti-vaping hit-pieces focused on malfunctioning batteries, George thinks that getting health and safety right can create “lifetime consumer confidence.” 52 52 | | VM17 VM17