FEATURE
THE VAPOUROUND STORY
GROWING AND BUILDING A BRAND
In the second and concluding part of our interview with Vapouround founder Paul Caplin we look at how
the magazine has grown into what it is today and discuss the importance of getting a good logo.
By Leo Forfar
Vapouround founder Paul Caplin said it was
vital for the overall vaping industry that the
good it does is kept at the heart of its identity.
He said that the many positive effects of
vaping was what the industry was all about
and added that he felt proud that so many
people in the business were working to make
the lives of others better.
Paul added: “Yes there are all these diverse
subcultures that we cover and talk about. Yes
there are endless gadgets and tricks and
competitions and all the fun that goes with it.
“While that is all well and good, they are not at
vaping’s foundation, they’re all growing from
it. I see it as window dressing. Showmanship
is only skin deep. For me, it’s about stopping
people smoking; helping people who have got
a destructive habit taking over their lives and
giving them an alternative that’s healthier and
safer. We’ve got something that can guide
people away from cigarettes, and then away
from nicotine altogether.”
For many smokers, vaping has been the only
thing that has worked to break a depressingly
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common cycle of addiction, even among
people who thought they would never be able
to give up cigarettes.
Paul, a former smoker himself, said: “You
often hear people say that to give up smoking
you have to want to do it but I have never
wanted to do it, I gave it up automatically
when I started vaping. I smoked a lot. Twenty
a day for 20 years is no joke, giving that up
overnight says a hell of a lot. If I could do it
through vaping, anyone can.”
Vapouround is a testament to what can
happen when a company is formed with the
intention of promoting the positive benefi ts of
vaping to as wide an audience as possible.
The magazine was initially going to be
nothing more than a pull-out section in a local
newspaper to coincide with the launch of the
fi rst Vaper Expo UK at the NEC.
Soon so many people wanted their organisation
featured in this section of the paper that it grew
to become a special stand-alone supplement
which was handed out at the Expo itself.
“The growth has been insane,” said Paul. “When
I started the business with the Derbyshire
Guardian, we were doing well. We were a
nice, respected publication turning a good
profi t. But there was a roof on how big it could
get. We worked well and worked hard and it
paid off.
“When launching Vapouround, we suddenly
had something that everyone wanted to be
in. We could charge signifi cantly more for a
full page than we could for the Derbyshire
Guardian and I instantly knew that Vapouround
was the way forward.
“I knew we were onto something, but never
in a million years could I have dreamed it
would happen this quickly. We’ve gone from
a two-person room four years ago (me and
my partner at the time) to having a full head
offi ce, with fi fty members of staff, a number
of vape lounges around the country, our own
juice line, a double decker bus, our own
awards program, six main magazines a year
with special editions and show guides, media
partnerships worldwide. I’m still shocked.”
Becoming a global brand means adapting to
new cultures, economies and political