You may hear about flavor bans and regulations here on the eJuices.co blog and elsewhere online. But what does that mean for your business? At eJuices.co, we believe that your business is not only the point of access for flavors in your community, but it should also be a point of advocacy for your customers. Many customers’ vaping experiences are dependent on their access to flavors, so what can you do to ensure that access to flavors is preserved? In this edition of Vape Success Series (VSS), we outline how to advocate for your customers.
Know legislation/regulations
The eJuices.co team is keeping its ear to the ground when it comes to legislation and regulations. While legislators are taking varied approaches at the local, state, and even federal levels, it is important to know vape-related legislation. Armed with this knowledge, you can inform your customers to take action. An example of something you could say when you take action is, “My vape shop has provided flavors to help customers through their vaping journey.” You can then list anything your customers have said about what flavors they use (i.e. fruit flavors), and encourage your customers to take action themselves.
For example, your locality may be considering a flavor ban or restrictions on what flavors can be sold and where they can be sold (i.e. specialized vape shops). Your state may have proposed to ban all flavors except tobacco and menthol, or have proposed these bans. There has even been legislation at the national level this year. One bill, H.R. 2339, proposed a nationwide flavor ban. We already know that PMTA has been delayed to September 9, 2020, but there is no telling what will change between now and the new PMTA deadline.
Inform customers
The eJuices.co team is working around the clock to help inform you of the latest in vape news and happenings in the vape world. You can bring that directly to your store as well. The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) provides lots of printable materials you can place in your shop.
If you have a large social media presence, you can use it to inform vapers about what is going on in the vape world. Having that constant interaction with customers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is essential to not only build goodwill with customers but to also get them involved with taking action. This is an election year, and vapers are very passionate about their vaping journey, although they may not know who is on their side and who isn’t.
Get customers’ stories
Social proof is what drives lots of sales today, and we’re not just talking about the latest vape products being available at your shop. People love a good fruit flavor or dessert flavor, after all. Customer stories about their vaping journey and vaping experience are vital to encouraging advocacy. Encourage your customers to tell their stories to remove the stigma from vaping.
Everyone has a story to tell, and by placing those stories front and center, you can spread the word about vaping as a method of harm reduction. Vaping is a personal journey for many people and it can also encourage others who may have been on the fence or uninformed about vaping to switch to vaping as well, bringing more customers into your store. If you’re on social media, get together with customers, and have them tell their stories on your page.
That’s all from us here at eJuices.co. What are you doing to advocate for your customers? We’d love to hear from you. If you’re still unsure of what to do, you can always contact your eJuices.co account manager or sales representative.