Lorillard purchases Blu E-Cigs

[DC2]

I'm too new around here to know about the Judge Leon thing.

When you have some time, check out this thread...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ads-everything-relevant-njoy-vs-fda-case.html

 

[kwalka]

When you have some time, check out this thread...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ads-everything-relevant-njoy-vs-fda-case.html

Will do Thanks

 

[Petrodus]

A number of motorcycle club members proudly wear the 1%er patch

I guess now we (who don't prefer a minni) are in the minority 3% club.
As a non-conformist...I always have marched to the beat of different drummer.
I think I will have a 3% patch made and sew it on my field jacket.

 

[panachronic]

...when we are watching something educational such as National Geographic, and how this is one of the few things that you will ever see on TV that is true 100%.

Apologies for the off-topic post but... I'd be careful with that.

 

[throatkick]

If we don't stay calm and rational, we have no chance to fight anything that needs fighting.And if we give up and go scurrying off into our little holes, then we are really done for.

Ultimately, this is what I was always worried about. We may be already done for and if this trend continues will we almost certainly be done for regardless of how hard (or not) we fight. Fight what? With what? Granted, this is an initial assessment but I am hard-pressed to see another outcome at this time. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

 

[rothenbj]

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Ultimately, this is what I was always worried about. We may be already done for and if this trend continues will we almost certainly be done for regardless of how hard (or not) we fight. Fight what? With what? Granted, this is an initial assessment but I am hard-pressed to see another outcome at this time. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

None of us know how this thing is going to play out over the next few years. There are so many variables. We do know the tobacco industry has money to throw into R&D and they have large market research assets. We do know that in the past a high number of vapors started with cigarette looking kits. Many that tried them went back to smoking after finding they didn't do the job. Others, like most among us, went on a search for the holy grail and found it in the diversity that is the current market.

I started my journey with Blu, wasted a couple hundred dollars on automatic batteries and atomizers and pre-filled cartridges. Those were never going to satisfy me. That being said, I moved to manual batteries with 510 atomizer and cartridges that I filled and that was enough to reduce my cigarette consumption 85%, but I was still smoking. If that's all there was, I would have returned to smoking and that is my concern.

If the tobacco industry wants to take a page out of the pharma industries book, they can do that and be more successful than the pharma industry at it. They will catch a higher percentage of people that will find the current technology satisfies their hand to mouth habit or delivers enough nicotine for those that have a nicotine need and those will become non-smokers at a better rate that the pharma industry has ever demonstrated. If that is all that is available due to regulation, the rest will either return to smoking or find other harm reducing products that meet their needs. In the specific case of Lorillard, this wouldn't be the best of all possible worlds since that would mean they would be losing those customers to other tobacco companies.

This is where their market research will come into play. If they don't see that they're going to need an upgrade path to hold the technology adopters, they will not be successful in this endeavor. At minimum, they have to look at the battery configuration and understand they need something else. They should also, pretty quickly, understand that the rules of smoking don't carry over well to vaping. I can't speak for anyone else, but the variety of flavors is what makes vaping so much more enjoyable than smoking. The idea of vaping a Newport flavor or a Marlboro Red flavor or a Camel flavor day in and day out, no matter how close it imitates the real thing, will not produce the desired results to their bottom line.

They have a lot of corporate education ahead of them if they expect to succeed.

 

[Myk]

I sure hope so, and we'll know as soon as we find out which direction Lorillard plans on going.

It's either going to be a battle or an alliance, and it all will come down to one thing...
Is Lorillard going to advocate the elimination of free-market access to nicotine.

The fact that Blu doesn't offer nicotine liquid for refilling says a lot in my opinion.

Blu doesn't hide the fact that they use Johnson Creek which sells the liquid.

If they were against liquid sales they could easily claim it's their own liquid. If they came out against liquid they would be coming out against a business partner.

 

[Myk]

I can't speak for anyone else, but the variety of flavors is what makes vaping so much more enjoyable than smoking. The idea of vaping a Newport flavor or a Marlboro Red flavor or a Camel flavor day in and day out, no matter how close it imitates the real thing, will not produce the desired results to their bottom line.

Same here. If I ever hear of a real attempt to ban vaping flavors, especially fruit and candy I'll be writing everyone I can. As it is when I see an article I let them know I didn't intend on my first smoke free day to be smoke free and it was because of a candy like fruit flavor tasting a lot better than tobacco making me not want a cigarette.

 

[throatkick]

The main issue I was driving at was that there is a much greater chance that we may be sidelined.

As an example, here, Kristin reads your comment and hits "like". This is the same Kristin that fights for your rights tirelessly.This is the same Kristin that you can send a PM to and ask a question or discuss an issue etc. You know what she represents, why she represents it and how she will represent it. Can you say the same for Lorillard? It is this "distance" that is worrisome to me. I would have felt much better if 15-20 companies here on ECF got together and created "MegaPuff" (hey, I'd invest in that!) as opposed to what happened. Naturally there would be some deviations over time but at least you'd know the background, culture, "mission" and outlook would be compatible. Plus it would introduce some new voices in DC and force BT to create their own products.

The number of blu/ex-blu users that come here is negligible at best. How many do you see? 100? 1,000? 10,000? You do not sell a company for $135 million with only 10,000 customers. Most take what they are given and do not question or search much further. We are very vocal, passionate and knowledgeable but we are a tiny minority.

I think we are the ones that need to better familiarize ourselves with corporate culture if we are to continue to have a strong voice going forward.

 

[rothenbj]

I don't think they need to create "MegaPuff" to accomplish that purpose (although perhaps I should be using the past tense at this point). I don't know how many times we as a community have asked that the vendors sit down and organize a trade association to establish standards and develop a voice to deal with the government powers. Everyone has been too busy or too competitive to understand that such an organization would be needed.

If this isn't a wake up call, albeit perhaps a late one, nothing will be.

 

[kwalka]

I don't think they need to create "MegaPuff" to accomplish that purpose (although perhaps I should be using the past tense at this point). I don't know how many times we as a community have asked that the vendors sit down and organize a trade association to establish standards and develop a voice to deal with the government powers. Everyone has been too busy or too competitive to understand that such an organization would be needed.

If this isn't a wake up call, albeit perhaps a late one, nothing will be.

Being a fairly new guy to the show, I have not been privy to such suggestions, but after listening to the broadcast the other night, that sounds like a phenomenal idea. As the big boys, and girl, at the party said the other night,"the vendors have either reached a certain point sales wise or they are not going to make it". Thats a a loose quote.
Its too bad because the vendors that dont make it, IMO, will be most, will wish they organized.

 

[throatkick]

.... I don't know how many times we as a community have asked that the vendors sit down and organize a trade association to establish standards and develop a voice to deal with the government powers. Everyone has been too busy or too competitive to understand that such an organization would be needed.

If this isn't a wake up call, albeit perhaps a late one, nothing will be.

Agreed 100%.

As for "MegaPuff", I still say it would be a good idea to have one brand that represents all of us moving forward. "MegaPuff" could be comprised of existing companies and/or we could all buy shares. I believe the message would be delivered in a more effective fashion and there would be greater cohesion amongst the customer base as opposed to posting banners linking to 3rd parties. It's the same reason Lorillard bought BLU and not 30-40 small companies.

Classic case of my thoughts running about 25 steps ahead of my actions but..........

 

[Petrodus]

Being a fairly new guy to the show, I have not been privy to such suggestions, but after listening to the broadcast the other night, that sounds like a phenomenal idea. As the big boys, and girl, at the party said the other night,"the vendors have either reached a certain point sales wise or they are not going to make it". Thats a a loose quote.
Its too bad because the vendors that dont make it, IMO, will be most, will wish they organized.

Makes common sense ...
Won't happen (for many reasons) ... But it makes sense

Kinda sorta reminds me of CASAA

That organization has been in place for years
and most concerned enthusiasts never joined.
Joining is one thing, however, contributing time
and money is something else.

Wondering what CASAA could do if only 10% of all
concerned vapers joined and contributed $10 every month.
For that matter ... What could CASAA do if all the venders
would join and contribute a tiny percent of all sales.

Won't happen (for many reasons) ... But it makes sense.

 

[kwalka]

Makes common sense ...
Won't happen (for many reasons) ... But it makes sense

Kinda sorta reminds me of CASAA

That organization has been in place for years
and most concerned enthusiasts never joined.
Joining is one thing, however, contributing time
and money is something else.

Wondering what CASAA could do if only 10% of all
concerned vapers joined and contributed $10 every month.
For that matter ... What could CASAA do if all the venders
would join and contribute a tiny percent of all sales.

Won't happen (for many reasons) ... But it makes sense.

How about if the vendors gave us the option at every checkout to donate a certain percentage to CASAA. All good ideas, but I agree w you, that would be too easy now wouldn't it?

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Makes common sense ...
Won't happen (for many reasons) ... But it makes sense

Kinda sorta reminds me of CASAA

That organization has been in place for years
and most concerned enthusiasts never joined.
Joining is one thing, however, contributing time
and money is something else.

Wondering what CASAA could do if only 10% of all
concerned vapers joined and contributed $10 every month.
For that matter ... What could CASAA do if all the venders
would join and contribute a tiny percent of all sales.

Won't happen (for many reasons) ... But it makes sense.

How about if the vendors gave us the option at every checkout to donate a certain percentage to CASAA. All good ideas, but I agree w you, that would be too easy now wouldn't it?

Sometime back I proposed that the discounts commonly offered by vendors have a checkbox to allow for that discount to be dontated to CASAA or similar.

 

[DC2]

I've asked CASAA about this in the past and apparently the main obstacle would be how to ensure that the donations would actually go to them.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

Certainly that is a concern. Would it be complicated to have vendor web site programming tied to a secondary account or notification system? In a sense, the vendors have nothing to lose...

 

[rothenbj]

It's so much more direct just to set up donations directly to CASAA, I make a monthly contribution either of $20 or $25 automatically. I don't even have to think about it. I consider it quite a deal considering they are the only organized front in this battle. Once you look at what you were spending on cigarettes compared to harm reduction products (at least after the 1st six months), it's an easy decision.

 

[Petrodus]

It's so much more direct just to set up donations directly to CASAA, I make a monthly contribution either of $20 or $25 automatically. I don't even have to think about it. I consider it quite a deal considering they are the only organized front in this battle. Once you look at what you were spending on cigarettes compared to harm reduction products (at least after the 1st six months), it's an easy decision.

KUDOS

Joining CASAA is Free
For those reluctant to use a credit card or commit to auto-deductions
There's always the "old fashion" way ...

CASAA
8094 Rolling Rd., #200
Springfield, VA 2253

EDITED: correct address for mailing contributions

 

[kwalka]

We should set up some kind of thread where members donate and in return they get something back.
I just had a great idea... For every donation Petrodus will match the donation out of his personal bank acct.