Electronic Cigarette Companies’ Twitter Messages: Public Interest (Mis)communication

Authors

  • Joon Kyoung Kim University of South Carolina
  • Carol J. Pardun University of South Carolina
  • Holly Overton University of South Carolina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32473/jpic.v3.i1.p66

Keywords:

Electronic cigarettes, Social media advertising, Twitter, Public interest communications, Vaping

Abstract

Despite increased controversies over the health effects of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), little is known about how the public interest issue has been discussed by e-cigarette companies on social media. Using arguments from the theory of planned behavior as a guide, this study examines how e-cigarette companies engage with potential customers on Twitter. Using quantitative content analysis, this study examined 525 tweets from the top five e-cigarette companies that occurred between July 9, 2016, and September 9, 2016, one month before and after the U.S Food and Drug Administration implemented a new regulation limiting sales and distribution of tobacco products to minors. Results indicate that the deeming did not affect e-cigarette companies’ message strategies on Twitter. Theoretical and practical applications for public interest communications are discussed.

References

Ajzen, I. (2005). Attitudes, personality, and behavior (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Open University Press.

Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behaviors. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Akers, R. L., & Lee, G. (1996). A longitudinal test of social learning theory: Adolescent smoking. Journal of Drug Issues, 26(2), 317-343. doi:10.1177/002204269602600203

Baek, T. H., & Mayer, M. (2010). Sexual imagery in cigarette advertising before and after the master settlement agreement. Health Communication, 25(8), 747-757. doi:10.1080/10410236.2010.521917

Bahl, V., Lin, S., Xu, N., Davis, B., Wang, Y. H., & Talbot, P. (2012). Comparison of electronic cigarette refill fluid cytotoxicity using embryonic and adult models. Reproductive Toxicology, 34(4), 529-537. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2012.08.001

Bandura, A. (1978). Social learning theory of aggression. Journal of Communication, 28(3), 12-29. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1978.tb01621.x

Biener, L., & Siegel, M. (2000). Tobacco marketing and adolescent smoking: More support for a causal inference. American Journal of Public Health, 90(3), 407. doi:10.2105/AJPH.90.3.407

Cobb, N. K., Byron, M. J., Abrams, D. B., & Shields, P. G. (2010). Novel nicotine delivery systems and public health: The rise of the “e-cigarette”. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12), 2340-2342. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2010.199281

Choi, W. S., Ahluwalia, J. S., Harris, K. J., & Okuyemi, K. (2002). Progression to established smoking: The influence of tobacco marketing. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 22(4), 228-233. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00420-8

Chu, K. H., Unger, J. B., Allem, J. P., Pattarroyo, M., Soto, D., Cruz, T. B., & Yang, C. C. (2015). Diffusion of messages from an electronic cigarette brand to potential users through Twitter. PloS One, 10(12), e0145387. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0145387

Chung, P. J., Garfield, C. F., Rathouz, P. J., Lauderdale, D. S., Best, D., & Lantos, J. (2002). Youth targeting by tobacco manufacturers since the Master Settlement Agreement. Health Affairs, 21(2), 254-263. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.21.2.254

Chung, E., & Yoon, J. (2013). An analysis of image use in Twitter message. Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for Library and Information Science, 24(4), 75-90. doi:10.14699/biblia.2013.24.4.075

Clark, E. M., Jones, C. A., Williams, J. R., Kurti, A. N., Nortotsky, M. C., Danforth, C. M., & Dodds, P. S. (2015). Vaporous marketing: Uncovering pervasive electronic cigarette advertisements on Twitter. PloS One, 11(17), e0157304. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0157304

Cole-Lewis, H., Pugatch, J., Sanders, A., Varghese, A., Posada, S., Yun, C., & Augustson, E. (2015). Social listening: A content analysis of e-cigarette discussions on Twitter. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(10), 1-14. doi:10.2196/jmir.4969

Cooper, M., Case, K. R., Loukas, A., Creamer, M. R., & Perry, C. L. (2016). E-cigarette dual users, exclusive users and perceptions of tobacco products. American Journal of Health Behavior, 40(1), 108-116. doi:10.5993/AJHB.40.1.12

Dai, H., Deem, M. J., & Hao, J. (2017). Geographic variations in electronic cigarette advertisements on Twitter in the United States. International Journal of Public Health, 62(4), 479-487. doi:10.1007/s00038-016-0906-9

Dalton, M. A., Sargent, J. D., Beach, M. L., Titus-Ernstoff, L., Gibson, J. J., Ahrens, M. B., & Heatherton, T. F. (2003). Effect of viewing smoking in movies on adolescent smoking initiation: a cohort study, The Lancet, 362(9380), 281-285. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13970-0

Demetrious, K. (2017). Contemporary publics, Twitter and the story of PR: Exploring corporate interventions to promote “Clean Coal” in Australia. The Journal of Public Interest Communications, 1(1), 94-113. doi:10.32473/jpic.v1.i1.p94

Dixon, H. G., Scully, M. L., Wakefield, M. A., White, V. M., & Crawford, D. A. (2007). The effects of television advertisements for junk food versus nutritious food on children's food attitudes and preferences. Social Science and Medicine, 65(7), 1311-1323. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.05.011

Downes, E. (2017). “Doing Good” scholarship: Considerations for building positive social change through the emerging field of public interest communications. The Journal of Public Interest Communications, 1(1), 31-44. doi:10.32473/jpic.v1.i1.p31

D’Ruiz, C. D., Graff, D. W., & Robinson, E. (2016). Reductions in biomarkers of exposure, impacts on smoking urge and assessment of product use and tolerability in adult smokers following partial or complete substitution of cigarettes with electronic cigarettes. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 543.

doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3236-1

Dube, S. R., Arrazola, R. A., Lee, J., Engstrom, M., & Malarcher, A. (2013). Pro-tobacco influences and susceptibility to smoking cigarettes among middle and high school students—United States, 2011. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(5), S45-S51. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.07.007

Duke, J. C., Lee, Y. O., Kim, A. E., Watson, K. A., Arnold, K. Y., Nonnemaker, J. M., & Porter, L. (2014). Exposure to electronic cigarette television advertisements among youth and young adults. Pediatrics, 134(1), e29-e-36. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-0269

Emery, S., Wakefield, M. A., Terry-McElrath, Y., Saffer, H., Szczypka, G., O’Malley, P. M., & Flay, B. (2005). Televised state-sponsored antitobacco advertising and youth smoking beliefs and behavior in the United States, 1999-2000. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 159(7), 639-645. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.7.639

Fessmann, J. (2017). Conceptual foundations of public interest communications. The Journal of Public Interest Communications, 1(1), 16-30. doi:10.32473/jpic.v1.i1.p16

Freeman, B. (2012). New media and tobacco control. Tobacco Control, 21(2), 139-144. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050193

Grana, R., Benowitz, N., & Glantz, S. A. (2014). E-cigarettes. Circulation, 129(19), 1972-1986. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.007667

Grana, R. A., Popova, L., & Ling, P. M. (2014). A longitudinal analysis of electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(5), 812-813. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.187

Grana, R. A., & Ling, P. M. (2014). Smoking revolution”: A content analysis of electronic cigarette retail websites. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(4), 395-403. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2013.12.010

Hale, J. L., Householder, B. J., & Greene, K. L. (2002). The theory of reasoned action. In J. P. Dillard & M. Pfau (Eds.). The persuasion handbook: Developments in theory and practice. (pp. 259-286). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Hamilton, W. L., Turner-Bowker, D. M., Celebucki, C. C., & Connolly, G. N. (2002). Cigarette advertising in magazines: The tobacco industry response to the Master Settlement Agreement and to public pressure. Tobacco Control, 11(suppl 2), ii54-ii58. doi:10.1136/tc.11.suppl_2.ii54

Harris, J. K., Moreland-Russell, S., Choucair, B., Mansour, R., Staub, M., & Simmons, K. (2014). Tweeting for and against public health policy: Response to the Chicago Department of Public Health's electronic cigarette Twitter campaign. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(10), e238. doi:10.2196/jmir.3622

Hajek, P., Etter, J. F., Benowitz, N., Eissenberg, T., & McRobbie, H. (2014). Electronic cigarettes: Review of use, content, safety, effects on smokers and potential for harm and benefit. Addiction, 109(11), 1801-1810. doi:10.1111/add.12659

Harakeh, Z., Scholte, R. H., Vermulst, A. A., de Vries, H., & Engels, R. C. (2004). Parental factors and adolescents' smoking behavior: An extension of the theory of planned behavior. Preventive Medicine, 39(5), 951-961. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.03.036

Hayes, A. F., & Krippendorff, K. (2007). Answering the call for a standard reliability measure for coding data. Communication Methods and Measures, 1(1), 77-89. doi:10.1080/19312450709336664

Hébert, E. T., Case, K. R., Kelder, S. H., Delk, J., Perry, C. L., & Harrell, M. B. (2017). Exposure and engagement with tobacco-and e-cigarette–related social media. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61(3), 371-377. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.04.003.

Hoefges, R. M. (2013). The strong First Amendment right to promote lawful products. In: Pardun C.J, (Ed.), Advertising and Society: An Introduction (pp. 4-73). Hoboken, NJ; John Wiley & Sons.

Huang, J., Kornfield, R., Szczypka, G., & Emery, S. L. (2014). A cross-sectional examination of marketing of electronic cigarettes on Twitter. Tobacco Control, 23(suppl 3), iii26-iii30. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051551

Hallahan, K., Holtzhausen, D., Van Ruler, B., Verčič, D., & Sriramesh, K. (2007). Defining strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3-35. doi:10.1080/15531180701285244

Kelley, K. (2005). The effects of non-normal distributions on confidence intervals around the standardized mean difference: Bootstrap and parametric confidence intervals. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 65(1), 51-69. doi:10.1177/0013164404264850

King III, C., & Siegel, M. (2001). The Master Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry and cigarette advertising in magazines. New England Journal of Medicine, 345(7), 504-511. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa003149

Kowitt, S. D., Goldstein, A. O., Schmidt, A. M., Hall, M. G., & Brewer, N. T. (2017). Attitudes toward FDA regulation of newly deemed tobacco products. Tobacco Regulatory Science, 3(4), 504-515. doi:10.18001/TRS.3.4.10

Krishnan-Sarin, S., Morean, M. E., Camenga, D. R., Cavallo, D. A., & Kong, G. (2014). E-cigarette use among high school and middle school adolescents in Connecticut. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 17(7), 810-818. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntu243

LaRose, R., & Eastin, M. S. (2004). A social cognitive theory of Internet uses and gratifications: Toward a new model of media attendance. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 48(3), 358-377. doi:10.1207/s15506878jobem4803_2

Lazard, A. J., Saffer, A. J., Wilcox, G. B., Chung, A.D., Mackert, M. S., & Bernhardt, J. M. (2016). E-Cigarette social media messages: A text mining analysis of marketing and consumer conversations on Twitter. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 2(2), e171. doi:10.2196/publichealth.6551

Link, A. R., Cawkwell, P. B., Shelley, D. R., & Sherman, S. E. (2015). An exploration of online behaviors and social media use among hookah and electronic-cigarette users. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 2, 37-40. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2015.05.006

Linke, A., & Zerfass, A. (2012). Future trends in social media use for strategic organisation communication: Results of a Delphi study. Public Communication Review, 2(2), 17-29. doi:10.5130/pcr.v2i2.2736

Lombard, M., Snyder‐Duch, J., & Bracken, C. C. (2002). Content analysis in mass communication: Assessment and reporting of intercoder reliability. Human Communication Research, 28(4), 587-604. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2002.tb00826.x

Luo, C., Zheng, X., Zeng, D. D., & Leischow, S. (2014). Portrayal of electronic cigarettes on YouTube. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 1028. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1028

Mackey, T. K., Miner, A., & Cuomo, R. E. (2015). Exploring the e-cigarette e-commerce marketplace: Identifying Internet e-cigarette marketing characteristics and regulatory gaps. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 156, 97-103. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.032

Mantey, D. S., Cooper, M. R., Clendennen, S. L., Pasch, K. E., & Perry, C. L. (2016). E-cigarette marketing exposure is associated with e-cigarette use among US youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(6), 686-690. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.03.003

Marozzo, F., & Bessi, A. (2018). Analyzing polarization of social media users and news sites during political campaigns. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 8(1), 1-17. doi:10.1007/s13278-017-0479-5

Moan, I. S. V., & Rise, J. (2006). Predicting smoking reduction among adolescents using an extended version of the theory of planned behaviour. Psychology and Health, 21(6), 717-738. doi:10.1080/14768320600603448

Moreno, M. A., & Whitehill, J. M. (2014). Influence of social media on alcohol use in adolescents and young adults. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 36(1), 91-100.

Neiger, B. L., Thackeray, R., Van Wagenen, S. A., Hanson, C. L., West, J. H., Barnes, M. D., & Fagen, M. C. (2012). Use of social media in health promotion: Purposes, key performance indicators, and evaluation metrics. Health Promotion Practice, 13(2), 159-164. doi:10.1177/1524839911433467

Ott, H. K., Vafeiadis, M., Kumble, S., & Waddell, T. F. (2016). Effect of message interactivity on product attitudes and purchase intentions. Journal of Promotion Management, 22(1), 89-106. doi:10.1080/10496491.2015.1107011

Paredes, V., Cantu, V. C., & Graf, N. M. (2013). The Impact of Reality Television on the Alcohol-Related Beliefs and Behaviors of Hispanic College Students. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 57(1), 23-45.

Phua, J., Jin, S. V., & Hahm, J. M. (2017). Celebrity-endorsed e-cigarette brand Instagram advertisements: Effects on young adults’ attitudes towards e-cigarettes and smoking intentions. Journal of Health Psychology. doi:10.1177/1359105317693912

Pierce, J. P., & Gilpin, E. A. (2004). How did the Master Settlement Agreement change tobacco industry expenditures for cigarette advertising and promotions? Health Promotion Practice, 5(3_suppl), 84S-90S. doi:10.1177/1524839904264600

Plowman, K. D., & Wilson, C. (2018). Strategy and tactics in strategic communication: Examining their intersection with social media use. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(2), 125-144. doi:10.1080/1553118X.2018.1428979

Pokhrel, P., Fagan, P., Kehl, L., & Herzog, T. A. (2015). Receptivity to e-cigarette marketing, harm perceptions, and e-cigarette use. American Journal of Health Behavior, 39(1), 121-131. doi:10.5993/AJHB.39.1.13

Pokhrel, P., Fagan, P., Herzog, T. A., Laestadius, L., Buente, W., Kawamoto, C. T., ... & Unger, J. B. (2018). Social media e-cigarette exposure and e-cigarette expectancies and use among young adults. Addictive behaviors, 78, 51-58. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.017

Pressgrove, G., & Pardun, C. J. (2016). Relationship between personal technology use and the donor/volunteer: A parasocial approach. Journal of Promotion Management, 22(1), 137-150. doi:10.1080/10496491.2015.1107012

Richardson, A., Ganz, O., & Vallone, D. (2014). Tobacco on the web: Surveillance and characterisation of online tobacco and e-cigarette advertising. Tobacco Control, 24(4), 341-347. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051246

Rifkin, J. (2015, April), E-Cigarettes Are Now More Popular with Young People Than Regular Cigarettes. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/16/e-cigarettes-smoking-health_n_7080548.html

Rodu, B. (2016, August 18). Low-tar cigarettes had merit, said American Cancer Society; So do e-cigarettes [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.rstreet.org/2016/08/18/low-tar-cigarettes-had-merit-said-american-cancer-society-so-do-e-cigarettes/

Salloum, R. G., Osman, A., Maziak, W., & Thrasher, J. F. (2015). How popular is waterpipe tobacco smoking? Findings from internet search queries. Tobacco Control, 24(5), 509-513. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051675

Schripp, T., Markewitz, D., Uhde, E., & Salthammer, T. (2013). Does e‐cigarette consumption cause passive vaping? Indoor Air, 23(1), 25-31. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0668.2012.00792.x

Starr, C., & Ferguson, G. (2012). Sexy dolls, sexy grade-schoolers? Media and maternal influences on young girls' self-sexualization. Sex Roles, 67(7-8), 463-476. doi:10.1007/s11199-012-0183-x

Stieglitz, S., & Dang-Xuan, L. (2013). Emotions and information diffusion in social media—sentiment of microblogs and sharing behavior. Journal of Management Information Systems, 29(4), 217-248. doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222290408

Trtchounian, A., & Talbot, P. (2011). Electronic nicotine delivery systems: Is there a need for regulation? Tobacco Control, 20(1), 47-52. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.037259

U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (2016). FDA's New Regulations for E-Cigarettes, Cigars, and All Other Tobacco Products. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/RulesRegulationsGuidance/ucm394909.htm

Vance, K., Howe, W., & Dellavalle, R. P. (2009). Social internet sites as a source of public health information. Dermatologic Clinics, 27(2), 133-136. doi:10.1016/j.det.2008.11.010

Vandewater, E. A., Clendennen, S. L., Hébert, E. T., Bigman, G., Jackson, C. D., Wilkinson, A. V., & Perry, C. L. (2018). Whose post is it? Predicting E-cigarette brand from social media posts. Tobacco Regulatory Science, 4(2), 30-43. doi:10.18001/TRS.4.2.3

Yanovitzky, I., & Stryker, J. (2001). Mass media, social norms, and health promotion efforts: A longitudinal study of media effects on youth binge drinking. Communication Research, 28(2), 208-239. doi:10.1177/009365001028002004

Villanti, A., Boulay, M., & Juon, H.S. (2011). Peer, parent and media influences on adolescent smoking by developmental stage. Addictive Behaviors, 36(1), 133-136. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.08.018

Wagner, C. B., & Sundar, S. S. (2008). The curiosity-arousing function of anti-drug ads. The Open Communication Journal, 2, 43-59. doi:10.2174/1874916X00802010043

Downloads

Published

2019-04-25

Issue

Section

Original Research