《中国电子雾化设备口感调研报告》：行业进入陶瓷时代，口感成品牌竞争焦点

The taste is a core issue in the scientific research of electronic vaping and also a key indicator for consumers to measure the quality of their vaping experience. Based on research and analysis of the taste of electronic vaping devices in China, Frost & Sullivan (hereinafter referred to as 'Frost & Sullivan') released the '2020 China Electronic Vaping Device Taste Research Report'. This survey adopted an online and offline combined approach, distributing 600 questionnaires in each of the five cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, with a total of 3,000 valid questionnaires collected.

Based on the statistical analysis of the questionnaire, the Chinese atomizer market is currently dominated by closed electronic atomizers, with taste becoming the main demand for consumers among closed electronic atomizers. Overall, ceramic atomizer core products have better taste performance than traditional cotton cores, and ceramic atomizer core technology has become the mainstream in the market, marking the entry of the electronic atomizer industry into a ceramic era.

From the moment it is purchased and used, electronic vaporizers possess social attributes. The rise of domestic e-vaporizer communities has driven consumers to exchange vaporization experiences on social media, conduct product evaluations, and learn about product information, thereby continuously deepening their perception of the good taste of electronic vaporizers.

Taste has become the core demand of consumers for electronic vapor products

Among the five cities, e-cigarette users are mainly male young people, with ages primarily distributed between 25 and 40 years old. Their occupations are mostly company employees, professionals, business managers, etc., which aligns well with the white-collar class.

They are willing to learn about new knowledge and things, and have a high acceptance rate for electronic vaporizers. Among the factors influencing consumers' purchase of electronic vaporizers, brand awareness, taste, overall craftsmanship, and quality rank first in terms of importance. Taste accounts for 74%, only 6% less than brand awareness. Taste is becoming a core demand for consumers of electronic vaporizer products.

Among the refined taste indicators, consumers value the overall sensory experience of the taste (dryness, fineness, and smoothness) the most, accounting for 66%. The overall sensory experience is the most important indicator for consumers to evaluate the quality of electronic vaporizer devices. An overall improvement in the dryness, fineness, and smoothness of electronic vaporizer devices will increase product popularity; aroma quality ranks second, accounting for 61%. The richness, authenticity of the aroma, as well as the uniformity and overall layering of the vapor's scent are the main characteristics that measure aroma. Consumers prefer a full-bodied, highly-representative aroma with natural fragrance flavors, no turbidity, and distinct layers; vapor comes in third place, accounting for 50%. Consumers prefer electronic vaporizer devices with stable output, good coagulation properties, and appropriate vapor volume.

Consumers also consider flavor and potency when measuring the taste of electronic vaporizers. Flavor specifically refers to the taste, sweetness, and coolness of the electronic vaporizer, while potency refers to the stimulating effect of the mist on the senses, such as throat hit (the impact on the throat) and mouth hit (the impact on the mouth).

The excellent taste continues to empower e-cigarette brands

During offline surveys, e-cigarette users generally reported that the taste directly affects their vaping experience and, consequently, their impression of the brand.

In China, Joyetech, Juvee, and Magic Wand are the three most well-known e-cigarette brands in terms of popularity. Among them, Joyetech has the highest profile, accounting for 58%. Joyetech has a large number of offline stores, and most consumers highly recognize the good taste of its products. When it comes to 'good taste', about 58.1% of consumers first think of Joyetech.

Other brands such as Pomelo, Magic Flute, and Snow Plus have comparable market performance and are considered the second tier after Joyetech. Consumers also have a high preference for their products due to their good taste. With their offline store sales channel layout and stable product quality, these brands have a repeat purchase rate of over 85%, indicating a high customer loyalty.

In terms of taste refinement indicators, Yueke, Pomelo, Magic Flute, and Xuejia each exhibit unique characteristics. Yueke tops the list in multiple metrics such as dryness, fineness, and aroma richness. Pomelo takes first place in two indicators: suitable fog temperature and flavor (coolness), while Magic Flute and Xuejia rank second and third in several other metrics.

During the use of e-cigarette devices, two major pain points in the eyes of consumers are inconsistent taste and unsatisfactory mouthfeel, accounting for 57% and 53% respectively. Continuously optimizing product taste performance and enhancing the taste experience is becoming a major direction for e-cigarette companies to enhance brand influence and expand their user base.

Ceramic cores are becoming mainstream.The e-cigarette industry has entered the ceramic era

The quality of the atomizing solution, atomization performance, and safety (mist, equipment) are among the most concerning issues for consumers when purchasing and using electronic vaporizer products, accounting for over 70%. The pursuit of cutting-edge technology, superior taste, and higher safety performance by mainstream consumers will drive electronic vaporizer device manufacturers to improve product quality standards and atomization technology.

In the domestic market, ceramic atomizers are gradually replacing traditional cotton atomizers and becoming the mainstream. Compared to traditional cotton atomizers, ceramic atomizers have obvious advantages in terms of taste improvement and safety. Especially for electronic vaporizer devices using FEELM ceramic atomizers, such as Joyetech, Juvee, and Mophie, their market share is relatively high, and their market recognition is higher than that of traditional cotton atomizers. In 2020, Joyetech, Juvee, Mophie, and others have successively released new products, placing more emphasis on enhancing the user experience of electronic vaporizer devices.

From the perspective of the technological evolution in the e-cigarette industry, early glass fiber ropes with heating wires wrapped around them had disadvantages such as easy flocculation and too fast liquid conduction speed. Subsequently, resistance wire cotton cores had issues like short lifespan, dry burning, and lower taste stability. The current ceramic atomizer cores, represented by FEELM, have gradually become the mainstream due to their stable durability, high safety, and smooth, delicate taste. Research results show that ceramic core products have a clear advantage in taste performance, with higher ratings than cotton cores.

With the continuous innovation of atomization technology, consumers' consumption habits towards electronic vaporizers are also evolving. Before 2014 was the initial experience phase for consumers, when electronic vaporizers were a mixed bag with varying quality; from 2015 to 2019, with technological breakthroughs in electronic vaporizers and continuous optimization of usage experiences, many vaporizer brands emerged, making electronic vaporizers gradually accepted by the public and continuously expanding the domestic market share; today, good taste has become the core factor in consumer experience.

'China E-cigarette Device Taste Research Report': The industry enters the ceramic era, with taste becoming a focal point of brand competition

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