1. Consumer Profile
From 2019 to 2024, the global gender structure of heated tobacco products (HNB) underwent significant changes, with the proportion of women gradually increasing from 32.2% to 36.1%, while the proportion of men decreased from 67.8% to 60.7%. This change is mainly due to three factors. First, HNB products emphasize "harm reduction through technology," aligning with women's growing health awareness. Especially given women's increased understanding of the health hazards of smoking and their greater susceptibility to low-harm concepts, this has attracted a large number of women to try it. Second, marketing strategies have shifted, with retailers introducing flavored heated tobacco devices targeting women and using phrases like "no lingering smoke" to attract female consumers, thus expanding into a dedicated female market segment. Finally, HNB devices produce less smoke and have a milder odor, resulting in higher social acceptance and meeting women's needs in public places. Compared to traditional cigarettes, they better suit women's social scenarios, further expanding the female consumer base.
The choices and needs of different age groups regarding tobacco products are highly correlated. According to PMI data, the legal age group up to 29 years old prefers e-cigarettes, accounting for 34% of the total. This is mainly due to the diverse flavors and trendy designs of e-cigarettes, catering to the individualistic and social needs of young people. The 30-39 age group represents a diverse group with concentrated needs, preferring the convenience and smokelessness of pipe tobacco while also appreciating the harm-reduction attributes of HNB (Heated Tobacco Products), balancing workplace and health requirements. The 40-49 age group shows a balanced acceptance of both HNB and traditional cigarettes, placing greater emphasis on the balance between flavor reproduction and harm reduction, and exhibiting a decreased dependence on traditional products. While cigarettes remain the primary choice for the 50-64 age group, 25% of them choose HNB products, indicating a gradual shift towards harm-reduction products driven by health awareness. Looking at HNB, the main age group remains 30-49 years old. Consumers in this age group have increased health awareness, seeking both harm-reduction attributes and flavor reproduction, with a clear demand for alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Simultaneously, their purchasing power is stable, and they have a high acceptance of technologically advanced tobacco products, making them the main force in the HNB market.
2. Consumer Usage Preferences
A 2023 survey conducted by CleanAir Scandinavia Co., Ltd., a Japanese company, of 300 consumers who used heated tobacco products (HNB). The survey revealed a continuous increase in the number of people using HNB without burning tobacco in recent years. Some are considering giving up traditional cigarettes, and approximately 60% of respondents have smoked for over 10 years. The growing popularity of HNB has led many to quit smoking, and most HNB users are former cigarette smokers.
2.1 Duration of HNB Use
The survey results showed a clear long-term consumption pattern among HNB smokers. The group with a smoking duration of over 6 years accounted for 28%, the highest among all age groups, indicating strong user loyalty to HNB products, with long-term users forming the core consumer group. The distribution was even across the 2-6 year age range: 17% for 2-3 years, 19% for 3-4 years, and 16% for 5-6 years, reflecting that after attracting new users, the product can gradually convert them into mid-term users through user experience retention. Short-term users accounted for a very small percentage, with those using the product for less than six months and those for 1-2 years each accounting for only 6%, indicating that HNB (Heated Tobacco Products) is not a product that is easily abandoned after trying it. Overall, as usage time increases, user retention gradually improves, and the proportion of long-term users is prominent, confirming the continued appeal of HNB products to consumers in terms of core experiences such as taste and harm reduction.
2.2 Evaluation of the Benefits of HNB
According to the evaluation of the benefits of HNB, 57.3% of respondents believed that the biggest benefit was that it doesn't easily leave behind the unpleasant smell of cigarette smoke; secondly, 52.7% of respondents said it was less harmful to teeth compared to cigarettes; and 49.7% of respondents said it reduced the hassle of cleaning up cigarette ash. These are the top three biggest benefits that attract Japanese consumers to HNB. In addition, 43.7% of respondents believed that HNB does not produce secondhand smoke, reducing disturbance to others; 24.3% believed that there was no need to worry about fire or burns; and 11.7% of respondents believed that HNB can be used in restaurants, which is relatively convenient. However, only 10.7% of respondents thought it was relatively stylish and cool. The survey results show that reducing odor, protecting teeth, and maintaining hygiene are the main reasons why most people choose HNB products.
2.3 Evaluation of the drawbacks of HNB (Heated Tobacco)
Regarding drawbacks, 54.7% of respondents considered the inability to smoke without electricity as the biggest obstacle, while 50.3% indicated that the high cost of the devices was unacceptable. Additionally, 37.3% found the need for regular device replacement inconvenient; 26.3% believed that the lack of clear research on future health hazards affected their purchase; and 15.3% felt that the emergence of new products encouraged smoking. Only 12.3% cited poor taste and aroma as deterring purchases, and 8.3% considered the lack of style as a drawback.
3. User Consumption and Usage
3.1 Reasons for Product Purchase
The Truth Initiative and Emory University conducted a survey on JUUL purchases in the United States. The percentages of different purchase reasons varied significantly. The highest percentage (49.5%) cited family or friends as the primary driver, making it the most significant purchase factor. Good taste (26%) ranked second, becoming a major factor attracting consumers. Stylish design (19.5%) ranked third, also influencing consumer purchasing decisions. Attempting to quit smoking (18%) was slightly lower than the percentage citing stylish design, indicating that some consumers hoped the product would aid in quitting smoking. The presence of nicotine (8%) was a relatively low percentage, not a primary consideration for consumers. Other reasons accounted for the lowest percentage (4%), having a minimal impact on overall purchases. Overall, social factors, namely family or friends using the product, are the core driving force behind consumer purchases, while the product's taste and design are also important attractions.
3.2 Brand Usage
From the perspective of consumers' reasons for choosing HNB products, the advantages of each brand show differentiated characteristics. According to Public Health data, in terms of health awareness, Ploom leads with 68.4%, followed closely by IQOS at 64.7%, indicating that consumers have a higher recognition of these two brands as having "lower health risks compared to cigarettes," and health concerns remain an important decision-making factor. In terms of price, Glo and Ploom have significantly higher percentages than IQOS, reflecting their more attractive pricing strategies and a greater preference among price-sensitive consumers.
Regarding taste, 48.4% believe Ploom tastes the best, followed by IQOS at 43.3%, indicating that consumers are more satisfied with the taste reproduction of these two brands. In terms of heating time, Ploom and Glo have a clear advantage, with their rapid heating experience better meeting consumers' needs for convenience. Regarding purchase convenience, 56.5% believe IQOS is the most convenient to purchase, reflecting its more comprehensive channel layout. In terms of social influence, IQOS's friend recommendations accounted for 68.1%, far exceeding its competitors, indicating strong consumer loyalty built through word-of-mouth marketing, while media marketing had a relatively small impact on all brands.
Consumer brand preferences exhibit distinct characteristics. IQOS, with its high health recognition, strong channel coverage, and outstanding social recommendation advantages, has formed a stable consumer base; Ploom performs well in terms of health awareness, taste, and heating efficiency, attracting consumers who value a comprehensive experience; Glo, with its price advantage and good heating performance, is more favored by price-sensitive consumers and those seeking convenience.
4. Factors Influencing User Consumption and Trend Analysis
4.1 Factors Influencing Consumption Trends
The survey revealed that the main factors influencing HNB user consumption are technological advancements, health awareness, brand strategy, and social environment. From a technological perspective, upgrades in heating technology, such as rapid heating, flavor restoration, and optimized harm reduction processes, enhance product practicality and health attributes, increasing appeal to diverse groups and driving trends related to user experience. Consumers' increased awareness of the dangers of smoking has made "harm reduction" a core purchasing motivation, especially among women and young adults who tend to choose lower-risk alternatives, strengthening health-related trends. Brands are optimizing products for gender and age-specific markets, such as offering flavors specifically for women and strengthening scenario-based promotions, such as convenient use in social situations, accurately reaching needs and driving changes in gender structure and brand usage trends. The rising demand for smoke-free environments in public places, coupled with HNB's low-smoke and low-odor characteristics, makes it suitable for social scenarios. Word-of-mouth marketing, such as friend recommendations, enhances brand influence, influencing purchasing motivations and brand selection trends.
4.2 User Consumption Trend Analysis
Since the advent of heated tobacco products (HNB) as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, their market share has increased year by year. Many people choose to switch from traditional cigarettes to HNB because HNB has many advantages, such as less odor, less tar buildup, and no secondhand smoke. However, dedicated devices also have some obvious drawbacks, such as the inability to smoke after the battery runs out and the hassle of cleaning. In terms of consumption trends, the gender usage trend of HNB shows a steady increase in the proportion of female users and a trend towards a more balanced gender structure. The 30-49 age group is the main consumer group. The choice of HNB usage is highly driven by both practical functions and health value, with emotional factors having a weaker influence. Consumers' purchasing motivations are evolving from a single focus on harm reduction to a multi-faceted approach considering health, experience, and scenarios. Finally, in terms of brand usage trends, the trend will show a dominance of leading brands and the creation of barriers through differentiated advantages.
