Content of leading tobacco brand’s social media posts
| E-cigarettes | Hookah | Cigar | Smokeless | Overall | |
| Young people* visible on home page or recent posts, % (n/N) | |||||
| 44.8 (13/29) | 54.5 (6/11) | 40.0 (6/15) | 0 (0/3) | 43.1 (25/58) | |
| 21.4 (6/28) | 60.0 (6/10) | 25.0 (3/12) | 0 (0/2) | 28.3 (15/53) | |
| 3.7 (1/27) | 10.0 (1/10) | 10.0 (1/10) | 0 (0/2) | 6.1 (3/49) | |
| YouTube | 25.9 (7/27) | 66.7 (4/6) | 28.6 (2/7) | 0 (0/1) | 31.7 (13/41) |
| 23.8 (5/21) | 25.0 (1/4) | 0 (0/1) | – | 23.1 (6/26) | |
| Tumblr | 7.7 (1/13) | 100 (1/1) | 0 (0/3) | – | 11.8 (2/17) |
| Pages where ≥1 of past three posts… | |||||
| … had link to buy specific product % (n/N) | |||||
| 13.8 (4/29) | 0 (0/11) | 0 (0/15) | 0 (0/3) | 6.9 (4/58) | |
| 42.9 (12/28) | 10.0 (1/10) | 0 (0/12) | 0 (0/2) | 24.5 (13/53) | |
| 14.8 (4/27) | 10.0 (1/10) | 10.0 (1/10) | 0 (0/2) | 12.2 (6/49) | |
| YouTube | 25.9 (7/27) | 0 (0/6) | 14.3 (1/7) | 0 (0/1) | 19.5 (8/41) |
| 4.8 (1/21) | 0 (0/4) | 0 (0/1) | – | 3.9 (1/26) | |
| Tumblr | 46.2 (6/13) | 0 (0/1) | 0 (0/3) | – | 35.3 (6/17) |
| … mentions a flavor†, % (n/N) | |||||
| 6.9 (2/29) | 63.6 (7/11) | 26.7 (4/15) | 0 (0/3) | 22.4 (13/58) | |
| 21.4 (6/28) | 60.0 (6/10) | 0 (0/12) | 0 (0/2) | 24.5 (13/53) | |
| 11.1 (3/27) | 30.0 2 (3/10) | 0 (0/10) | 0 (0/2) | 14.3 (7/49) | |
| YouTube | 14.8 (4/27) | 83.3 (5/6) | 14.3 (1/7) | 0 (0/1) | 24.4 (10/41) |
| 9.5 (2/21) | 25.0 (1/4) | 100 (1/1) | – | 15.4 (4/26) | |
| Tumblr | 7.7 (1/13) | 100 (1/1) | 0 (0/3) | – | 11.8 (2/17) |
| … were videos, % (n/N) (mean views) | |||||
| 10.3 (3/29) | 18.2 (2/11) | 13.3 (2/15) | 33.3 (1/3) | 13.8 (8/58) | |
| 25.0 (7/28) | 30.0 (3/10) | 16.7 (2/12) | 50.0 (1/2) | 24.5 (13/53) | |
| (2017.8) | (698.3) | (436)‡ | (189.5) | ||
| 3.7 (1/27) | 0 (0/10) | (2/10) | 50.0 (1/2) | 8.2 (4/49) | |
| (317) | – | (388.5) | (−)§ | ||
| 4.8 (1/21) | 0 (0/4) | 0 (0/1) | – | 3.8 (1/26) | |
| … featured a picture of the product by itself, % (n/N) | |||||
| 79.3 (23/29) | 81.8 (9/11) | 66.7 (10/15) | 100 (3/3) | 77.6 (45/58) | |
| 89.3 (25/28) | 90.0 (9/10) | 66.7 (8/12) | 50.0 (1/2) | 81.1 (43/53) | |
| 22.2 (6/27) | ′10.0 (1/10) | 50.0 (5/10) | 50.0 (1/2) | 26.5 (13/49) | |
| 85.7 (18/21) | 50.0 (2/4) | 100 (1/1) | – | 80.8 (21/26) | |
| Tumblr | 84.6 (11/13) | 100 (1/1) | 66.7 (2/3) | – | 82.4 (14/17) |
| … featured a picture of the product in a hand, % (n/N) | |||||
| 20.7 (6/29) | 0 (0/11) | 26.7 (4/15) | 33.3 (1/3) | 19.0 (11/58) | |
| 39.3 (11/28) | 0 (0/10) | 16.7 (2/12) | 0 (0/2) | 24.5 (13/53) | |
| 3.7 (1/27) | 0 (0/10) | 30.0 (3/10) | 0 (0/2) | 8.2 (4/49) | |
| 33.3 (7/21) | 0 (0/4) | 100 (1/1) | – | 30.8 (8/26) | |
| Tumblr | 7.7 (1/13) | 0 (0/1) | 33.3 (1/3) | – | 11.8 (2/17) |
| … featured a person using the product, % (n/N) | |||||
| 13.8 (4/29) | 27.3 (3/11) | 40.0 (6/15) | 0 (0/3) | 22.4 (13/58) | |
| 28.6 (8/28) | 30.0 (3/10) | 25.0 (3/12) | 0 (0/2) | 26.4 (14/53) | |
| 3.7 (1/27) | 0 (0/10) | 10.0 (1/10) | 0 (0/2) | 4.1 (2/49) | |
| YouTube | 51.9 (14/27) | 100 (6/6) | 71.4 (5/7) | 100 (1/1) | 63.4 (26/41) |
| 14.3 (3/21) | 75.0 (3/4) | 0 (0/1) | – | 23.1 (6/26) | |
| Tumblr | 15.4 (2/13) | 100 (1/1) | 0 (0/3) | – | 17.6 (3/17) |
| Pages where at ≥1 of past three posts had hashtags, % (n/N) | |||||
| 89.7 (26/29) | 90.9 (10/11) | 86.7 (13/15) | 100 (3/3) | 89.7 (52/58) | |
| 67.9 (19/28) | 50.0 (5/10) | 58.3 (7/12) | 0 (0/2) | 58.5 (31/53) | |
| 66.7 (18/27) | 70.0 (7/10) | 30.0 (3/10) | 50.0 (1/2) | 59.2 (29/49) | |
| YouTube¶ | 11.1 (3/27) | 0 (0/6) | 0 (0/7) | 0 (0/1) | 7.3 (3/41) |
| 14.3 (3/21) | 25.0 (1/4) | 100 (1/1) | – | 19.2 (5/26) | |
| Tumblr | 84.6 (11/13) | 100 (1/1) | 100 (3/3) | – | 88.2 (15/17) |
| Of these hashtags, percent related to the brand name (n/N) | |||||
| 84.6 (22/26) | 90.0 (9/10) | 84.6 (11/13) | 100 (3/3) | 86.5 (45/52) | |
| 89.5 (17/19) | 80.0 (4/5) | 71.4 (5/7) | – | 83.9 (26/31) | |
| 66.7 (12/18) | 71.4 (5/7) | 100 (3/3) | 100 (1/1) | 72.4 (21/29) | |
| 100 (3/3) | 100 (1/1) | 100 (1/1) | – | 100 (5/5) | |
| Tumblr | 72.7 (8/11) | 100 (1/1) | 100 (3/3) | – | 80.0 (12/15) |
| Of these hashtags, percent related to general product type (n/N) | |||||
| 100 (26/26) | 90.0 (9/10) | 69.2 (9/13) | 100 (3/3) | 90.4 (47/52) | |
| 73.7 (14/19) | 40.0 (2/5) | 28.6 (2/7) | – | 58.1 (18/31) | |
| 83.3 (15/18) | 71.4 (5/7) | 33.3 (1/3) | 0 (0/1) | 72.4 (21/29) | |
| 100 (3/3) | 100 (1/1) | 100 (1/1) | – | 100 (5/5) | |
| Tumblr | 72.7 (8/11) | 100 (1/1) | 66.7 (2/3) | – | 73.3 (11/15) |
| Of these hashtags, percent unrelated to tobacco (n/N) | |||||
| 53.8 (14/26) | 70.0 (7/10) | 84.6 (11/13) | 66.7 (2/3) | 65.4 (34/52) | |
| 36.8 (7/19) | 60.0 (3/5) | 71.4 (5/7) | – | 48.4 (15/31) | |
| 27.8 (5/18) | 71.4 (5/7) | 0 (0/3) | 0 (0/1) | 34.5 (10/29) | |
| 0 (0/3) | 0 (0/1) | 100 (1/1) | – | 20.0 (1/5) | |
| Tumblr | 72.7 (8/11) | 100 (1/1) | 100 (3/3) | – | 80.0 (12/15) |
Denominators were taken from table 1.
*Appearing (for models) or known to be (for artists) younger than age 25 years.
†Other than tobacco or menthol.
‡We excluded one outlier, a video review for Romeo and Julieta, which had 75 555 views.
§Was a repost of a clip from hockey game with millions of views.
¶YouTube was excluded from further analyses because only three e-cigarette brands included hashtags (Mylé, Uwell and Kangertech); all included branded and Uwell also included hashtags related to e-cigarettes and unrelated to tobacco.