If you’re unfamiliar with NRT—or nicotine replacement therapy—it is a medically-approved treatment for people who want to quit smoking. Smokers use nicotine pouches, patches, and gum instead of cigarettes. In the long run, this helps decrease their dependence on cigarettes and eventually quit. This is why NRT product sales have steadily increased in recent years. Fortune Business Insights reports that the NRT market size is expected to reach $3.92 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 4.3%.
Still, aside from wanting to quit smoking, what are the other reasons for these products’ increase in sales? Keep reading to find out more.
Studies show NRT’s effectiveness
People always have doubts when it comes to how effective NRT is. After all, quitting smoking is difficult, and the process sees many smokers relapse. Fortunately, there are lots of studies proving how it’s successful in helping smokers quit. The American Cancer Society’s 2021 post “Nicotine Replacement Therapy to Help You Quit Tobacco” even finds that NRT doubles the chances of quitting smoking. Compared to other methods like quitting cold turkey, delaying cravings, or limiting cigarette consumption to one stick per day, NRT is medically approved—which means that health professionals have weighed in on the practices and methods involved in NRT and deemed them beneficial and effective for quitters. This has helped improve smoker trust in NRT products, ultimately increasing sales.
They are proven to be safe products
Often, smokers are also wary about using NRT products. The 2022 American Journal of Health Promotion study “Understanding Hesitation to Use Nicotine Replacement Therapy” reveals that many smokers perceive nicotine products as ineffective or fear their side effects. Fortunately, all products available over-the-counter or with a prescription are FDA-approved. The CDC itself deems NRT products—in particular, the quit-smoking pills Varenicline and Bupropion—as safe to use. This is mainly because NRT products deliver nicotine to the brain slower than cigarettes, improving the user’s health. Further, most NRT products are only prescribed after a doctor reviews a person’s medical history. This offers quitters yet another reason to trust and purchase these items.
Manufacturers cater to consumer preferences
Despite NRT products being used for medically-approved therapy, they’re still products. This means that consumers will still have preferences on which ones they want to use. NRT products thus come in various flavors, strengths, and sizes to meet these demands to reach their target market. Take the VELO nicotine pouches that feature heavily on Prilla, their manufacturer, the R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, researched what Americans wanted in nicotine products. The result was all-white nicotine pouches that prevent teeth stains, come in flavors ranging from citrus to dragon fruit, and offer various strengths to match a smoker’s previous nicotine intake. With opportunities to have a personalized experience, such product variations encourage more smokers to quit by buying NRT products.
They are marketed in creative ways
Apart from manufacturing nicotine products, companies must also promote these so that more people know how to quit smoking. The 2022 World Social Psychiatry study “Nicotine Replacement Therapy Commercials: Pros and Cons” concludes that creating interesting advertisements backed with facts are beneficial in convincing people of nicotine products’ effectiveness. PR Week outlines how market leader Nicorette, which offers nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges, recently did just that by partnering with the Berklee Music and Health Institute. They created a program called “SmokeLess Break Beats,” where smokers can listen to college students’ unique compositions to curb their cravings and use the brand’s products. Here, acting director Joy Allen said this music therapy program could relieve smokers’ stress, which may convince them to use Nicorette’s products and the SmokeLess Break Beats program. Ultimately, creative and engaging marketing strategies can attract more consumers to increase NRT sales.
Many people purchase NRT products because they’re effective, safe, meet consumer demands, and are promoted creatively. If you liked this article, you may also be interested in our post “Vape Marketing What You Should Know”.
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