Case Study:
Vape Superstore
Data-Led Campaigns
Using FOI Requests To Build An Effective Data-Led Campaign In A Tricky Niche
The Project
As part of our Digital PR campaign for Vape Superstore we worked closely to develop data-led campaigns which had a close relevance and tie in to the brand, while also covering topics that had a strong news angle for journalists to cover.
One topic that rose to prominence was the issue of illegal vapes and as this was something that had been widely discussed across the media, we thought this was a great opportunity to newsjack something with valuable data. As such, we pulled together a campaign idea for a data-led campaign which would highlight areas across the UK where the majority of illegal vapes were being seized – appealing on both a national and regional level.
Our Approach
For this project we started off by issuing FOI requests to local councils to understand how many illegal vapes had been seized over the last 12 months, in addition to how many businesses had been found to stock illegal vapes and the number of illegal cigarettes seized over the same period.
Once we had this data to hand we began to analyse the data to understand which areas of the UK had the largest number of illegal vapes seized and also where had the least. We pulled this information together in a pictorial format so that it was easily digestible by journalists and also broke it down into tables highlighting the area with the largest and fewest number of vapes.
Our outreach approach was targeted at local level as we built out targeted media lists with a key focus around those areas and local journalists, we also took a national angle for broader appeal and targeted this with multiple angles.
Our approach garnered some great coverage in a niche where coverage is often hard to gain, which was very closely tied to the relevance of our client.
Our Coverage
SMOKE SCREEN Map reveals the UK’s dodgy vape hotspots where illegal e-cigs ‘contain harmful chemicals’ as 1.2million seized
MORE than 1.2million illegal vapes have been seized across the UK in the last year, shocking figures show.
SMOKE SCREEN Map reveals the UK’s dodgy vape hotspots where illegal e-cigs ‘contain harmful chemicals’ as 1.2million seized
MORE than 1.2million illegal vapes have been seized across the UK in the last year, shocking figures show.
Derbyshire named one of illegal vape capitals of the UK
Tens of thousands of illegal vapes are being seized from black market vape sellers in police raids across the UK every month. Non-regulated vapes pose a danger as they may contain different amounts of nicotine to the amounts stated on the packaging, as well as having a higher chance of containing harmful chemicals.
The Escalating Situation of Illegal Vape Retailers in the UK
Currently, it's estimated that one-third of vapes sold in the UK are non-compliant with regulations, a figure likely to rise with the anticipated disposable vape ban in 2025.
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