In today's Science Lab session, Dr Layla Malt (Imperial Brands) presents findings from two behavioural studies conducted among UK adult smokers. It tracks product use over time and efficacy for smoking cessation, and also examined the role of flavours. #GFN25ScienceLab
Transcription:
00:06 - 01:18
[Garrett McGovern]
And we'll move quickly on to Layla. Welcome today, Layla. Dr. Layla Malt leads the scientific affairs and behavioral sciences function within the Harm Reduction and Engagement Department of Imperial Brands. Over the past eight years, she's had variety of roles within the organization and now oversees a multidisciplinary team that informs the business on emerging scientific developments and generates the behavioral science evidence to substantiate the tobacco harm reduction potential of Imperial Brand's next generation products. Her work plays a central role in Imperial Brand's scientific assessment framework. Dr. Malt is a strong advocate for science-led dialogue, here, here, ensuring that robust evidence underpins meaningful interaction with key stakeholders. She began her career in academia and spent time in the pharmaceutical sector, gaining a broad scientific perspective before joining Imperial Brand. She holds a BSc in biological sciences and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol. Welcome today, Layla. Layla, the floor is yours. You have a video, that's right. So play the video and then, yeah, absolutely, go ahead.
01:24 - 06:41
[Video]
Hello, my name is Dr. Layla Malt. I'm the Behavioural Sciences and Surveillance Senior Manager within the Department of Harm Reduction and Engagement at Imperial Brands. Today, I'm presenting the key findings from two parallel actual use studies we conducted on our vape product, Blue, among UK adult smokers. As a responsible manufacturer, Imperial Brands is committed to making a meaningful contribution to tobacco harm reduction. We use our scientific assessment framework, a multistage, multidisciplinary approach to substantiate the tobacco harm reduction potential of our next generation products. And this framework includes behavioural research. The main objective of this study was to generate robust scientific evidence on how blue may drive a replacement or reduction in smoking, evidencing the consumer journey. Additionally, behavioural studies which put the consumer and their choice at the centre of the study also enhance our understanding of the consumer experience, therefore capturing this was a secondary objective. Two parallel actual use studies were commissioned with 850 UK adult smokers They were familiarised with either Blue 2.0, a rechargeable pod-based vape, or the disposable vape Blue Bar. They were made aware of the full flavour portfolio and briefly tried the products. Participants had the freedom to choose without direction if they used Blue or alternative products. To more closely reflect real-world conditions, both studies use an innovative methodology where smokers received prepaid debit cards to purchase Blue products directly from retailers. Over six weeks, a deep understanding of consumer journeys and experiences were captured through daily e-diaries and bi-weekly questionnaires. The follow-up assessment was conducted at week 24. The results demonstrate the impact of Blue on smoking behaviour emerged quickly and was sustained at 24 weeks. At week 6, 37% of Blue 2.0 and 40% of Blue bar participants either fully switched to Blue, substantially reduced cigarette consumption by 50% or more, stop smoking or using blue entirely the totality of behavior changes is estimated to have resulted in over 140 000 fewer cigarettes smoked over the six week period additionally the study demonstrated the impact of blue was rapid as the majority of smoking reduction occurred at week one findings were broadly maintained at week 24 when the free provision of blue ended however there were substantial increases in the proportion of smokers who fully switched to blue and among those who reported they were no longer smoking or using blue The study demonstrated a broad range of flavours was found to be a significant driver in altering smoking behaviour and remained a prominent reason for continued use. Results demonstrated fruit flavours were most popular, followed by mint menthol and then tobacco. Non-tobacco flavours were 13 times more popular than tobacco flavour pods during week 6. The range of flavours was the most common reason given in those who had a positive intent to purchase blue in the future, demonstrating flavours appear to be a key driver in this space. The results also indicated non-tobacco flavours contribute to substantial change in smoking behaviour. At week 6, all participants who fully switched to blue used non-tobacco flavoured pods. Non-tobacco flavours also appeared to be a key driver among those who substantially reduced their smoking. Overall, 78% of all participants who fully switched to blue or substantially reduced their smoking were exclusively using non-tobacco flavours at week 6. These individuals also reported using a wider variety of flavours more frequently and more intensely, demonstrating these are likely key factors driving a reduction in cigarette consumption. In terms of consumer experience, blue scored positively for satisfaction, ease of use, comfort using in public and reducing the urge to smoke. Participants also had accurate relative risk perceptions of blue and rated blue low for both aversive effects and concerns about dependence. Aries for potential refinement included average scores for psychological reward, which is a predictor of sustained consumer engagement. Higher scores could enhance the consumer experience, furthering the appeal and satisfaction of blue among adult smokers. And whilst littering was rare, the most common reported disposal route was via a bin. Therefore, clearer communication with the consumer could support a change in this space. Finally, a small number of individuals reported blue didn't satisfy them like their regular cigarettes. Understanding this population could further enhance the tobacco harm reduction potential of blue. Overall, the results demonstrate consumers find blue satisfying and it has a significant potential to help adult smokers to completely stop or substantially reduce their smoking. The broad range of flavours used appear to contribute to substantial changes in smoking behaviour, indicating that different flavours may appeal to different smokers and their differing needs. These results support the evidence in the scientific literature that flavours play an important role in attracting and retaining adult smokers to the vape category. In summary, the findings from both studies demonstrate the significant potential for Blue to make a meaningful contribution to tobacco harm reduction by empowering smokers to transition using a diverse portfolio of vape flavours. Thank you for your attention. I would like to acknowledge RBRC and CSUR who conducted the studies and analysed the findings and my colleagues at Imperial Brands. Here is my conflict of interest statement.
06:48 - 06:55
[Garrett McGovern]
Thank you very much. Make some comments.
06:55 - 13:56
[Layla Malt]
I just appreciate the opportunity to go into a bit more detail about the two studies that were presented here that really were around exploring how adult smokers engage with the product in the real world and in their real lives. Closer. Oh, wow. Okay. Absolutely. And the thing that was a real key strength of this study was that it reflects as closely as possible how adult smokers engage with a product when they're given both information and choice. So from the start, the study was designed in a way to replicate what a typical UK adult smoker would experience. So for example, The familiarization session was designed like a vape shop experience. So participants were able to go in and engage with the product and the materials and packaging, ask questions and also try the product. And then essentially they decided whether they wanted to use Blue or not. like they would in the real world. And to keep things as natural as possible, we didn't ship the products to participants and we didn't ask them to keep coming back to a site. We actually provided this prepaid debit card which allowed them to purchase the products from local retailers in their own communities on their own terms. And this created and provided a more authentic understanding of how adult smokers engage with the product. and also how preferences could potentially shift and evolve over time in an everyday setting. The real world approach to this really also helped reflect factors that could also influence consumer behavior. So for example, like retail availability. In terms of our findings, I highlighted that the impact of blue appeared quite rapid as the majority of smoking reduction occurred in week one. And those findings were generally sustained at week 24, which is really important because between the end of the observation period and the follow-up period, individuals had to pay their own money to continue to use blue. And we continue to see a strong behavioural change at this time point. The factor that this sort of indicates as well is that When adult smokers are familiarised with a product and given information, it could potentially be breaking down or removing some of the barriers that are preventing adult smokers from even trying these products. We also observed a substantial increase from week six and 24 of individuals who reported that they were no longer smoking. And when you looked at this population further, some individuals were reporting that they were using a vape product from a different manufacturer, so a different brand, but actually the majority were reporting that they were no longer using any tobacco or nicotine product. From my video, you saw that flavors play a central role. And we saw that fruit flavors were most popular, but we did see mint, menthol, and tobacco use. And what was clear is that different flavors appeal to different smokers, and that variety matters. And that was further substantiated by the fact that the range of flavors was the most commonly cited reason for people to have a positive purchase intention towards blue. Non-tobacco flavors also played a really key role in driving down smoking reduction. So as I said in the video, all of those who successfully transitioned across to Blue 2.0 at week six did so exclusively using non-tobacco flavors. And at the end of the observation period, as I pointed out, 78% of individuals who substantially reduced their smoking or switched over to Blue 2.0 did so using non-tobacco flavors. Looking more closely, we saw that greater frequency of use and intensity of use and greater variety of flavor use was really strongly associated with a reduction and replacement in smoking, whilst also in parallel, Blue was reported as having a lower dependence score compared to cigarettes. And we saw a significant increase in the stop smoking motivations at the end of the study versus at the beginning. So it appears that non-tobacco flavors play a key role in driving down smoking, but also supporting the transition and continued use of products. And this supports, as I pointed out, the body of evidence, and we've heard about it in other forums, that report that flavors play a key role in attracting and retaining adult smokers to the vape category, and is part of a key component of why they are potentially viable harm reduction tools. There was, as I highlighted, some individuals who reported that blue didn't satisfy them the same way as their usual cigarettes. And it could be a number of reasons and things that probably this room is aware of. It might be that the individuals weren't ready, willing or interested to stop smoking. It could be that they needed longer to acclimatize to the product because we have to acknowledge that a vape product is different to a cigarette. It could be that their preferences align more closely with a completely different product. So maybe heated tobacco, which offers a closer experience to the cigarette, may have aligned more to what their preferences and needs were. But it also could be that Blue didn't meet a need of theirs, of this population, and obviously understanding that need and meeting it will allow us to facilitate tobacco harm reduction. What it does highlight is the importance of offering a broad range of satisfying, potentially reduced risk alternatives to adult smokers. The more options that we can provide that satisfies their diverse range of needs and preferences, then the more likely they are to find a product that will work for both them and their lifestyle. And essentially, we now are committing to sort of reanalyzing this really rich data set that we've generated, particularly around the consumer journeys and the consumer experiences. But overall, the findings demonstrate that Blue has significant potential to make a meaningful contribution to tobacco harm reduction. And at the heart of tobacco harm reduction is the individual and their consumers. And we acknowledge that every smoker's journey away from smoking is different. And understanding that unique journey, their needs and their preferences, is essential. And it's an integral part of our consumer-focused strategy at Imperial Brands. The study demonstrates that when we design, co-create and produce a product alongside our consumers that meets their needs and preferences, we can make a meaningful and impactful change. Thank you very much.
13:57 - 14:11
[Garrett McGovern]
Thank you very much. Round of applause there. Great, great talk. Thank you very much. Now we're going to open it to the floor for some questions. I see Carolyn has her hand up. Anybody else with their hand up? I can spot them. OK.
14:15 - 14:39
[Carolyn Beaumont]
Thanks, Layla. I really like the study design. I love the real world application of it. I especially liked how participants had to pay for themselves. That was wonderful. I was just wondering, I might have missed the detail at the start, but how were the participants recruited and what was sort of the average and spread of their PAC year history?
14:41 - 15:21
[Layla Malt]
Good question, Caroline. And I don't know if I can recall all detail for you, but I can tell you that the recruitment was through a third party that has the general recruitment kind of process and advertised for the recruitment. And I don't know the average pack year, but I know that they were established smokers. they would have had to, at a minimum, have smoked for at least, I think, three months. But the majority of them were much further down there. I think I probably, off the top of my head, could only remember one or two that had been highlighted at the lower end. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.
15:22 - 15:28
[Garrett McGovern]
That's great. Great question. Anybody else got any questions? Okay.
15:28 - 15:43
[Arielle Selya]
I got one. Thank you for that interesting study. Did I hear you correctly that zero tobacco-flavored blue users switched to blue at least at one time point?
15:43 - 15:54
[Layla Malt]
Yeah, so at the end of the observation period, all of those who fully had stopped smoking and transitioned to blue did so exclusively at week six using non-tobacco flavors. Okay, that's really striking. Thank you.
15:54 - 16:02
[Arielle Selya]
And then follow-up question is, did you look at the flavor use and changes over time? Like were people using multiple flavors or did people kind of like stick with one that they liked?
16:03 - 16:40
[Layla Malt]
That's an excellent question. And that harks to that point around us being able to look at everyday changes in preference. So that's what we're looking at in the reanalysis of the data. But I think the average flavor use like variety of use was kind of a three three different flavors at one time point so there was definitely an indication that um variety was important but we haven't quite got that journey yet and that's what we're really interested to see uh if they uh if consumers pick one and stick and or just change a couple of times or if it's more um fluid and dynamic which is why that methodology is helpful for us to be able to understand that
16:42 - 16:49
[Garrett McGovern]
Great question, Arielle. Any further questions before we move on to our next speaker? Lynn, you go ahead.
16:53 - 17:13
[Layla Malt]
Excellent question. It will be in the future. So we're in the process of drafting it. We've got an actual study that we conducted with a similar methodology for Pulse that was presented here that is under review. So it takes a little while to get through, as you know. But yeah, we plan on absolutely contributing to the wider science. So we will be publishing it.