Corporate Vision August 2017

42 CORPORATE VISION / August 2017 , “As part of our commitment to being the most trustworthy brand - that offers the most reliable products - the firm became a member of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association (ECITA) in 2013. In the eyes of our customers - we were seen to be a firm that refuses to take shortcuts - by spending heavily on safety, testing and continuously acquiring the most up-to-date information on regulations. “iBreathe’s eLiquids are formulated in-house and not by a third-party manufacturer. The flavours our customers purchase are unique, unlike many other companies that sell premade eLiquid and simply rebrand the packaging, with their own logo on it. “ Bilal then offers his thoughts on the wider industry challenges, as well as the specific ones faced by the firm. He also reveals the firm’s techniques used to stay ahead of any emerging industry developments. “Whilst iBreathe was founded in the UK and remains a British firm, we have a global footprint providing eCigarette products to customers, as far away as New Zealand. The UK remains our biggest market and as of May 2017 - the industry faced its biggest challenge yet - complying with the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). “There are some challenges we face, when selling nicotine- containing products to our international customers. Some face restrictions on the quantity of nicotine they can purchase in a single order and these are governed by their home authorities in customs and border control. Some countries do not permit the import of nicotine- based products altogether. “Being part of ECITA ensures we have up-to-the-minute information on potential changes in legislation and the industry. This has allowed us to review our business processes and adapt well, in advance of our competitors. We design everything in-house, which gives us an edge over our competitors. This means we can come up with innovative ideas - that go from concept to completion - in just a matter of weeks instead of months or even years.” Bilal then details the firm’s internal culture and how all staff are equipped to provide the best possible service to clients. “As cliché as this might sound, iBreathe really is a family business. It was launched by my brother back in 2009 and he quickly got the rest of us on board, as the demand for iBreathe products grew more rapidly. Over eight years later and with a continuously growing workforce, that family culture is still very much apparent in our offices. “We adopt a very relaxed working environment. In fact, most of our employees are passionate vapers and they can often be found mixing new flavours, discussing the next ‘big’ flavour and generally bouncing ideas from one another creatively. They get to try all the latest devices, share their views on what works and what doesn’t. The iBreathe team members are true experts in all things vaping. “This passion for vaping and loyalty towards iBreathe, can be clearly seen in the customer service that we offer. We don’t outsource our customer service with a third-party contact centre. When a customer calls for help and advice, they are put through to a member of staff at our UK head office. That way, they can be sure to receive the best and most accurate advice available.” In closing, Bilal reveals what the future holds for iBreathe, over the coming months and years. “We are very excited and optimistic about the future, especially having received the UK’s Leading E-Cigarette Brand – 2017 award. The eCigarette industry is still relatively new and it would be naïve of myself and others in the industry to become complacent. As we’ve seen with the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), further legislation could come into effect, possibly with very little notice. It’s therefore important that iBreathe continues to look at new ways to improve the business, so that we’re prepared for anything that comes our way. “With the TPD changes out of the way, we’re now focussing on setting up our UK manufacturing facility and for everything else, it’s business as usual.”