STARTING YOUR BRAND
Launching a vape or nicotine brand involves much more than choosing a name and putting a logo on a product. Before a range reaches commercial production, decisions need to be made around the products themselves, how they will be manufactured, their specifications, regulatory requirements, branding, packaging and the practicalities of bringing them to market.
The route can also look very different from one brand to another. Some businesses begin with established products that can be branded for their own range, while others want greater control over formulation, flavour, product specification or packaging. Brands with an existing product specification may instead require a manufacturing partner capable of taking that product into repeat commercial production.
Product category matters too. E-liquids, nicotine pouches and prefilled vape pods each involve different development, manufacturing and regulatory considerations, meaning there is no single process that applies identically to every nicotine product.
What they share is the need to turn an initial commercial idea into a product that can be defined, manufactured consistently and prepared for market.
This guide walks through the key stages involved in starting a vape or nicotine brand in the UK, from choosing what to sell and deciding how it will be manufactured through to product development, branding, production and launch.
PRODUCT DIRECTION
Before choosing a manufacturing route, developing packaging or building a brand identity, the starting point is the product itself.
A clear product concept does not need to include every technical detail from the outset. It should, however, establish what type of product you want to sell, who it is intended for and what you want the range to offer.
For a vape or nicotine brand, that could mean developing an e-liquid range, launching nicotine pouches, creating a prefilled vape pod system or building a portfolio across more than one product category. Each route brings different decisions around formulation, format, manufacturing and regulatory requirements.
The product category provides the first framework for development.
Consider the type of e-liquid you want to offer, such as nicotine salts, freebase formulations or shortfills, alongside intended flavours, nicotine strengths, bottle formats and the type of vaping products the range is designed to complement.
Initial decisions can include flavour direction, nicotine strength, pouch format and the intended characteristics of the finished pouch. These choices eventually form part of a wider formulation and product specification.
A prefilled pod product brings together both the e-liquid and the hardware it is intended to work with. Decisions therefore extend beyond flavour and nicotine strength to areas such as pod format, device compatibility and the intended finished system.
It is also worth considering how the first product fits into a wider range.
A new brand does not necessarily need a large number of variants at launch. A more focused initial range can make product development, branding, production planning and stock management easier while providing a foundation that can be expanded later.
The important question is not simply “What products can we make?” but “What does this brand need to launch with?”
That might mean a tightly defined collection of flavours, several nicotine strengths within the same product family or a small number of products designed around a particular market position.
At this stage, the objective is to establish a clear enough product direction to begin making more detailed decisions. The formulation, specifications and manufacturing requirements can then be developed around that direction rather than defining the range in isolation.
Once you have an idea of the products you want to bring to market, the next decision is how those products will be developed and manufactured.
There is more than one route to launching a vape or nicotine range. The right approach will depend on factors such as how much product development is required, the level of customisation you want and whether you already have a defined product specification.
Terms such as white label, private label and contract manufacturing are sometimes used differently across the industry, but they generally describe different levels of product development and manufacturing involvement.
White label manufacturing provides a relatively direct route to market by using established products or formulations that can be branded and packaged for your business.
Rather than developing every aspect of the product from the beginning, brands can select from existing options and concentrate more of the launch process on range selection, branding, packaging and commercial preparation.
This can suit businesses looking for a faster route into a product category or those that do not require a highly customised formulation.
Private label manufacturing can provide greater flexibility over the finished product.
Depending on the project, this may involve decisions around formulation, flavours, nicotine strengths, product specifications, formats or packaging. The development process is therefore typically more involved than selecting an established white label product.
This route can suit brands that want greater product differentiation while continuing to work with a manufacturing partner through development and production.
Contract manufacturing is particularly relevant where a business already has a defined product, formulation or manufacturing specification and requires a partner to produce it commercially.
This can be suitable for established brands, product developers or businesses looking to outsource production rather than build and operate their own manufacturing capability.
The right manufacturing route often depends on how much of your product has already been defined. Start with the description that best matches your project.
Start with established products or formulations and build your branding, packaging and range around them.
Explore White LabelDevelop a more tailored product with greater flexibility around formulation, specification, flavours, formats or packaging.
Explore Private LabelTake a defined formulation or product specification into controlled, repeatable commercial production.
Explore Contract ManufacturingRANGE DEVELOPMENT
Once you have identified the type of product you want to launch and the most appropriate manufacturing route, the next step is deciding what your initial range should actually include.
It can be tempting to launch with as many products, flavours and variants as possible. In practice, a more focused range can make the early stages of product development and commercial production easier to manage.
The aim is to create enough choice to establish a clear proposition without introducing unnecessary complexity before the brand has reached the market.
The decisions involved will depend on the product category.
For an e-liquid range, this could include the number of flavours, nicotine strengths, formulation types and bottle formats.
For nicotine pouches, the range might be structured around flavours, nicotine strengths, pouch formats or other product characteristics.
For prefilled vape pods, decisions can extend across flavour, nicotine strength, pod configuration and the device or system the products are designed around.
Each additional variant can affect more than the size of the range. It may introduce another product specification, piece of artwork, packaging requirement, production run or item of stock that needs to be managed.
A strong initial range should feel like a coherent product family rather than a collection of unrelated variants.
That might mean establishing a consistent flavour strategy, creating a logical progression of nicotine strengths or using common product and packaging formats across the range.
It is also useful to consider how customers will understand the differences between products. Individual variants need enough distinction to be identifiable while still appearing part of the same wider brand.
The first range does not need to represent everything the brand might eventually sell.
Starting with a defined core range can provide a foundation for future flavours, strengths, formats or even additional product categories as demand develops.
This means thinking beyond the individual launch products and considering whether the range structure can accommodate future growth without needing to be reinvented each time a new product is introduced.
BRAND PREVIEW
At this stage, the brand is beginning to move from an idea towards a tangible product range. Even before packaging artwork has been finalised, seeing a brand identity applied to a product can help make that transition feel more real.
Upload your logo below to preview how your brand could look on an e-liquid bottle or nicotine pouch.
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This preview is for illustration only. Colours, branding and packaging can be tailored to suit your brand, while required product and compliance information will remain.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Once the initial range has been defined, each product needs to move from a general concept towards a clear specification that can be developed, approved and manufactured consistently.
The exact requirements will vary between e-liquids, nicotine pouches and prefilled vape pods, but the development journey follows the same broad principle: progressively defining what the finished product needs to be.
Establish the starting point
Define the initial idea for the product, including its category, intended format and the characteristics you want it to offer.
At this stage, the concept does not need to contain every technical detail. It provides the direction for the development work that follows.
Turn the idea into requirements
Translate the concept into clearer development targets.
Depending on the product, these could include flavour direction, nicotine strength, formulation, format, VG/PG ratio, pouch characteristics or hardware requirements.
Create and evaluate the product
The development brief provides the basis for creating initial samples or product configurations.
These can then be evaluated against the intended characteristics of the product, helping identify where adjustments are required.
Finalise the product
Feedback from development is used to refine the product until the required characteristics have been achieved.
Rather than assessing individual elements in isolation, the objective is to reach a finished product that performs as intended as a complete formulation or system.
Create the reference for manufacture
Once the product has been approved, its agreed requirements can be documented as a defined product specification.
This provides the reference point for controlled commercial manufacture, helping ensure that repeat production is based on the same agreed product requirements.
Product development is not only about creating a successful sample. Ingredients, formulations, components and processing requirements also need to be suitable for consistent manufacture at commercial scale.
By defining these requirements during development, the finished specification becomes the link between the original product idea and repeatable commercial production.
Regulatory requirements should be considered during product development rather than once the product is ready to launch.
The requirements that apply will depend on the product category, formulation and how the finished product is supplied. E-liquids, nicotine pouches and prefilled vape products do not all follow exactly the same regulatory route, so identifying the relevant requirements early can influence decisions around formulation, packaging, labelling and production.
Nicotine-containing e-liquids and vaping products supplied in the UK are subject to product requirements covering areas such as formulation, nicotine concentration, container sizes, packaging and product notification.
The regulatory requirements should therefore form part of the product specification from the development stage rather than being treated as a final check before launch.
UK vaping products are also now subject to Vaping Products Duty. From 1 October 2026, vaping liquid manufactured in or imported into the UK is subject to duty at £2.20 per 10ml, including nicotine-free vaping liquid. Products released onto the UK market under the new regime also need to meet the applicable duty-stamp requirements.
Nicotine pouches have a different regulatory position from vaping products, so the requirements for an e-liquid should not simply be applied to a pouch product.
Considerations can include the product formulation, packaging, labelling, nicotine content and the wider rules governing how nicotine products are supplied and marketed.
The regulatory landscape also continues to develop. From 29 October 2026, UK age-of-sale rules will cover nicotine products including nicotine pouches, alongside vaping products, with sales restricted to people aged 18 and over.
Prefilled pods bring together e-liquid and hardware requirements.
The liquid contained within the pod needs to meet the requirements applicable to the formulation, while the finished product also needs to account for the pod, device compatibility, packaging and other requirements associated with the complete system.
Where the pod contains vaping liquid, Vaping Products Duty and the relevant duty-stamp requirements also need to be considered.
The important principle is to establish the regulatory requirements before product specifications, packaging and production arrangements are finalised.
Doing so allows compliance considerations to inform development rather than requiring products or artwork to be changed later in the process.
For a new brand, this also means understanding which responsibilities sit with the brand, manufacturer and other businesses within the supply chain. Those responsibilities can differ depending on the product and manufacturing arrangement, so they should be established as part of the project rather than assumed.
As the product becomes more clearly defined, the brand and packaging can begin to take shape around it. A strong identity needs to work across the complete range, distinguish individual variants and translate effectively onto the physical products being manufactured.
Establish recognisable visual cues across the range through elements such as your logo, colour palette, typography and wider design system.
RecognitionGive flavours, strengths and formats their own visual identity while keeping every variant clearly connected to the wider brand.
NavigationCreate a flexible visual foundation that can accommodate new flavours, strengths, formats and product categories as the brand develops.
ScalabilityAn e-liquid bottle, nicotine pouch can and pod pack each present different design constraints. Artwork needs to account for the available space, product information and packaging format rather than simply applying the same layout to every product.
Once the direction has been approved, designs need to become artwork suitable for the chosen labels, packaging and manufacturing process. Dimensions, print requirements, product information and other technical considerations all need to be accounted for before production begins.
Before moving towards sampling and production, the product range also needs to make sense from a commercial perspective.
Manufacturing decisions can influence the amount of stock required, the cost of individual products and packaging, production lead times and how easily the range can be expanded or reordered.
Considering these factors early helps ensure the product being developed is appropriate not only for the brand, but also for the way the business intends to launch and grow.
The number of units required will depend on the product, manufacturing route and scale of the planned launch.
A new brand may want to begin with a relatively focused production run, while an established business could require significantly larger volumes or production across multiple product variants.
It is also important to think about volume at SKU level rather than simply across the range as a whole. Launching five flavours in three nicotine strengths, for example, creates 15 individual variants that may each have their own production and packaging requirements.
The manufacturing cost of the finished product is only one part of the commercial picture.
Depending on the project, costs can also be associated with product development, ingredients, components, packaging, labels, artwork, testing, regulatory requirements, logistics and other elements required to bring the finished range to market.
Understanding the complete product cost provides a stronger basis for setting pricing and assessing whether the proposed range is commercially viable.
A launch plan also needs to account for the time required to develop and manufacture the product.
Development, sampling, artwork approval, component sourcing and production can all affect the timeline. Some stages may run alongside one another, while others depend on earlier decisions being approved before they can begin.
Working backwards from an intended launch date can help identify when key decisions and approvals need to be completed.
Commercial planning should extend beyond the first production run.
If the range performs well, the business needs to be able to replenish stock without unnecessary disruption. That means considering reorder quantities, manufacturing lead times and how stock levels will be managed as demand develops.
The same thinking applies to expansion. A range designed with future production in mind can make it easier to introduce new flavours, strengths or formats without rebuilding the commercial model around every new SKU.
Before commercial production begins, the product needs to be assessed against the agreed brief, refined where necessary and approved as the final version for manufacture.
Once approved, the objective shifts from refining the product to reproducing it consistently at commercial scale.
Product approval marks the transition from development into manufacture. The focus now shifts from refining the product to reproducing the approved specification consistently at the volumes required for launch.
The final formulation, product characteristics and agreed requirements provide the reference point for commercial manufacture.
Ingredients, components, packaging and production-ready artwork are coordinated around the approved product.
The approved specification moves into commercial manufacture using defined production processes built around the requirements of the finished product and the volumes required for launch.
Production records support traceability across commercial manufacture and repeat production.
Defined quality processes help maintain control throughout commercial production.
The development project has now become a commercially manufactured product ready to form part of the launch range.
FROM PRODUCTION TO MARKET
By this stage, the original idea has developed into something much more tangible.
The product range has been defined, the appropriate manufacturing route identified, specifications developed, regulatory requirements considered, branding and packaging prepared, and the finished products approved for commercial manufacture.
The final step is bringing those elements together for launch.
A successful launch does not necessarily require the largest possible range or an immediate expansion into every available product format. The priority is to begin with a range that can be manufactured consistently, presented clearly and supported commercially.
From there, the brand can develop in response to demand. New flavours, strengths, formats or product categories can be introduced as the range grows, while established products move into repeat production.
You don't need every technical detail finalised before approaching a manufacturing partner. A useful initial brief simply needs to provide enough information to explain what you want to create and where you are in the development process.
Identify the product category, such as e-liquids, nicotine pouches or prefilled vape pods.
Consider the flavours, strengths, formats or other variants you would like to explore.
Establish whether you need an established product, product development or manufacture to an existing specification.
Share any existing brand identity, packaging direction or artwork, even if it is still at an early stage.
An indication of expected launch quantities can help shape production and commercial discussions.
Share the intended launch window so development, approvals and production can be planned around it.
You don't need to arrive with a finished product specification, completed packaging and every manufacturing decision already made.
A clear idea of the product you want to create provides a starting point. From there, product development, manufacturing, compliance, branding and production can turn that idea into a defined commercial range.
Whether the route involves white label products, a more tailored private label project or contract manufacturing to an established specification, the objective is ultimately the same: to create a product that can be manufactured consistently and brought to market with a clear commercial purpose.
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