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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
MAY/JUNE 2014
cigars?” Carlon relays, adding that the
margins on the branded 4 Smokin’
Blondes T-shirt and tank-top event
apparel have often helped “make
overhead,” as she puts it.
“I knew we had to do something to
brand our name and our business—to
put our logo on clothing items that
people could walk away with from
the event,” she says, adding that it’s
tough to rely only on cigar margins.
The rent at the annual Sturgis rally
was the highest she paid last year—
over $3,000—and this year, “we’re
going for a prime location and will be
spending more than double that,” she
tells
TB
. “But we know the traffic will
be unbelievable, and we’re going for
even higher visibility now.”
Apart from the branded clothing,
another business diversity for the
cigar lounge initially tested at Sturgis
was portable hookahs and a hookah
bar. “We see it getting even bigger at
concerts this year,” Carlon reports.
Broader Targets
While riding events like Arizona
Bike Week and Sturgis were the
biggest business targets for 4 Smokin’
Blondes in 2013, this year “we’re
trying to change it up a bit more,”
according to Carlon. So for 2014,
the venues include more art shows
and concerts. Carlon attempted to do
“I knew we had to do something to brand our name
and our business—to put our logo on clothing items
that people could walk away with from the event.”
