TOB Magazine

[ T O B A C C O B U S I N E S S . C O M ]

TOBACCO BUSINESS

[ 33 ]

While there is innovation in the works, Young says the

industry will simply have to wait and see what Davidoff

unveils in the future. Like most cigar makers, Davidoff

raced to get new products onto store shelves ahead of

the August 8 “lockdown” date last year and, during the

first few months of 2017, has also made some introduc-

tions, including the January release of its Golden Leaf

Limited Edition Mini Cigarillos and the Davidoff 702

series, a line of cigars that uses a popular wrapper from

some of the company’s incredibly successful limited edi-

tions. Also, Camacho has just released new box-pressed

line extensions that Young says have been very well re-

ceived by consumers.

To help retailers sell its products, Davidoff will be

offering breakthrough merchandising materials, includ-

ing eye-catching temporary promotional displays for its

product launches. It will also continue to host brand-

themed events that offer consumers memorable experi-

ences and unique opportunities to interact and engage

with the brands they love. Coupling core brands with

tacquired cigars like Cusano and The Griffin’s, Davidoff

currently has plenty of products on the market for retail-

ers and consumers to enjoy, as well as a few surprises in

store, says Young.

The Davidoff Experience

The final component in Davidoff’s marketing plan

doesn’t involve an actual product but instead focuses

on crafting an experience for its retail partners and its

consumers. “Viewing our brands and consumer interac-

tion with our brands as an experience rather than just as

smoking [a product] has been at the core of our think-

ing and is expressed in our brand positioning and brand

building activities, and will continue to be so,” asserts

Young, who points out that since the early days of Zino

Davidoff the company has evolved from a single retail

store to a robust brand to an overall experience.

As a result, unlike many of its contemporaries, the

company has some differentiators that may help it with-

stand the challenge of the FDA regulations. For example,

Davidoff has five company-owned retail stores—three in

New York City, one in Atlanta and one in Houston. It

also has licensed “Davidoff of Geneva Since 1911” bou-

tiques, including high-end bars in Tampa and Las Vegas.

Davidoff also has a number of Davidoff cigar lounges

with some of its appointed merchants and and a licens-

ing agreement with Blend Bar that gives the company a

presence in the cigar bar markets in Indianapolis, Nash-

ville and Pittsburgh. These retail spaces and cigar loung-

es act as an extension of the Davidoff brand, offering

cigar enthusiasts not only a place to buy its products but

a place to fulfill the company’s overall mission statement,

“time beautifully filled.”

“We are very open to discussing opportunities with part-

ners like these for lounges and licensed boutiques,” says

Young. “The key is the partner and his or her commitment

to excellence, quality, and protecting the Davidoff brand.”

This philosophy extends to working with other brands

as well, such as the recent partnership with S.T. Dupont,

a French luxury manufacturer of lighters, pens, cufflinks,

and leather goods. This matchup between premium ci-

gar brand and luxury goods maker fits in with Davidoff’s

overall branding because both brands are committed to

being exceptional and offering consumers something

memorable in terms of a product. More partnerships

like this are possible, according to Young, as long as there

is a complementary portfolio of products and strong

commitment to quality.

The Road Ahead

While many companies in the premium cigar industry

are trying to figure out their place in today’s marketplace,

Davidoff and Jim Young seem to know exactly where

they must focus their attention now–the future. “The

U.S. market is the number one premium cigar market

in the world and we do not see that changing—FDA or

no FDA,” said Young. Abroad, Davidoff’s primary com-

petitors are Cuban cigars, while in the U.S. it competes

primarily with cigar brands based in the Dominican Re-

public, Honduras and Nicaragua.

With the number of products on the market after the

rush last year to beat the FDA deadline, Davidoff faces

a bigger challenge getting its products into retail stores

and into the hands of eager cigar aficionados around

the U.S. However, Young is confident that Davidoff will

find innovative ways to continue to develop and grow its

brands, navigate through the FDA regulations and fulfill

its mission to provide incredible consumer experiences.

“Davidoff will come out the other side stronger than

ever,” Young proclaims. “My vision for our business in

the U.S. is to continue to engage with our partners to

delight our consumers and to provide an exciting and

fulfilling professional environment for our employees so

that they can take the baton and keep it going for some

time down the road. And, of course, we plan to have a

lot of fun along the way.”