Tobacco Business

[ 42 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MARCH / APRIL | 21 ] today, and it’s something he doesn’t want them to experience with his own brand. All Saints Cigars is different from other brands on the market in that Pegg is building the brand and its portfolio to be reliable, stable and basic—something that’s readily available and will have a built-in audience that continues to buy it because consumers know what to expect from the smoking experience. Innovation, as defined by Pegg, is listening to consumers and reacting appropriately. Another important part of building a brand today is accessibility. Pegg looks at other brand owners and professionals in the cigar industry and sees the good that comes from those that engage directly with consumers. “I mean, if you look at somebody that does a lot—like Boofy [Matt Booth]—you know, here’s a guy that’s doing jewelry, he’s doing cigars. He’s like the most colorful guy on social media with the way he posts things and will react. I think that’s important,” says Pegg. Pegg has learned a lot about marketing, branding and promotion fromwatching others in the industry. FromLa Palina’s Sammy Phillips he’s seen how one can cross-promote with brands and products outside of cigars to build brand awareness. From Crowned Heads’ Jon Huber and Drew Estate’s Jonathan Drew, Pegg has learned how turning every person within a company into their own celebrity can help expand a company’s reach and customer base. “Other people in the organization can be just as effective and good for the consumer as well,” Pegg says. “Not every consumer is going to connect with a brand owner, but they might connect with somebody else that’s part of that team.” Fully Committed According to Pegg, every company he has worked for has had an awesome support team. As a sales rep, Pegg was well aware of how many people were involved in getting a product to a retailer. Even when Pegg was selling mutual funds, there was somebody on staff for every task from marketing to mailing to customer support. Now at All Saints Cigars, Pegg is forced to wear many hats because of the size of the company, although he shares many responsibilities with his business partners. Even though having his own brand requires him to put in a lot of time for managing the brand, Pegg gets a thrill out of having a brand to call his own. Pegg and his partners partnered with Rocky Patel for All Saints Cigars' production and manufacturing needs. Solamente and Dedicación are both produced at Patel's famed Tavicusa cigar factory, located in the heart of Estelí, Nicaragua. Innovation, as defined by Pegg, is listening to consumers andreacting appropriately.