Tobacco Business

[ 58 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MAY / JUNE | 21 ] Rolling Towards 2025 Forged Cigar Company was created to provide dedicated support to high- performing cigar brands. As STG looks at success metrics for Forged Cigar Company, its most important goals include increasing distribution points for each of the brands in the company’s portfolio, engaging with consumers at the retail level and getting more pull from consumers. “These targets are meaningful, but they do not tell the whole story of what we want toachievewithForged,” saysBroersma. “In the premium cigar category, retail remains a cornerstone of the customer journey, and in-store conversion rates are high. As such, an important, yet somewhat intangible goal is building brand loyalty among retailers and consumers for the Forged portfolio.” The first year’s agenda for Forged Cigar Company is already mapped out. There are three tasks that Hardiman and his sales team focus on. The first is leveraging the collective expertise of the company’s team to develop impactful opportunities for the company’s retail partners. The second focus is executing flawless and consistent performance across the company’s entire team. “We want every retailer, no matter where they are located, to view Forged as a responsive and committed partner,” says Hardiman. Forged’s third task for the year pertains to brand engagement. Whether it’s a retailer or a consumer, Hardiman and his team want the brand experience at the retail level to be immersive, exciting and memorable. All three of Forged’s focuses will be accomplished through investing in the company’s brands, focusing on the needs of the retailer, and delivering innovation through the company’s relationships with its network of cigar factories and manufacturing partners. Forged Cigar Company represents the future of STG and its business goals. For years, STG has been driven by its “Fueling the Growth” initiative, which was created to optimize the company’s operations and set the company up for future growth. Since most of the goals set forth by the Fueling the Growth initiative have now been realized and achieved, the company is moving to a new strategic platform that it calls “Rolling Towards 2025.” This new initiative sharpens STG’s focus on growth in the handmade cigar category, especially within North America. Supporting retailers is a pillar of STG’s future-facing initiatives, and Forged Cigar Company embodies the company’s commitment to helping retailers in the U.S. grow their business through investment and innovation. TB General Cigar's Future Though Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) is making a big investment in Forged Cigar Company, General Cigar Co. and the brands within its portfolio remain an important part of the company’s long-term vision and business plan. “The General Cigar portfolio will be invested in, as before, retaining the exact same headcount and the very same investment in brand support and innovation, this time against a tighter, more focused portfolio,” explains Régis Broersma, STG’s president and senior vice president of Division North America Branded & Rest of world. “We expect that General Cigar will grow rapidly as a result of this focused investment.” STG’s goal is to become the undisputed global leader in cigars, and with the U.S. being the largest marketplace for cigars in the world, General Cigar and its portfolio of marketing-leading brands will continue to play a pivotal role in STG’s tobacco business.