50 TOBACCO BUSINESS | MAY / JUNE | 22 ExperienceMatters General Cigar Company and Forged Cigar Company’s sales reps and brand ambassadors are in stores and engaging with retailers and consumers on a daily basis. This strong presence in retail, as well as online with the heavy use of socialmedia, allows the company tomonitor andget feedbackon its releases. “We do a good job as a company of staying in tune with what’s going on in the cigar world and also listening to feedback,” says Andrews. “We get a lot of feedback constantly through various channels, and then we process that information. I think we do a good job of reacting to the demand and how flavor profiles change but also of leading the change and offering new products and things that otherwise aren’t available.” Once feedback has been received, STG has both the size and skill to do something productive with it. With teams spread over the globe, feedback is used to improve different parts of the production process, from the blending team to the company’s sales and marketing divisions. “We’re always disseminating information and collaborating within STG when it comes to the production of cigars,” Andrews reveals. There’s also a larger goal of these collaborations that links to STG’s goal of becoming the undisputed global leader of cigars: creating a memorable experience for cigar smokers. “When it comes to collaborations, everything goes back to the experience,” Andrews says. “As a cigar smoker, there’s never been a better time to be in this industry. There are so many good brands, so many good products, and everybody’s doing a phenomenal job. The goal is to offer a different experience to the cigar smoker. There’s an old saying I always reference: “A high tide raises all boats.” We’re in such a small category, andwecompeteandwefight for shelf space, but everybody’s friends. As the category expands, and the more people that smoke cigars, the better it is for all of us. So if we can add to that by collaborating and creating a different experience, it’s good for everyone involved.” To carry out a successful collaboration, good communication is a necessity. Early on in the collaboration, Andrews ensures STG and the outside partner are aligned by discussing what both companies want out of the collaboration. It’s also important to identify the strengths of each company taking part in the collaboration. The goal is to ultimately create a great experience between STG and its partner and to pass that experience on to the cigar smoker with a final product. For those considering a collaboration of any sort, Andrews has a very simple recommendation: Have a clear and concise objective of what you want to achieve. Once you have answered that key question, you and your collaborator should be able to find your synergies and easily align your efforts. Rather than becoming too fixated on the product itself, focus on what you want the end user’s ultimate experience to be. Making the experience the target and point of fixation is the winning formula and what will make your collaboration unforgettable. TB Exciting and unexpected collaborations that Andrews works on are another way Scandinavian Tobacco Group hopes to become known as a leader in the handmade cigar industry.
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