64
TOBACCO BUSINESS
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Drew, founder of Drew Estate, have known
one another since Goldman was in high
school, which perhaps explains this unlikely
partnership—Drew Estate does not usually
make cigars for other companies.
WHat’s NExt FoR Royal Gold?
In the near-term, Goldman is busy
building awareness around his four new
brands. The company is advertising heavily
and making the trade show rounds, but it
is also leveraging Swisher’s impressive event
marketing resources. “I owned five retail
stores myself, so I know how important
events are for retailers,” he says. “We have
the flexibility to support retailers with
promotional items like hats, lighters, [and]
cutters, and also by using a large outside
event marketing agency to supplement our
own in-house sales staff to hold in-store
events nationwide. This is the first time
a U.S. premium cigar company has brought
such formidable outside resources to the
table to support brick-and-mortar retailers.”
At the same time, he’s gearing up to
flesh out Royal Gold’s line with additional
blends. “I’ve already had conversations with
some additional factories and we’re hoping
to introduce two more brands in 2014,” he
says. “With the knowledge, experience and
resources that my parent company and my
entire team bring to the table, the future
looks very bright. We pulled a few surprises
out of the hat during our initial launch,
especially the relationship with Drew
Estate. I have a few more surprises in store
for next year—and who knows, I may even
surprise myself!”
TB
