As far as my goals for 2017 and beyond, as demonstrated at this year’s [International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association] (IPCPR) show, we are continuing to evolve the perception of General Cigar and are changing the way people see us. We’ve righted the ship and are no longer seen as the corporate giant people once thought we were. We’re taking risks and evolving our brands and our culture. It’s now about a one-to-one dialogue with our retailers and building connectivity with consumers. We’re now known as a partner, an innovator and [a company] that works to protect the future of the premium cigar business.
What is your approach to reaching consumers who are continually bombarded with marketing messages?
The premium cigar business is built on relationships. This is true for retailers, and it is equally true for consumers. In this category, cigar smokers want personal connections to the brands they smoke. When a consumer goes into a cigar shop and is surrounded by a sea of brands, people make the difference. So we have recently made a significant investment by putting more people on the street to talk about our brands.
We assembled a group of people who embody the spirit of our brands and now have a team of seven brand ambassadors hitting cigar shops and special events. Each ambassador has a wide a range of experience in the category, yet all share a common trait: a true passion for our cigars. Rick Rodriguez was handpicked by Edgar Cullman Sr. to study under the legends of the business, including Benji Menendez, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Daniel Nuñez and Estello Padron. Yuri Guillen is the ambassador for La Gloria Cubana and studied under the very same tobacco men. He has been leading our cigar production for nearly 20 years and now spends one week every month at cigar shops across the country to spread the gospel of the brand.
Jack Toraño was practically swaddled in tobacco at birth and is our ambassador for Toraño. Sean Williams built his own cigar brand from scratch and has a serious passion for cigars. He’s also a consumer of all things luxury and is the perfect person to represent Cohiba. On Macanudo, we have Laurel Tilley, a dedicated cigar smoker [and] former cigar shop manager who can talk about everything from tobacco to motorcycles. Iris Hols is a refined lady who represents Macanudo in Europe and hails from our luxury Hajenius shop in Amsterdam. Rounding out the team is Justin Andrews, who has built his career in the cigar business and brings the hip millennial factor to the Time Flies and Diesel Grind brands.
We have taken the personal connection to another level by [ramping] up our collaborations with people who embody the ethos of our brands. Partnerships with Ernesto Perez-
Carrillo for La Gloria Cubana [and] A.J. Fernandez for Hoyo deepen the connection to our brands, and Benji Menendez’s influence on Rick Rodriguez was the catalyst for creating CAO’s Amazon Trilogy.
What do you think the cigar market will look like in five years?
I believe there will be consolidation in the marketplace, and the companies that consistently make quality cigars that meet retailer and consumer needs and build and support their brands will continue to thrive. It’s all about brand equity and being relevant. GCC will assure that.
– Story by Jennifer Gelfand / Photos by Robb Scharetg
This story first appeared in the September/October 2017 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
