A Daily Operation
The biggest challenge Bey and his company have faced thus far has been in his work to build a positive reputation and awareness among cigar retailers and consumers. His use of well-known factories and manufacturing partners like Aganorsa Leaf and El Titan de Bronze, two names that carry weight and notoriety in the cigar industry, has helped bring attention to Black Star Line’s cigars.
“Many people know and love these factories, so being affiliated with them really helped,” Bey says.
With the SE compliance deadline for premium cigars temporarily put on hold by the FDA, Bey has additional time to possibly release more blends. One factory he’d like to work with is Nica Sueño, the factory co-owned by RoMa Craft’s Skip Martin. Martin is another cigar brand owner that has given Bey advice about business and the cigar industry as well. Bey envisions a collaboration with Sueño resulting in a full-bodied cigar and knows that the more success he’s able to achieve, the more likely that collaboration will happen—and the more doors that are bound to open for him and Black Star Line Cigars.
In the meantime, Bey has new projects lined up to help expand Black Star Line Cigars’ reach. One is a collaboration with a retired NBA player, a 6 x 60 cigar that will be announced in the near future. The other collaborations are more unconventional and will help Black Star Line Cigars exist outside of the world of premium cigars. Bey is working with Chicago’s Dark Matter Coffee and a chocolate company to create new products that will pair well with Black Star Line Cigars’ El Milagro and War Witch cigars.
As a small-business owner, Bey has had to get creative with how he has marketed his company and its various cigar lines. Bey doesn’t try to compete with other cigar companies—instead, his focus is on the end consumers and doing whatever he can to get their attention in order to make more sales and build brand awareness. Word of mouth and social media have been the two key tools he’s used to accomplish his goal. Social media and the ability to show retailers how many people follow the brand and smoke its products has led to an overall increase in sales. Blackbird Cigars’ Jonas Santana, another small-business owner, helped teach Bey the importance social media has in building a brand’s customer base. Black Star Line Cigars’ social media is key to its business, and its Instagram page in particular has caught the attention of many in the industry, including another boutique brand owner, James Brown of Black Label Trading Co., who reached out and complimented Bey on his efforts. Branding the company in a way that’s unique and different from other manufacturers has allowed Black Star Line Cigars to be different yet easily identifiable to cigar smokers.
“Our logo—an African symbol—is different and eye-catching, so we make sure the logo is everywhere when we post things,” Bey explains. “We also seek to post classy pics of good-looking people enjoying themselves while smoking our cigars.”
A focus on delivering consistent customer service and quality products to the market are also key to Black Star Line Cigars’ growth strategy. “Customer service has been a driving force behind our success,” says Bey. “Customers are happy their cigars arrive to them in perfect condition and then are very happy that they are great blends.”
Bey is driven and inspired by the growing number of cigar smokers that have purchased and smoked a Black Star Line Cigars product. The more feedback he’s received from these customers, the more he says he’s felt inspired to continue to build his business and its brands. As he looks toward the future of Black Star Line Cigars’, Bey has big aspirations that include becoming a million dollar company. Black Star Line Cigars knows the formula that works for it. What it needs now is to become a household name, which will come with continued persistence.
“Over the years, sales [has] taught me that if you keep hustling and keep grinding you’ll get to where you need to be,” Bey shares.
Building his brand and company is a constant effort for Bey and the others behind Black Star Line Cigars. Their motto is one many others in the cigar industry can relate to: “CAADOP,” an acronym that stands for “cigars are a daily operation.” Since the early days of the company, Bey has come to know firsthand the hard work and consistent effort necessary for even a modest level of success. Currently, Black Star Line Cigars products are available in over 24 different lounges nationwide and also available online through several e-commerce sites, including the company’s own website, blackstarline.shop. After just one year in business, you won’t hear Bey complain about the hustle and grind, though. He’s tenacious and willing to put in the work and time necessary to take Black Star Line Cigars to the next level.
This story first appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
– Story by Antoine Reid, senior editor and digital director for Tobacco Business Magazine. You can follow him on Instagram @editor.reid.
