Cigar Lifestyle:
Gimmicks seem to be an important part of cigar marketing. I read a fair amount of industry newsletters, blogs and many cigar catalogue flyers. The basic themes seem to have you believe that each cigar is so unique or different in flavor, construction or look that it might be the best cigar ever made.
Copy depending on the source of the media breaks down this way.
1. You are an urban sophisticate who looks for the finer details in life. Your tastes run to ultra chic desires with a demanding palate, intense need for materials that are pricey, rare and are only possessed by the elite. You set the trends, and once they are set, you already have moved on.
2. On the opposite end is the working class hero who is a lunch bucket type of person. This person is a 9-5er who looks for the bargain cigar , trying to find a deal. You want a quality smoke but not going to get cheated on an overpriced blend. On occasion you will splurge and make a purchase for a cigar that is beyond your means but you deserve it. You may look at cigar ratings but believe that are basically bullshit as you don’t care what the ratings say.
3. There is a hybrid consumer who wants quality in his smoke, will read or listen to opinions about certain brands and stays informed as long it does not take too much time. If he likes a product , he will be loyal to it and purchase it over and over again. It might be a box purchase or several sticks at their local B and M, but will only venture away from that cigar if a friend tells them about it or is gifted something different. They want consistency in their cigar.
Is it fair to pigeon hole cigar smokers in such a manner? I don’t think it is either fair or not, every marketing tool aims for certain segments in the big picture of selling cigars. I personally get a kick out of it as I wonder how marketing and copy writers decided to build this approach. I have my own style in my cigar writing with different variations depending on the topic I am writing about. Writing about music, sports, fitness and other interests need a slightly different take depending on my target audience. Good writing style in my opinion should be clear,direct and get to the point quickly. Unless you are writing for a very technical group, make it concise and simple. Let me know your thoughts.
Keep smoking