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| Photo: Ultimate Cigar Party |
Kaplowitz: I must say that I love the informative nature of your Cigar Fantasia blog, and truly appreciate your work therein. In a recent post, you touched on the subject of the mainly American market and its longing for what I call obese ring gauges (60+ although I personally prefer to stay under 50). Specifically there and also generally, how do you balance giving the market its demands with giving it what you feel is correct? In other words, I am asking you the terribly loaded question of, “Is the customer always right?”
Emma Viktorsson: First of all, thank you so much for your feedback on my blog! It is indeed not a classical blog and since we own our own cigar-company I don´t do reviews, reviews should be reserved for unbiased cigar-smokers. Yet still Cigar Fantasia is in fact an unbiased blog and as you point out, informative. I am a firm believer in education before opinions and before anything else really… I haven´t had the time to write lately for a while now and I only post something after deep research and facts have been double-checked…
Now to touch the subject you bring up in regards to large ring gauges. Premium Cigars is a premium consumption product and will always have trends come and go, new trends, old trends renewing… It truly is an exciting field. This growth and fluctuations in trends was happening before social media was a large part of life and work, and now with fast-flowing social media, trends and opinion quickly traveling, they take on a stronger structure in taste and demand.
Large ring gauges was indeed one of these obvious trends. Today it already starts to mellow and more “classic” ring gauges (from a classic 42 Corona to a Robusto and max a 54 Toro) start to regain their center-stage. (My personal favorites are 38 Lancero and classic 42 Corona up to a max classic 50 Robusto).
So how do we balance that out?
For Señorial Cigars (both classic and Maduro) we decided a 60 ring gauge is a must. It is not typically the one that Jose smokes, and even though this blend works great in this size and although it is produced with great balance, I personally don´t smoke it, I don´t enjoy the feel of it either – this a completely 100% subjective note from my personal preference, NOT right or wrong.
For Freyja cigars I had decided right away that I will not make a 60 ring gauge in my original launch – why? Opposed to Señorial which comes after years and decades of its blender, Jose Blanco, Freyja is a first: my first. Therefore I wanted to be honest in a way that I represent my brand and my brand represents me. Would some costumers have preferred to have a larger ring gauge in the choices of Freyja? For sure! But nobody has actually asked me for one, I think that Freyja spoke for herself so to speak. It was an honest marketing decision and so far works great.
Nonetheless there is a Toro: Thor's Toro, which is also large for me but a must for the market and respect for consumers, and in my marketing geeky mind, as a Viking name a Toro, 54 ring gauge, fits right in!
So as you ask: “Is the customer always right?” I say YES. However, there a small “No” as well:
YES: The customer knows what he wants and reaches for us and We work FOR the customer! Definitely not the other way around. This is a general fact for all types of businesses in my opinion.
My small “No:” In some cases, mostly in niche cases I would say a small humble “no” may apply. And we are most definitely in a niche business. It feels big in the sense that the American cigar market is truly big, yet still, premium 100% tobacco cigars alone is niche.
This small “no” is because of lack of education in the matter and therefore lack in knowledge. Hence my blog Cigar Fantasia: First learn at least some good TRUE basics about given product and THEN choose your taste and demand.
Finally, as seen in my answer: YES The Customer is Always Right!
We work for our customer and to please him/her. And no matter how educated or not each customer is I make sure to go through all the research and listening needed to please the smoker. Then depending on each brand and meaning of thereof I then balance the trend out with my preference or I manage to provide a bit of everything.
Furthermore on a side-note: when I was working for Swedish Match and cigars ranged from everything from HLT (Homogenized Tobacco Leaf/not 100% tobacco) cigarillos all the way up to Premium hand-made, then for most products, customer was king.
Kap: Please allow me to follow a loaded question with a vague one: Your hubby (Jose Blanco) has credited you with naming, designing, and marketing the Las Cumbres Tabaco label. What is your vision? Looking ahead, what do you see down the road, in figure, a decade?
E.V.: It is true, I did, but I don't blurt it out as obviously as Jose does about me, I stay humble… But Jose is in fact truly, deeply and passionately a tobacco-man and a sales-man! I personally LOVE everything that touches marketing: the Research – research of product, market, demand, pricing, trends etc… Then what followed was naming, then designing which is also lots of fun for me, and finally pricing… We usually have decided a basic pricing-range, premium pricing so to speak but still stay in a sweet spot meaning not go too high either… Due to the premium aged tobaccos we use, we could, but prefer to stay within our typical range of 7 to 11 RSVP.
My vision was originally with Las Lumbres Tabaco and Señorial to represent Jose Blanco. This is, after decades of working for other premium cigar companies (La Aurora and Joya de Nicaragua) his very first own cigar. I believe the name Señorial and the classic design suits Jose, represents him well, he is truly traditional in tobacco.
I love art and decided to use real oil-paintings made for our brands. The first one being the Señorial painting made by my father's wife from Sofia, Bulgaria.
Jose made sure to use high quality aged tobaccos and create a flavorful blend with a body of medium to full. Furthermore the cigars are made at Jose´s cousin Jochy Blanco at his factory, Tabacalera Palma which was founded by Jochi's father, Jose's uncle, Arnaldo Blanco.
All together it is a classic “Boutique brand” and “Boutique company.”
Jose and I were completely unanimous to staying “classic” Boutique in the sense that we don´t sell through the big five of the internet. We support B&M and in the same time respect our brand and all art behind it by only selling through B&M and internet through stores or such, and although we keep our pricing within the sweet spot I mentioned we always make sure that stores that sell on internet sell for retail-price!
I worked on Freyja, naming and design, to this time represent me. Freyja is for me a bridge from Scandinavia (as I am from Sweden) to Latin America, the tobacco-lands. Freyja is also more modern and more “fun” as I keep it all in the Viking theme with real names and history-studies! Well for those who find that “fun” lol. Yet still I keep this brand somewhat classic as well since I am also a truly traditional when it comes to tobacco. Freyja is a balance of all this which represents me as a person well.
It is all under the umbrella of Las Cumbres Tabaco which as a name also has personal meaning to us.
I want it all to “FIT.”
Also, all Las Cumbres Tabaco cigars are Internationally available. We are a small private niche premium company yet we still produce International brands.
With both Jose and my International contacts combined we now cover about eight countries internationally and this year will reach over 10 International markets and keep growing in that direction.
I always lived Internationally, majored in International Business and worked Internationally and I respect immensely all cultures, demands and potential… it is how I grew up and always lived and this mindset is a definite must in our company and already tinted on our business and way of working.
We are a classic small and private premium cigar company with passion in blending and designing with a larger International vision.
Your blend Freyja, Las Crumbres’ second brand after its inaugural Senorial offering, is gaining wider and wider recognition and acclaim. What was your mindset in following on the heels of Senorial? Was there a grand scheme of sorts, which you envisioned this and future openings to have in common as far as theme, or did you ‘simply’ want to offer the best cigar you could? Is there a Las Cumbres profile characteristic which all blends will share?
Freyja cigars were not planned at all. I had been asked here and there "Wouldn't you like to be the face of a brand?” and so on… But I was never interested in that. I love business as a whole, I love marketing, and I am a very honest open person and importantly in this case I am extremely demanding of myself; so there was no way I would be the face of something I had not created myself. Yet more and more people asked for something with me attached to the cigar somehow, and even one of our reps said to Jose, in front of me: “Jose, people are asking, you should create a blend for Emma.” and I immediately said NO. But this time it got me thinking.
So how do we balance that out?
For Señorial Cigars (both classic and Maduro) we decided a 60 ring gauge is a must. It is not typically the one that Jose smokes, and even though this blend works great in this size and although it is produced with great balance, I personally don´t smoke it, I don´t enjoy the feel of it either – this a completely 100% subjective note from my personal preference, NOT right or wrong.
For Freyja cigars I had decided right away that I will not make a 60 ring gauge in my original launch – why? Opposed to Señorial which comes after years and decades of its blender, Jose Blanco, Freyja is a first: my first. Therefore I wanted to be honest in a way that I represent my brand and my brand represents me. Would some costumers have preferred to have a larger ring gauge in the choices of Freyja? For sure! But nobody has actually asked me for one, I think that Freyja spoke for herself so to speak. It was an honest marketing decision and so far works great.
Nonetheless there is a Toro: Thor's Toro, which is also large for me but a must for the market and respect for consumers, and in my marketing geeky mind, as a Viking name a Toro, 54 ring gauge, fits right in!
So as you ask: “Is the customer always right?” I say YES. However, there a small “No” as well:
YES: The customer knows what he wants and reaches for us and We work FOR the customer! Definitely not the other way around. This is a general fact for all types of businesses in my opinion.
My small “No:” In some cases, mostly in niche cases I would say a small humble “no” may apply. And we are most definitely in a niche business. It feels big in the sense that the American cigar market is truly big, yet still, premium 100% tobacco cigars alone is niche.
This small “no” is because of lack of education in the matter and therefore lack in knowledge. Hence my blog Cigar Fantasia: First learn at least some good TRUE basics about given product and THEN choose your taste and demand.
Finally, as seen in my answer: YES The Customer is Always Right!
We work for our customer and to please him/her. And no matter how educated or not each customer is I make sure to go through all the research and listening needed to please the smoker. Then depending on each brand and meaning of thereof I then balance the trend out with my preference or I manage to provide a bit of everything.
Furthermore on a side-note: when I was working for Swedish Match and cigars ranged from everything from HLT (Homogenized Tobacco Leaf/not 100% tobacco) cigarillos all the way up to Premium hand-made, then for most products, customer was king.
Kap: Please allow me to follow a loaded question with a vague one: Your hubby (Jose Blanco) has credited you with naming, designing, and marketing the Las Cumbres Tabaco label. What is your vision? Looking ahead, what do you see down the road, in figure, a decade?
E.V.: It is true, I did, but I don't blurt it out as obviously as Jose does about me, I stay humble… But Jose is in fact truly, deeply and passionately a tobacco-man and a sales-man! I personally LOVE everything that touches marketing: the Research – research of product, market, demand, pricing, trends etc… Then what followed was naming, then designing which is also lots of fun for me, and finally pricing… We usually have decided a basic pricing-range, premium pricing so to speak but still stay in a sweet spot meaning not go too high either… Due to the premium aged tobaccos we use, we could, but prefer to stay within our typical range of 7 to 11 RSVP.
My vision was originally with Las Lumbres Tabaco and Señorial to represent Jose Blanco. This is, after decades of working for other premium cigar companies (La Aurora and Joya de Nicaragua) his very first own cigar. I believe the name Señorial and the classic design suits Jose, represents him well, he is truly traditional in tobacco.
I love art and decided to use real oil-paintings made for our brands. The first one being the Señorial painting made by my father's wife from Sofia, Bulgaria.
Jose made sure to use high quality aged tobaccos and create a flavorful blend with a body of medium to full. Furthermore the cigars are made at Jose´s cousin Jochy Blanco at his factory, Tabacalera Palma which was founded by Jochi's father, Jose's uncle, Arnaldo Blanco.
All together it is a classic “Boutique brand” and “Boutique company.”
Jose and I were completely unanimous to staying “classic” Boutique in the sense that we don´t sell through the big five of the internet. We support B&M and in the same time respect our brand and all art behind it by only selling through B&M and internet through stores or such, and although we keep our pricing within the sweet spot I mentioned we always make sure that stores that sell on internet sell for retail-price!
I worked on Freyja, naming and design, to this time represent me. Freyja is for me a bridge from Scandinavia (as I am from Sweden) to Latin America, the tobacco-lands. Freyja is also more modern and more “fun” as I keep it all in the Viking theme with real names and history-studies! Well for those who find that “fun” lol. Yet still I keep this brand somewhat classic as well since I am also a truly traditional when it comes to tobacco. Freyja is a balance of all this which represents me as a person well.
It is all under the umbrella of Las Cumbres Tabaco which as a name also has personal meaning to us.
I want it all to “FIT.”
Also, all Las Cumbres Tabaco cigars are Internationally available. We are a small private niche premium company yet we still produce International brands.
With both Jose and my International contacts combined we now cover about eight countries internationally and this year will reach over 10 International markets and keep growing in that direction.
I always lived Internationally, majored in International Business and worked Internationally and I respect immensely all cultures, demands and potential… it is how I grew up and always lived and this mindset is a definite must in our company and already tinted on our business and way of working.
We are a classic small and private premium cigar company with passion in blending and designing with a larger International vision.
Your blend Freyja, Las Crumbres’ second brand after its inaugural Senorial offering, is gaining wider and wider recognition and acclaim. What was your mindset in following on the heels of Senorial? Was there a grand scheme of sorts, which you envisioned this and future openings to have in common as far as theme, or did you ‘simply’ want to offer the best cigar you could? Is there a Las Cumbres profile characteristic which all blends will share?
Freyja cigars were not planned at all. I had been asked here and there "Wouldn't you like to be the face of a brand?” and so on… But I was never interested in that. I love business as a whole, I love marketing, and I am a very honest open person and importantly in this case I am extremely demanding of myself; so there was no way I would be the face of something I had not created myself. Yet more and more people asked for something with me attached to the cigar somehow, and even one of our reps said to Jose, in front of me: “Jose, people are asking, you should create a blend for Emma.” and I immediately said NO. But this time it got me thinking.
During my career I made sure to get proper tobacco-education as deeply and thoroughly as possible… And blending was part of it at the end and after at least seven years in the industry.
When I blended Freyja I was 10 years into the industry (that was last year). The name and everything else came after I had a good blend to be worked on for a great final product. If I would not have managed to work on a blend that works, I would not have a brand now.
I did this secretly… nobody knew what was going on in my mind and the notes I was making… I took my blending notes to Tabacalera Palma's production manager, Geraldo Perez who works on the floor, and it was not before his approval of my original blend that I finally told Jose and Jochy Blanco what I was doing in the factory. Geraldo and I brought in a couple of blends, rolled and ready (of course not aged yet) to Jochy's office and when Jose and Jochy loved it they asked what it was, and I told them: “It´s my first blend.” That was such an exciting moment!!!
It was instantly approved and the name Freyja was already in my mind, decided. Even though I say that the name came after the blend, my mind works in many directions and I had my name tucked safely in the back of my mind.
Then came history-learning and re-learning, it was so much fun!!! I was blending, designing, studying… and all in passionate fields: premium tobacco, art and Viking-history and Norse legends!!! The art-work was a painting made for Freyja by a good friend of mine from Skopje, Macedonia, Jana Jovanova (the painting is still there in her house). That was so much fun! I wanted to get in all important symbolism in the art and make it beautiful and fierce and Jana's style is totally what I love (I have her other art at home on my walls).
The history was mostly taught to me by my dear family friend Danilo Popovski who was at the time a 6-month intern with us, living with us in Santiago.
So the themes: Jose's Señorial and my Freyja are separate themes, but have Art, oil-painting in common, which is a bit of a signature in my love for art, and they are hence both under Las Cumbres Tabaco but as separate brands.
The blending-style is separate as well. And the reason I did not inform Jose or Jochy about me trying on blending myself was that I wanted to discover my own personal style and see if I could blend at all!
Pricing-wise they are very similar but the blends and profiles are so different that the choice between different Las Cumbres cigars are not based on price but on taste.
Still though, to answer your last question here: not purposely so, but yes, there is a characteristic that all Las Cumbres blends share – both Jose and I always prefer to put flavor before strength but we still like a cigar to be medium or above medium up to full bodied in strength… But this does not mean that they will be similar, there are so many different profiles within the character “flavorful and medium to full bodied” and so on… So yes and no.
We definitely stick to a certain character altogether though as quality, style, design and how we do business.
I gotta ask: what was it like to launch a brand under such a well-known and already buzz-worthy label like Las Cumbres, at an event like the 2015 IPCPR show? It strikes me as the type of thing that is far more stressful than enjoyable.
Thank you for calling Las Cumbres well-known and buzz-worthy already! Las Cumbres Tabaco doesn´t have two years yet so that means a lot, thank you!
Well, Las Cumbres Tabaco is both Jose's and my company, we built it together… as seen in the first question. I came up with the marketing for Señorial first, and then we decided to not call our company “Señorial” in case we would create more brand-names of cigars so that nothing in the future would fall under the umbrella of an actual cigar. Although, as seen in the second question, Freyja, or any cigar of mine was not yet planned, this decision to have a different company-name turned out to be the right decision.
So to be honest this question was never an issue. It is only natural that my brand would be under our company that we built together. Basically, Las Cumbres Tabaco with Señorial and Freyja cigars are Jose's and mine, while Señorial is Jose´s personal cigar and Freyja is my personal one. It is all natural.
The launch went fantastic! I felt so honored and touched by the response! It was also the right time for me… Even though I always stayed behind the scenes I was still very forward in promoting Jose before I created my own.
Freyja was released by Cigar Aficionado and yes, launched at the IPCPR – I like to take my time and do it right, and “waiting” for the IPCPR turned out best anyway to assure more than 90 days aging of the cigars, the way we like it.
Nonetheless, Freyja was in fact launched before the IPCPR in Spring in Sweden: this was a personally meaningful and right thing to do. The Scandinavian market has shown so excited, supportive and even loving and proud! They also touched me deeply and continue to do so. At the IPCPR the news that Americans were in fact second this time was taken by everyone I saw in a very positive way, it was completely understood that this Norse Goddess would launch in her home-land first… this is part of cigar-romance which is a huge thing for me: passion.
To be honest, this question was indeed never an issue. I was ready, I took my time, did it slowly and steadily after our company just started to stand on its own feet…
But of course, Jose Blanco is a big name in the industry and there is a challenge for me obviously, but not too hard, customers are very respectful and open to me. I feel extremely honored and grateful to all customers and smokers.
You have truly grown up in this business, being in and around it, in nearly all its aspects, since the age of eight. I’ll ask you the somewhat tricky questions of what has changed in our industry -- for the worst AND for the best, during your time in it.
This truly is a tricky question, especially for me since I assume you mean mainly on the US market. I only got to experience the American market since I left Swedish Match and joined Jose Blanco when he was just starting as Senior VP for Joya de Nicaragua, which was in 2011. Before that I had always only worked in Eastern Europe, sometimes touching Western Europe.
I started in this industry in 2005, which was already long past the US cigar-boom of the 90's (during which I was still in middle- and high-school in Hungary).
So one of the biggest changes was the 90´s boom and past the boom, but this was hence long before my start. Since my start in 2005, there have been many changes where I was working in Eastern Europe. In slightly different paces depending on the country, this area of over 10 countries (I personally had 9), was growing in all sorts of directions: politically, economically, fluctuations in smoking laws… But in premium cigars, in our specific niche, each and every market was growing and fast. What was interesting is that the trends and taste was more similar to the American ones, as if they “jumped over” Western Europe (hence taste-wise). Western Europe was experiencing heavily stricter laws depending on the country, but quite unanimously looking at their smoking-laws now.
Then social media became a huge part of the premium cigar lifestyle and I have lately seen the trends to be more and more similar all over Europe and North America as a whole.
The “Cuban-only” preference, uneducated preference, in Europe as a whole was extremely present when I started in 2005 and I took on my first task to learn as much as possible and spread unbiased education. A smoker may prefer to smoke “Only Cubans” or “Only Dominicans” or “Only Nicaraguans” but hopefully that taste and somewhat narrow mind in taste should be after being properly educated. If those Extreme types of preferences occur after proper education and knowledge then it is not anymore “narrow minded,” then it truly becomes a valid personal opinion.
Yet, thank goodness, as education has spread more and more the past 10+ years, preference and acceptance of all sorts of origins of Premium Cigars are tested and appreciated today.
In the US I see more and more knowledge in premium cigars is being sought after which is great!
The smoking laws and threats from the FDA are scaring American cigar-lovers and it is amazing how they all stick together and try to help somehow! I find it beautiful, it shows how this family is expanding as such! We will see what future changes (or not) will be… but the family is expanding and knowledge is growing.
Still I'd like to make one final point about social media: it has made tremendous impact both in the US and Internationally through all these changes, the good and the bad… And while education and knowledge grow through social media, SO do Misconception! So it is important to choose what to read, watch and believe… We are in an exciting industry and changes will continue. I personally see the overall Good in that: Growth!
Finally, at your Cigar Fantasia blog, you state “I wish to be a part of helping put more light on what’s true, what’s real, and what’s merely perception or misconception.” Tell me then: in a tweet-worthy 140 characters or less (I won’t count too hard) what should EVERYONE know?
This is the hardest question of all!!! Haha! There is so much to know! (note: this did not count into the 140 characters right? )
I tested it in Twitter without posting hehe In character-cheating Twitter-spelling lol.
Here it comes:
There´s never enough2know abt cigars!If u know what u LIKE u lrdy know A LOT!Choose wisely wat u read & believe&its source.Feel the passion!
When I blended Freyja I was 10 years into the industry (that was last year). The name and everything else came after I had a good blend to be worked on for a great final product. If I would not have managed to work on a blend that works, I would not have a brand now.
I did this secretly… nobody knew what was going on in my mind and the notes I was making… I took my blending notes to Tabacalera Palma's production manager, Geraldo Perez who works on the floor, and it was not before his approval of my original blend that I finally told Jose and Jochy Blanco what I was doing in the factory. Geraldo and I brought in a couple of blends, rolled and ready (of course not aged yet) to Jochy's office and when Jose and Jochy loved it they asked what it was, and I told them: “It´s my first blend.” That was such an exciting moment!!!
It was instantly approved and the name Freyja was already in my mind, decided. Even though I say that the name came after the blend, my mind works in many directions and I had my name tucked safely in the back of my mind.
Then came history-learning and re-learning, it was so much fun!!! I was blending, designing, studying… and all in passionate fields: premium tobacco, art and Viking-history and Norse legends!!! The art-work was a painting made for Freyja by a good friend of mine from Skopje, Macedonia, Jana Jovanova (the painting is still there in her house). That was so much fun! I wanted to get in all important symbolism in the art and make it beautiful and fierce and Jana's style is totally what I love (I have her other art at home on my walls).
The history was mostly taught to me by my dear family friend Danilo Popovski who was at the time a 6-month intern with us, living with us in Santiago.
So the themes: Jose's Señorial and my Freyja are separate themes, but have Art, oil-painting in common, which is a bit of a signature in my love for art, and they are hence both under Las Cumbres Tabaco but as separate brands.
The blending-style is separate as well. And the reason I did not inform Jose or Jochy about me trying on blending myself was that I wanted to discover my own personal style and see if I could blend at all!
Pricing-wise they are very similar but the blends and profiles are so different that the choice between different Las Cumbres cigars are not based on price but on taste.
Still though, to answer your last question here: not purposely so, but yes, there is a characteristic that all Las Cumbres blends share – both Jose and I always prefer to put flavor before strength but we still like a cigar to be medium or above medium up to full bodied in strength… But this does not mean that they will be similar, there are so many different profiles within the character “flavorful and medium to full bodied” and so on… So yes and no.
We definitely stick to a certain character altogether though as quality, style, design and how we do business.
I gotta ask: what was it like to launch a brand under such a well-known and already buzz-worthy label like Las Cumbres, at an event like the 2015 IPCPR show? It strikes me as the type of thing that is far more stressful than enjoyable.
Thank you for calling Las Cumbres well-known and buzz-worthy already! Las Cumbres Tabaco doesn´t have two years yet so that means a lot, thank you!
Well, Las Cumbres Tabaco is both Jose's and my company, we built it together… as seen in the first question. I came up with the marketing for Señorial first, and then we decided to not call our company “Señorial” in case we would create more brand-names of cigars so that nothing in the future would fall under the umbrella of an actual cigar. Although, as seen in the second question, Freyja, or any cigar of mine was not yet planned, this decision to have a different company-name turned out to be the right decision.
So to be honest this question was never an issue. It is only natural that my brand would be under our company that we built together. Basically, Las Cumbres Tabaco with Señorial and Freyja cigars are Jose's and mine, while Señorial is Jose´s personal cigar and Freyja is my personal one. It is all natural.
The launch went fantastic! I felt so honored and touched by the response! It was also the right time for me… Even though I always stayed behind the scenes I was still very forward in promoting Jose before I created my own.
Freyja was released by Cigar Aficionado and yes, launched at the IPCPR – I like to take my time and do it right, and “waiting” for the IPCPR turned out best anyway to assure more than 90 days aging of the cigars, the way we like it.
Nonetheless, Freyja was in fact launched before the IPCPR in Spring in Sweden: this was a personally meaningful and right thing to do. The Scandinavian market has shown so excited, supportive and even loving and proud! They also touched me deeply and continue to do so. At the IPCPR the news that Americans were in fact second this time was taken by everyone I saw in a very positive way, it was completely understood that this Norse Goddess would launch in her home-land first… this is part of cigar-romance which is a huge thing for me: passion.
To be honest, this question was indeed never an issue. I was ready, I took my time, did it slowly and steadily after our company just started to stand on its own feet…
But of course, Jose Blanco is a big name in the industry and there is a challenge for me obviously, but not too hard, customers are very respectful and open to me. I feel extremely honored and grateful to all customers and smokers.
You have truly grown up in this business, being in and around it, in nearly all its aspects, since the age of eight. I’ll ask you the somewhat tricky questions of what has changed in our industry -- for the worst AND for the best, during your time in it.
This truly is a tricky question, especially for me since I assume you mean mainly on the US market. I only got to experience the American market since I left Swedish Match and joined Jose Blanco when he was just starting as Senior VP for Joya de Nicaragua, which was in 2011. Before that I had always only worked in Eastern Europe, sometimes touching Western Europe.
I started in this industry in 2005, which was already long past the US cigar-boom of the 90's (during which I was still in middle- and high-school in Hungary).
So one of the biggest changes was the 90´s boom and past the boom, but this was hence long before my start. Since my start in 2005, there have been many changes where I was working in Eastern Europe. In slightly different paces depending on the country, this area of over 10 countries (I personally had 9), was growing in all sorts of directions: politically, economically, fluctuations in smoking laws… But in premium cigars, in our specific niche, each and every market was growing and fast. What was interesting is that the trends and taste was more similar to the American ones, as if they “jumped over” Western Europe (hence taste-wise). Western Europe was experiencing heavily stricter laws depending on the country, but quite unanimously looking at their smoking-laws now.
Then social media became a huge part of the premium cigar lifestyle and I have lately seen the trends to be more and more similar all over Europe and North America as a whole.
The “Cuban-only” preference, uneducated preference, in Europe as a whole was extremely present when I started in 2005 and I took on my first task to learn as much as possible and spread unbiased education. A smoker may prefer to smoke “Only Cubans” or “Only Dominicans” or “Only Nicaraguans” but hopefully that taste and somewhat narrow mind in taste should be after being properly educated. If those Extreme types of preferences occur after proper education and knowledge then it is not anymore “narrow minded,” then it truly becomes a valid personal opinion.
Yet, thank goodness, as education has spread more and more the past 10+ years, preference and acceptance of all sorts of origins of Premium Cigars are tested and appreciated today.
In the US I see more and more knowledge in premium cigars is being sought after which is great!
The smoking laws and threats from the FDA are scaring American cigar-lovers and it is amazing how they all stick together and try to help somehow! I find it beautiful, it shows how this family is expanding as such! We will see what future changes (or not) will be… but the family is expanding and knowledge is growing.
Still I'd like to make one final point about social media: it has made tremendous impact both in the US and Internationally through all these changes, the good and the bad… And while education and knowledge grow through social media, SO do Misconception! So it is important to choose what to read, watch and believe… We are in an exciting industry and changes will continue. I personally see the overall Good in that: Growth!
Finally, at your Cigar Fantasia blog, you state “I wish to be a part of helping put more light on what’s true, what’s real, and what’s merely perception or misconception.” Tell me then: in a tweet-worthy 140 characters or less (I won’t count too hard) what should EVERYONE know?
This is the hardest question of all!!! Haha! There is so much to know! (note: this did not count into the 140 characters right? )
I tested it in Twitter without posting hehe In character-cheating Twitter-spelling lol.
Here it comes:
There´s never enough2know abt cigars!If u know what u LIKE u lrdy know A LOT!Choose wisely wat u read & believe&its source.Feel the passion!
Thanks, as always Dear Reader, for reading. Another big thanks to Emma Viktorsson for her time.
Please visit Ms. Viktorsson's Cigar Fantasia blog