Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone in the cigar industry has had a monkey-wrench thrown into their 2020 plans, and Alec Bradley is no exception. Between the temporary closing of its Honduran factory (Raices Cubanas) this spring, and Shelter in Place restrictions in the U.S., Alec Bradley faced considerable challenges. At the same time, the […]
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t sound like Steve Saka and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust was going to do a major release for 2020 – and that holds true this summer. The focus on DTT’s releases wasn’t around a new brand or new line, but rather rounding out some areas of the portfolio. Sobremesa […]
One could make the case that 2019 has been the busiest year in Crowned Heads’ history. The company has brought a mix of new core lines, ongoing annual limited-edition releases and line extensions. However, the bigger story for Crowned Heads is the strategic partnership it has formed with ACE Prime. The Crowned Heads-ACE Prime Strategic […]
While it was hard for Oveja Negra Brands to top the very busy 2019 season, two of its foundation brands each have a new limited release for this summer. First up Black Works Studio has a new release for its popular Killer Bee line. This one is the Killer Bee Swarm. It’s the fifth blend […]
“The Pink Cadillac era was highlighted with the launch of the Prime Time Podcasts. This would be about moving forward and developing a podcast the likes of which the cigar industry had never seen before.” For the previous six installments, I talked about how Cigar Coop was an evolutionary development. When it came to the […]
“Before there was Prime Time, we were partnered with Stogie Geeks. It was that partnership that made many things on Cigar Coop possible.” Throughout this series, I have talked about how Cigar Coop has gone through an evolutionary process in growing into the media brand it has become. One thing that helped Cigar Coop […]
“There were some big decisions that were made that would have an impact on the direction of Cigar Coop. The decisions made might not have been popular, or even practical, but there were no regrets in the choice made.” Throughout this series, I have talked about how Cigar Coop has gone through an evolutionary process […]
“While Cigar Coop grew through an evolutionary process, it doesn’t mean that things have gone perfectly. In this installment, I will look at some of the biggest strategic blunders and mistakes made along the way. Mistakes are never good, but I’d like to think I’ve learned from them.” Yes, there were mistakes made along the way with Cigar Coop – big ones. Today, […]
“Just like it is important for a cigar brand to have face to face time with its customers, it is equally as important for a cigar media brand to spend face to face time with the stakeholders involved in the industry. This has played a key role in the evolution of Cigar Coop.” The first two […]
“I knew I wanted to take this ‘thing’ called Cigar Coop that I developed from a short-term project to something ongoing. At the same time, I had no idea where I wanted to take this, nor any idea what it would take to make it happen. In the end, the first 17 months was one […]
