If You’re Looking to Be a Brand Owner, Start With the Customer

Too many brands start with a name and a story... but forget the customer.

Building Backward Isn’t a Strategy. It’s a Liability.

Let’s cut to it - far too many would-be brand owners think the process starts with a name, a logo, a band, or worse… a personal story. And while those things can matter, they mean absolutely nothing if they don’t connect to what the customer actually wants. Want to know why so many “new” brands fade out before they ever get a second shipment? Because they start with themselves, not the buyer.

In a market as crowded and competitive as premium cigars, you don’t get second chances. You need to get it right the first time - or at least get close enough to learn fast and pivot with purpose.

And that’s why smart brand builders start with one thing first: the customer.

This blog is about putting Total Quality Management to work before you even put ink to paper or a name on a band. It’s about customer-driven brand building. It’s about using tools, not instincts. And it’s about giving yourself the best shot to win in an industry where storytelling is king - but only if the story is one your customers care about. TQM boils down to this: If it doesn’t make the customer happier or the process better, don’t waste time on it!

You’re Not Building for You - You’re Building for Them

Your taste isn’t the market. Your preferences aren’t the playbook. You are not the customer.

That’s the first mindset shift any aspiring brand owner needs to adopt - and it’s the most critical. One of the deadliest sins in this business is confusing personal taste with market demand. Just because you like a medium-bodied cigar with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and retro-looking band doesn’t mean that’s what the market needs. What matters isn’t what speaks to you - it’s what speaks to your future customer.

If you’re serious about creating a brand that lasts, your process has to begin with research. Not assumptions. Not opinions. Data.

That includes:

• Who is buying cigars in your intended price tier?

• What ring gauges, dimensions, and flavor profiles do they prefer?

• What packaging aesthetics resonate with them?

• Where are they buying - and why?

• Which brands are they currently loyal to - and what gaps exist?

Without answers to those questions, you’re building blind.

This doesn’t mean you sacrifice authenticity. It means you build with intention. And that’s what separates sustainable brands from vanity projects.

Conducting Smart Market Research (Even on a Budget)

You don’t need a six-figure market research firm to learn what you need to know. You need curiosity, discipline, and a process. Whether you’ve got $10,000 or just time and hustle, you can gather the insights required to make smart decisions.

Here’s where to start:

Tap On Retailers

Retail tobacconists are on the front lines. They know what’s moving and what’s collecting dust. Set up calls. Visit stores. Ask what consumers are asking for - not just what they’re buying. And most importantly: listen more than you speak.

Mine Online Reviews and Forums

Places like Reddit’s r/cigars, YouTube reviews, and online retailer comment sections are gold mines. What are cigar smokers praising? What are they complaining about? What do they wish existed?

If you see a recurring theme like “This brand’s packaging doesn’t match the price,” or “Great flavor, but the draw’s inconsistent” - that’s data. Don’t dismiss anecdotal evidence. Treat it like puzzle pieces.

Look at Pricing Data

Where is the white space? Are there too many brands competing in the $12–$15 segment with similar flavor profiles and aesthetics? Could you own a space in the $8–$10 tier with a premium feel? Study shelf sets. Study price points. Identify gaps.

Survey Smarter

If you have a following - even a small one - run a short survey through email, Instagram Stories, or social media polls. Ask direct questions:

- What’s your favorite cigar right now and why?

- What packaging catches your eye?

- Would you try a new brand based on the artwork alone?

Data doesn’t have to be perfect - it has to be directional. Your job is to reduce the guesswork. Remember, you’re not trying to build your brand. You’re trying to build their brand… and make it yours by owning it better than anyone else.

Naming Isn’t Art — It’s Strategy

Most people treat naming like poetry. It’s not.

Naming a cigar brand is like naming a startup: it’s branding, positioning, and emotional leverage all rolled into one. Get it wrong, and you’re setting yourself and your sales reps up to fail before the ribbon is cut.

Here’s what the best names do:

Signal the Brand’s Personality

Is this a bold, rebellious brand? A refined, luxury product? A tribute to tradition? Your name should hint at the emotional territory your product lives in. Think of names as the first handshake - are you confident, forgettable, or confused?

Leave Room to Grow

Don’t name your brand after a specific growing region or country of origin - that type of market positioning has been owned for years by established legacy companies. For a newcomer, that kind of nomenclature won't build a brand, it will only limit it. Great brands are built on identities that scale, not specifics that box you in. Save the details for the product lines - your brand name should give you room to grow.

Pass the 3-Second Rule

When a consumer hears your name for the first time, can they pronounce it? Can they spell it? Can they remember it tomorrow? If not, it’s not a brand - it’s an inside joke.

Avoid Legal Nightmares

It’s 2025. Check domain availability. Check social handles. Check the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Don’t fall in love with a name you can’t protect or scale.

Back It Up with Visuals

Your name and your packaging should live in the same world. You’re not just choosing a name - you’re building an ecosystem of trust. The consumer should look at your customer-facing assets and feel what your name is trying to say.

This isn’t just about ego. It’s about engineering first impressions. And in a crowded industry, that’s not optional - that’s survival.

Mapping Your Market Position - Finding a Lane That’s Not Already Full 

You’ve done your research. You’ve seen the names, the labels, the price points, the flavor profiles, and the shelf clutter. Now it’s time to position your brand like a strategist - not like a hopeful.

Too many brand owners launch cigars like they’re playing roulette. Toss a name out, hope it lands, and when it doesn’t, blame the reps or the economy.

No. The problem isn’t sales. It’s that you never claimed a lane.

Find the White Space

If every new brand says “We’re quality first,” then nobody owns that message - it’s background noise. Look deeper:

- Who owns luxury with edge?

- Who’s dominating budget with complexity?

- Who’s showing up for young urban professionals vs. blue-collar traditionalists?

You don’t need to be everything to everyone. You need to be the one to someone.

Avoid Echo Chambers

A lot of boutique brands/small brands/independent brands copy what they see working for others - similar names, similar band design, similar copy. It feels safe. But it’s a trap. The more you blend in, the harder it is for reps to pitch you and for retailers to take a risk on you.

Stake a Claim with Bold Clarity

When someone asks what your cigar brand stands for, your answer should fit on a cocktail napkin:

·        “We make medium-bodied cigars that taste like $20, but cost $9 - for the working guy who doesn’t care about ratings.”

·        “We’re an experimental brand - we only use non-traditional tobaccos. Every release is limited, and every blend is different.” 

Short. Sharp. Ownable.

And remember: the goal isn’t to appeal to everyone - it’s to be unmistakable to your someone. 

Testing the Concept - Before You Print a Single Band

Let me be blunt: If you’re not testing, you’re gambling. And scalable, sustainable business aren’t built on coin flips.

In the premium cigar business, every band printed, every box made, every SKU launched costs time, money, and credibility. You want to get it right the first time - or at least close enough that your adjustments are tweaks, not triage.

So how do you test before you go all in?

Smoke the Market First

Put your concepts in front of people who don’t owe you anything. Not your uncle. Not your blender. Not your cigar lounge buddy who compliments everything you do.

Give your mockups - band designs, brand name, rough packaging ideas - to a consultant, reps, shop owners, and educated consumers. Ask:

- Would this stand out on a shelf?

- What does this brand feel like to you?

- Would you pay [$X] for this cigar? Why or why not?

The answers you get may hurt. That’s good. The market won’t be gentler.

Create MVPs (Minimum Viable Products)

Roll small-batch test blends. Run side-by-side tastings. Use temporary bands. You don’t need a factory run of 50,000 to know if something works - you need a table of five sharp palates and brutal honesty.

Use Digital Mockups

With the right designer, you can create high-quality 3D renderings of your packaging, band, and even point-of-sale displays. Drop these into surveys or A/B tests on social media. Let the crowd tell you what turns heads.

And no, testing doesn’t kill creativity - it sharpens it. The best brands aren’t just born from vision - they’re forged in feedback. 

Final Thoughts — Building for the Long Game

Let me say it straight: If you’re only in this for a quick score, the premium cigar industry will eat you alive.

This business is built on patience, consistency, and long memory. Retailers remember who couldn’t fulfill. Consumers remember when your second batch didn’t live up to the first. And reps? They remember the hundred brands before you who launched with big promises and no staying power.

So if you're still with me - still thinking about being a brand owner - here’s the reality check:

The Launch is Just the Beginning

Getting on a shelf isn’t the win. Staying there is. That means:

- Training your reps.

- Supporting your retailers.

- Evolving your product.

- Listening to feedback like it’s oxygen.

It also means reinvesting. Not just in more cigars - in better systems, stronger marketing, deeper consumer insights.

Discipline is the Real Differentiator

The most dangerous thing in this business isn’t a bad product - it’s a good product in undisciplined hands.

It’s the owner who spends more on event swag than on blend testing.

It’s the team that skips strategy in favor of hype.

It’s the ego that overrules feedback because they “know their audience” better than the numbers do.

The winners? They’re not always the most creative. But they are always the most consistent. They do the work. They stay hungry. And they obsess - not over how cool their packaging looks, but how many customers come back for a second box.

Lead Like the Brand Depends on It - Because It Does

You’re not just launching cigars. You’re launching a business. A living, breathing machine that needs structure, data, grit, and above all - vision. Not a dream. A vision. One backed by facts, by strategy, and by a relentless commitment to improvement.

So if you’re looking to be a cigar brand owner, start where it matters most: with your customer. Build backward from their needs, their expectations, and their loyalty. Use every tool at your disposal - research, analytics, mockups, small batch tastings, brand maps.

And when you’re ready to go to market? Don’t just show up - show up prepared to win.

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Need help getting there? That’s where The Cigar Profit comes in.

We help emerging and established brand owners build smarter, leaner, and more impactful businesses. From market entry to full-scale brand development - strategy isn’t just what we do. It’s how we win.

Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Let’s talk. Schedule your exploratory call today.