Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Who is Alec Bradley? Reaching critical mass?

This past Friday at Porter Valley country club,we had a very successful Scotch and cigar event featuring Alec Bradley Mundial cigars. The general opinion of the participants was the cigar was medium to full bodied, very flavorful and a good smoke. However I had two thoughts that prevail. 
Alec Bradley started out as a boutique cigar company, focused on quality and became very successful.
Presently though they have become a cigar brand that has too many cigars and too many choices . I have seen many companies, (not just cigars) lose sight of their product quality, over expand and eventually become an asterisk.  
I am not sure what the mission of AB is, but I suggest you are at a critical juncture where more is not better.  I counted 22 lines of cigars on the website, which of course does not include the different sizes and shapes. Can you keep up on ensuring all your products are of good quality?  The danger is also of confusing your public. Go into a B and M which carries your brand and how much shelf space does it have for AB ? Does the experienced or casual cigar consumer have a true idea about the product? Eventually the trendy cigar company will lose allure and fade away. What keeps. a company in the long run growing are quality products which consumers remember and show loyalty. This mantra is one AB needs to recognize quickly. 22 different lines of cigars is simply too many. You cannot hit every price point and think clients will continue to support your brand. You are taking a big risk in creating a company that will implode. Take a lesson from some of the old established brands and tighten your focus. You have reached critical mass.





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