Lucrative business with unrivaled pleasure

Lucrative business with unrivaled pleasure

Mahendra Gautama, Contributor, Jakarta

For aficionados, smoking a premium-brand cigar, accompanied by
a quality alcoholic drink, is an experience of unrivaled
enjoyment that is hard to describe.

Cigar smoking dates back centuries ago when Christopher
Columbus' crew introduced the Cubans' affection for cigars to the
Spanish people in the early part of the 16th century. Renowned
figures like former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill
and the late Italian painter Pablo Picasso were two
prominent people who smoked cigars.

Previously, the profile of cigar smokers was one of middle-
aged or slightly older successful men. Starting in the early
1990s the profile shifted to include metropolitan men, and even,
to a certain extent, women, in their early thirties. This
exclusive segment grew in number and became a "community" that
spurred the cult of cigar smoking and the establishment of cigar
lounges for them to get together.

Special magazines related to the world of cigars, like Cigar
Aficionado and Smoke, contributed to the forming of the cigar-
smoking community and the related cult. Next to in-depth articles
on quality cigars and cigar lounges, both magazines succeeded in
acquiring various celebrities, like Hollywood actors as well as
sportspeople, to promote and boost the image of cigars. Gala
dinners followed by gatherings in cigar lounges were not the only
means of promotion, which even included charity events plus
subliminal advertising by having famous Hollywood actors depicted
in cigar-smoking scenes.

Both magazines also changed the visual theme of cigar
advertisements. When, decades ago, cigar manufacturers resorted
to naked or semi-naked women for their advertisements, and even
for some of the packaging, the magazines depicted some of the
classiest actresses and supermodels, minus the nudity. Instead,
the ambience was of success, both in the visuals as well as the
copy. Success was synonymous with cigar smoking, at least in the
perception of the advertisers. Names like Demi Moore, Linda
Evangelista and Laura Hutton are some of the endorsing Hollywood
celebrities used in cigar marketing communications.

The popularity of cigar smoking grew intensely and along with
it sales of cigars in the United States increased by 40 percent
almost every year, starting from the early nineties. A number of
Hollywood celebrities jumped on the bandwagon. Some, like Chuck
Norris and James Belushi, turned to the cigar business and became
owners of fast-selling brands, while Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Tony Danza opened cigar lounges that were soon packed with
customers. The cult of cigar-smoking and all its paraphernalia
has kept expanding ever since.

Jakarta, as one metropolis, was included in this contagious
cult. Cigar lounges started to emerge and, like their
counterparts in the United States and several European countries,
the ones here offered coziness and the exclusive atmosphere that
fitted the specific lifestyle of consumers.

Cognac and Cigar Lounge at the Dharmawangsa hotel, in its
Bimasena Club, South Jakarta, is one example. Its spaciousness
and the view of the swimming pool and gardens from its lounge are
some plus points for cigar aficionados that crave a relaxed
atmosphere enhanced by the exclusivity of a star-rated hotel.

Other luxurious cigar lounges in five-star hotels in the city
are The Cellar at the Regent Hotel, La Casa del Habano at Hotel
Mandarin and Borobudur Gourmet Cigar Bar and Patisserie at Hotel
Borobudur. For those preferring a cigar lounge with different
surroundings and atmosphere, there is Cuba Libre Bar and Cigar
Lounge, located in a building reminiscent of colonial times on
Jl. Veteran, Central Jakarta.

Like all high-quality cigar lounges elsewhere in the world,
those in Jakarta provide friendly and professional staff to serve
their esteemed clients and also assist beginners in different
aspects of cigars. Various brands of cigar are available. Topping
the list are Cuban cigars, perceived as the best worldwide, and
famous for their smooth drag and the good taste that comes from
the meticulous blending of a variety of spices, nuts, cedar and
leather. Among the numerous Cuban cigar brands, Romeo y Julieta
is often referred to as the most excellent Cuban cigar that money
can buy. Other top Cuban brands on offer are Cohiba, Montecristo,
Partagas, Fonseca and H Upmann.

Next on the best-seller list are cigars produced in the
republic of Dominica. Blended with nuts, cedar, leather and
chocolate, Dominican cigars characteristically have a smoother
drag than their Cuban counterparts. Famous brands include Arturo,
Fuente, Ashton, Avo, Cuesta Rey, Davidoff, Griffin and
Licenciados.

Jamaican cigars are also the favorite of many around the
world. Their smooth drag also carries a "grassy" taste. One of
Jamaica's popular brands is Macanudo. Indonesia, as a tobacco-
producing country, can also be proud now, as two of its quality
brands, Premium and Dos Hermanos, have placed it on the world
cigar map, as well as winning the hearts of many.

Just like any cult that spreads its contagiousness all over
the globe, cigar lounges, including those in Jakarta, mostly rely
on the most basic, yet effective, promotion method: Word of
mouth. Satisfied customers pampered by professional service,
superior ambience and the products offered by cigar lounges soon
turn inadvertently into the most trustworthy sales force. Of
course, conventional advertising, albeit limited in volume, is
used and well spent on lifestyle magazines that target the upper-
class market. Although happy with the current trend, Jakarta
cigar lounge owners commented that in comparison with the
phenomenal cigar business, including lounges, in Europe, the
United States and several other countries, the business here is
still quite small.

One said the cult of cigar smoking had spread naturally and by
itself in this country, but consistent marketing efforts by cigar
lounge owners are needed to further its growth here. It is
already a lucrative business, with everyone involved enjoying
good profits. However, he added, the "enjoyment" as well as
returns in running such a business will, in the near future, very
likely be greater, just like the pleasure derived by cigar
aficionados themselves.