Habanos S.A., the company behind Cuban cigars has found itself a new muse in a frustrated economy, women. The steady decline in sales amidst the rough economy has made the company look at new angles of the market, mainly one that’s smaller and more attractive than the traditional cigar scene. Habanos marketing director Ana Lopez says the market is currently at around 5-10% for female cigar smokers.
What should be focused on is real women and real behavior. Now just how to make something frilly and cute. That’s what Dell aimed at with Della and we all saw how fast that fell apart. And as brave as this new territory is, it’s nothing new when it comes to Guys & Dolls.
We’ve seen everything from the terrible Sony “Gamer in Everyone” ads to Frito Lay’s “women’s world” campaign. The thing most of these companies target is the general idea that frilly and feminine = product. However, most of these launches see themselves teetering along a narrow line due to the often biased and one sided point of view they put across.
Pink isn’t always the answer, but it may help break the initial stigma of something that’s such a mens market. Not to say they’ll be manufacturing pink cigars, but they are looking at a smaller cigar with a lighter flavor. Something that a women would be willing to smoke, something that could change the behavior of cigar culture.
