The rapid increase in cigar use in the US has taken place together with the rise in promotional activities surrounding cigar smoking. Cigar makers began promoting smokers evenings and upscale cigar dinners in expensive hotels and restaurants. Such cigar parties at non-public clubs, restaurants and bars are now very popular. Smoke and Cigar aficionado, two popular cigar mags dedicated to cigar smoking, were introduced in the early 90’s and have rapidly gained acceptance. Many cigar mags have featured on their covers and in profile stories, many cigar smoking sports figures, actors and actresses and celebrity models. Recently, cigars have appeared in plot lines and as props of numerous Television shows and movies. Cigar makers advertising and promotional expenditures have been broken down into sixteen promotional and advertising categories. There has been a significant increase in the amount spent in pretty much every class of promotional and advertising category. By miles, the industry’s biggest expenditures were on promotional allowances. This allowance or repayments and other inducements are given to cigar shops to help cigar sales. These expenses made up roughly 40% of the full amount expended for promotion and advertising. Other categories that have a break down by the cigar manufacturers are, magazine advertising as well as, point of sale advertising, public entertainment, promotional items, newspaper advertisements, celebrity endorsements, paid product placement and web advertising. Expenditures for public entertainment events, such as cigar dinners and cigar tasting, have increase drastically as well as spending on promotional items other than dutch master cigars. The greatest increase in spending was on newspaper advertising. Expenditures on celebrity endorsements and appearances, and payments for product placements in movies and TV, more than doubled. The makers report indicate that certain firms paid endorsement fees to sports personalities and made payments to movie studios and third party promoters for the appearance of their cigars in popular TV shows and pictures.
