I want to take a moment to share some thoughts on why we founded CigarPublic.com and discuss the current state of the cigar industry and its culture. I know that fewer people seem to read these days, so the chances of this message being widely seen might be slim. However, the people who do take the time to read it are the ones who matter most—the ones who have the greatest influence on cigar culture and the industry as a whole.
When I first entered the cigar industry six years ago, I was full of enthusiasm, eager to build relationships with the brands I admired. At my core, I’m a consumer who loves cigars, just like many others. With that passion, I approached these relationships with great excitement. What followed was quite surprising.
Privada Cigar Club was never intended to become a retailer, a brand, or a lifestyle company. My initial goal was simple: to create a promotional platform—a focused marketing company that tells the stories behind your favorite cigars. However, as I began to achieve some success, it became clear that many brands were skeptical of my intentions. They questioned not only my motives but also whether I might become a competitor. There was an underlying fear that I sensed in the tone of many brand owners I approached.
Fortunately, a few brands that had recently fallen out of favor were willing to take a chance on working with an unknown retailer trying to reinvent what had long been considered the least appealing segment of the cigar industry: the cigar-of-the-month club.
I could tell you a long story about how the resistance from brand owners actually fueled Privada Cigar Club’s success, but the truth is, Privada has made one of the most significant impacts on the cigar industry over the past decade. It’s a success story that will be told for years to come. Once we reached this level of success, I assumed that the brands would eventually have to work with us, and that the media within the cigar world would also take notice. But that hasn’t been the case.
“Privada Cigar Club wasn’t built to be a retail giant or a brand empire; it was born from a simple idea—to tell the stories behind the cigars we love. As our success grew, so did the skepticism from established brands, who saw us more as competition than partners. But it’s that very resistance that fueled our rise, making us one of the most influential forces in the cigar industry today. With CigarPublic.com, we’re giving voice to the underdogs, creating a platform that celebrates the passion and craft of cigars without the influence of corporate dollars.”
In the beginning, some media outlets would review our cigars, particularly those released through the Limited Cigar Association. However, many of the exciting topics, events, and trends we were creating were denied coverage because we were considered retailers. Despite being a cigar industry news source, they somehow deemed our newsworthy contributions as unworthy of coverage. Over time, I noticed patterns in their content, leading me to believe that financial concerns were increasingly influencing their editorial decisions. While I understand the need for businesses to make sound financial choices, it was still disappointing to witness as a passionate cigar aficionado.
Consider this: Two of the major media sources in our industry have mentioned Privada Cigar Club—the most exciting and successful development in the last decade—fewer than ten times. I could list countless ways we’ve contributed to cigar culture and introduced thousands of new enthusiasts to the industry, but those who know us already know our impact.
As our success grew and media coverage remained sparse, I realized that something had to change. Whether it was due to financial interests, brands seeing us as competition, or simply not liking my straightforward, sometimes arrogant approach, the media largely ignored us. I’ve always been one to speak my mind and point out flaws, believing that doing so ultimately makes us all better. But that’s just who I am, and that’s why Privada Cigar Club has become the most successful venture the cigar industry has seen in the last 10 to 15 years.
In a few months, Privada will have shipped 2 million subscription boxes. Let my industry peers, who consider themselves competitors, do the math on that. I’m not here for the money, although it is a measure of success to some extent. I’m here for cigar culture. The creation of CigarPublic.com was born out of necessity. If we, with our level of success, struggle to get media coverage, imagine the challenges faced by smaller brands that don’t sell millions of cigars a year or can’t afford the steep marketing costs associated with major industry publications
That’s why CigarPublic.com exists and why it’s here to stay. It’s for us, by us. We have no paid advertisers, and we don’t plan to take tobacco money for advertising. This allows us to avoid the pitfalls that have compromised other media companies, where content becomes pay-to-play.
Every year, I send out a letter to industry editors, asking if this will be the year we can all work together in harmony. I rarely get a response. But that’s just part of the journey. CigarPublic.com is a site you should bookmark, visit often, and share with others. The cigar industry is one of the few remaining industries that we can actually save from complete corporate ownership. This is an exciting opportunity to wrest control from publicly traded companies whose business model is to buy everything until they own the entire industry. We, the underdogs, can defeat them—but it starts with something as simple as showing support for a website that represents the heart and soul of cigar culture.
Brian Desind
This is Brian, founder of Privada Cigar Club, founder of CigarPublic.com, and a dedicated contributor to the world of cigars.
