Habanos introduces new cigar classification

[Habana Mike]

Habanos S.A. the worldwide distribution company of Habanos cigars has changed their classification of cigars. Up until now the 27 well-known brands were classified as „Global Brands“, Niche Brands“, Multi-Local-Brands“ and „Local Brands“. José M López Inchaurbe, Development VP Habanos S.A., told Cigar Journal that these classifications have been changed to only two categories: Global Brands and „Portfolio Brands“. The Portfolio Brands category is split up into three segments: „Value Brands“, „Volume Brands“ and „Other Brands“.

Here you can see the new break down on the classification according to Habanos S.A.

GLOBAL BRANDS (6)

Cohiba, H. Upmann, Hoyo de Monterrey, Montecristo, Partagás, Romeo y Julieta

• all of them are available in all markets where Habanos are sold
• available at all Casas del Habanos, Habanos Specialists, Habanos Point
• the focus of these brands is on innovation and new product development

PORTFOLIO BRANDS (21)

Value Brands (4)

Bolívar, Punch, Ramón Allones, Trinidad

• available at all Casas del Habanos & Habanos Specialists, except in markets with registration issues
• the focus of these brands is on value development

Volume Brands (3)

Jose L. Piedra, Quintero, Vegueros

• available at all Casas del Habanos, except in markets with registration issues
• the focus of these brands is on volume development

Other Brands (14)

Cuaba, Diplomáticos, El Rey del Mundo, Fonseca, Juan López, La Flor de Cano, La Gloria Cubana, Por Larrañaga, Quay d’Orsay, Rafael González, San Cristóbal de la Habana, San Luis Rey, Sancho Panza, Vegas Robaina

• available at all Casas del Habanos, except in markets with registration issues
• the focus of these brands is on tactical development and regional editions

https://www.cigarjournal.com/habanos-introduces-new-cigar-classification/?fbclid=IwAR1XMXeyC-aVUN9boiCoruYz4ryVx8fThSEHx60QDa2BxQhcikzYB3XCc00

[El Presidente]

Good to see that they are dealing with the big issues 

[Lotusguy]

Trinidad is “value”??

[Astar20]

I feel QDO should be a value brand with the increased popularity and price point Trinidad isn’t really a value it’s an upper marca 

[Habana Mike]

Value brands - drive up the price

Volume brands - sell the $hi+ out of these to the tourists/neophytes

Other brands - milk the RE, kill the regular production

[Fugu]

Good info. Thanks for the heads-up Mike!

We've already had an in-depth discussion of the topic some weeks back within the CCW content working group, as it had become obvious that HSA had declared the old system obsolete. But we had to painstakingly draw inconsistent info trom what's to be found published so far (at that time HSA seemingly being in a process of sorting it out, still).

Alex @ATGroom had already been working on an alternative 'systematics' for CCW in the background, yet to be released to the public. With that official HSA statement everything is becoming much clearer now.

[shlomo]

RA is not "other"? So...no more RA REs? Hahaha, that'll be the day.

[Hadroxity]

“Other Brands” A.K.A. The chopping block?

[Connoisseur Kim]

Whoa! What a great change for CC marcas! I hope that HSA will do the proper job (no more same old army of Robustos please).

[PigFish]

Behind the times as always.

I reclassified them long ago. There were the good ones, those they stopped making, and all the rest! 

It only took a half dozen party member subcommittees, one to two threats of imprisonment, and a decade to decide! Way to go Tabacuba!!!

What are they going to do about toilet paper? That is what I want to know.

-Piggy

[Fugu]

Now, I don't actually think it will bring any fundamental practical changes with it - other than we are yet seeing anyway. This is just HSA adopting the "official" classification chart to the way it has been handling matters since long. Local brands anyone? Indeed, there aren't any! The relaunch of Quai d'Orsay set a truly exclamatory ending to the last "local" one. An amendment to practice that had been long overdue - may we like the outcome or not. The rest seems concept prose.

On the pro side that means wider - in the sense of less locally-exclusive - general availability, irrespective of any specific domestic market. Were it not for trademark issues they were all global brands, that's for sure.

[Habana Mike]

I see that CCW has updated the Brands page to reflect the new classifications.

Hopefully the "other" brands don't get any further decimated!

[Connoisseur Kim]

I already applied brand new CC marca classification to my Cigar Wiki as soon as I saw HSA's official change of CC marca classification. I'm really appreciated that CCW did the same thing too! Now, the description CC marcas on CCW is the only thing which needs to be changed (e.g. Bolivar used to be Multi Local Brand, but now it became Value Brand like Ramon Allones) ?.