Swedish Match Targets Wall Street Smokers With Snus Tobacco

[Darwin]

SM undoubtedly watched RJR and Altria field products that were heavily flavored, under strength, and mass marketed in convenience stores only to be savaged by anti-tobacco zealots for marketing to minors. With the Wall Street, ski resort, NY club, and B&M tobacconist approaches SM almost entirely avoids that bad PR and raises awareness among adult trend setters. Seems pretty savvy to me even though it might be commercially limiting in the short term. Also SM may be able to afford to front stock/fridge combos to a few hundred tobacconists country-wide but they might not be able to afford the many thousands of such units that would be required for a concerted CS marketing push.

[tom502]

I think if they could make, and put in place, and nice cooled vending machine, into classy bars, that would attract people, and also on the machine itself, have a decorative picture with instructions on how to use, and a brief history of Swedish snus.

[timholian]

I think if they could make, and put in place, and nice cooled vending machine, into classy bars, that would attract people, and also on the machine itself, have a decorative picture with instructions on how to use, and a brief history of Swedish snus.

BRILLIANT! The only problem I see is the stocking of the machine, and keeping it all in-date. I mean, I guess the bar owner/tender could restock it but I don't think it would be economically viable for General/SM to have trucks stocking the machines.
Too bad they can't go to bars and give out samples like Camel used to do.

[PipenSnus]

BRILLIANT! The only problem I see is the stocking of the machine, and keeping it all in-date. I mean, I guess the bar owner/tender could restock it but I don't think it would be economically viable for General/SM to have trucks stocking the machines.

Most of that work is handled by the distributor, not the manufacturer. According to the label on the General cans, their US distributor is General Cigar Co., Inc.

That is indeed a brilliant scheme, but it means that someone would have to design or import special refrigerated vending machines just for snus, install them in bars, and then the distributor would have to have the staff to train the bar personnel on how to restock the machine. And it assumes that bar owners and distributors could see a profit from it. That's a lot of initial expense for a product that may or may not catch on with the bar crowd.

[tom502]

A cheaper, maybe better way, would just have classy, or non classy bars too, just have a General mini-fridge behind the bar. Stock them based on how much/what sells.

[sgreger1]

If they are giving this stuff out in truckloads to wall street, is there any way we could lace it with rat poison or something?

[deebocools]

stocking snus at bars is a great idea. They couldn't be accused of marketing to children, or marketing to a particular class(all types go to bars). Bars already have the infrastructure to refrigerate pretty easily. You could even give bartenders tips on upselling snus... "going out for a smoke,huh? Why?"

Here in winston-salem, north carolina, where I can see the RJ reynolds building from my house, as a matter of course every bar stocks camel cigarettes behind the bar in small coolers with neon signs. They sell, esspecially to the "only smoke when I drink" crowd. I think it would work here. Can't speak for the rest of the nation.

[timholian]

I think it would work here in Houston also. A small cooler behind the bar (like the General coolers at cigar shops) would be ideal I think.

[PipenSnus]

A cheaper, maybe better way, would just have classy, or non classy bars too, just have a General mini-fridge behind the bar. Stock them based on how much/what sells.

I agree that would be a better idea, at least at first. Much lower expense and fuss. The vending machines could always be brought in later, if/when snus sales start to interfere with the bartenders' mixology.