Public Relations
Sharing our Story
The foundation for successful advocacy begins with compelling storytelling. A main goal of our public relations outreach is sharing positive impact stories of our member companies. For instance, our members keep the cigar industry vibrant in the U.S. and abroad by adding thousands of jobs, local resources, and community goodwill through the idea that Cigars bring people togetherTM
Creating Ripples of Positive Feedback
If a story or an event causes positive feedback for our industry, it it has the potential to create ripples that spread out over time and may eventually lead to more positive image of our industry.
One of those ripples is the idea that Cigars bring people togetherTM for a sense of community and connection.
Families Making a Difference for Generations
Cigar companies that are built upon generations of families have a rich history and culture that the cigar industry should be proud of.
Their passion for cigars is passed down from generation to generation, and this passion has helped the cigar industry become a colorful and vibrant community over the years. These families have often given back to their communities in many different ways such as improving infrastructure, building schools, and establishing hospitals in the midst of where they have their factories. For example, the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, a CAA member, is part of a charity with a mission of delivering consistent improvement upon the lives of families in the Dominican Republic (read more here).
The Tobacco Farmer
The CAA member, Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Company, a subsidiary of Universal Corporation, has a large operation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that includes a processing facility, storage facility, and main office that manages Universal’s dark air cured tobacco operations.
Lancaster Leaf contracts directly with farmers in all dark air cured growing regions of the U.S. which include Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Some of these farmers are part of Amish communities in these areas.
These farmers often operate small single family tobacco farms and represent over 1,500 small businesses.
Most farms in Pennsylvania are not only tobacco farms; they include other activities and crops such as dairy, poultry, swine, wheat, corn, vegetables, and more. The tobacco portion of their farming is vital to the sustainability of their entire farm operation as it provides stable income especially with price volatility in dairy and other crops.
With the declining demand for chewing tobacco in the US, Lancaster Leaf recognized the potential for wrapper production in the Pennsylvania crop. Over many years of development and farmer education, the PA-41 crop was converted into a wrapper/binder crop that produces a sufficient percentage of these wrapper styles, given favorable weather conditions, to contribute consistently to the family farm income.
The ripples that are created in these farming communities in the five states mentioned above create positive feedback by sustaining small family businesses with some dating back over 150 years. These small family businesses in turn are integral parts of the local community economies where these tobacco farms are located.
This is an example of the positive impact stories that CAA seeks to disseminate to the public about what our industry is doing.
Building Connections and Fostering Community
Cigars are the impetus for people to get together, talk about life, and enjoy each other’s company. Part of our mission includes using our public relations capabilities to get the story out there in the public arenas about how cigars bring people together for a sense of community and connection.
CAA Sponsors Community Connecting Events
CAA sponsors and co-sponsors a variety of events year-round in Washington, D.C., and other states. CAA often sponsors local D.C. events at the Casa de Montecristo Cigar Lounge which is owned by one or our members, Tabacalera USA Inc.
Every fall on or close to November 30th, CAA sponsors a cigars and community event celebrating Mark Twain’s birthday.
