Many of you know who the Freemasons are, and some of you have heard of Hiram and Solomon cigars. But the magic that happens is behind some of the brand ambassadors that help the brand shine within a highly saturated niche industry. Today’s interview is with David Umbria — @davidmumbria — the General Manager for the Hiram and Solomon cigar brand. I’ve had the pleasure to speak to David on numerous occasions, where the conversation was not all about the tobacco industry.
David is one of those humble yet “know’s their sh*t” human beings that you just find delight speaking with. The plethora of information he has and his real life stories really make him one of the more personable brand ambassadors I’ve met in any of the industries we cover. Please take your time to read his full interview and peak behind the veil of the cigar industry embraced by the oldest society of Freemasons in the world.
David let’s start at the beginning. Who are you and what do you do?
DU: Thanks Gene. I am the General Manager of the brand Hiram and Solomon Cigars. A boutique brand with heritage appeal. I oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of the company.
What does the General Manager of Hiram and Solomon cigars entail? Give us your full days of work, or should we say fun?
DU: The scope of work that I do is broad and changes on a daily basis. The constants, however, is the communication I must have with our vendors, retail partners, sales team and back office. Occasionally I will find myself lending a hand in processing and shipping orders, as well as attending events, both Masonic and consumer based. A typical day though always starts off with the replying to emails and direct messages through our social media platforms. After that, my day starts to take off in multiple directions. I may find myself in the office handling administration tasks, such as payroll and inventory control, or I may be on the road assisting our salespeople in sales or creating house accounts.
Where not to the point yet of having multiple heads within the organization that specific tasks can be delegated to on a daily basis. We will get there, but for now it’s a group effort between myself and the two founder-partners, George and Fouad. They are still very much in the loop and involved in the daily operations as well. Did I mention I get to enjoy smoking cigars while I work?
Hiraman and Solomon cigars are a well recognizable brand on its own. What are they doing to stand out in this highly competitive tobacco industry?
DU: Hiram and Solomon Cigars is very unique brand in its own right. While it is not owned by Freemasonry it is obviously associated very closely to Freemasonry through its branding, marketing and founding. The founders, Nasir (George) Dakrat and Fouad Kashouty are Freemasons and brought the idea of having a Masonic cigar to fruition, and it is with the help of what we call the Brethren that the brand has taken off and grown so well and quickly. You see Gene, while there are many extraordinary brands in the marketplace with great history and following, only Hiram and Solomon Cigars can boast in having affiliation to the world’s oldest, largest and most charitable fraternal organization, the Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons.
This association in and of itself allows us to stand out and remain competitive. Where we further it as a company is in our desire to broaden the scope and appeal of cigar smoking by embracing and collaborating in other “sub-cultures” where cigars don’t traditionally stand out but are consumed within widely, such as the Tattoo industry, culinary world and the arts. We are constantly talking to and working with influencers in these areas to learn how we can penetrate those markets to bring awareness to us as a company and the hobby of smoking cigars in general. I hope this answers your question.
What allowed so many new unknown brands to be successful? After all, the cigar market has always been brand-driven, which made it tough to launch new ones. How did that change?
DU: This is a tough question Gene, and only my opinion. With that said, in my opinion, I think social media has been the biggest single impact in allowing unknown brands to become known and to be successful. In years past, both consumers and retailers, looked to print magazines and other traditional media platforms for reviews and to learn what was popular. Today, through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other online platforms, both the consumer and retailer are learning about cigars they have never heard of before because both consumers and retailers are doing reviews and making recommendations.
For the smaller boutique brands this has thrusted them into the masses for a considerably lesser dollar amount than what was traditionally spent in print advertising. Having this financial freedom to be marketed without spending has also allowed smaller boutique brands to place money into better leaf, manufacturing and quality control. Ultimately though, it is the rise of social media which has allowed for this transformation to happen.
Much like beer and liquor cigars are living though the age of micro-brewery. With access now to companies, like Plasencia and Blanco to make and handle cigars, and access to social media platforms for marketing and advertising, it has never been easier to create a cigar brand and line. It’s just a matter of doing it.
Do you see any resistance in terms of supply and demand for your brands this year or next?
DU: There has been, and certainly will be, resistance in terms of supply and demand. We are growing exponentially and it’s difficult to forecast the inventory required to meet the demand. For instance, the Traveling Man Lancero. The demand for those sticks was outstanding and they flew off the shelves within a few short months. We did not expect the craze around them, and we could not fulfill the demand for them.
However, this is not a bad problem to have. It’s a measuring stick of our growth and what type and vitolas the market is requesting. In time we will have the facility to house more inventory and stay ahead of demand. For now, we’ll continue to focus on producing the cigars and getting them into the hands of our retail partners and consumers.
Social Media has been a driving platform especially in 2019 to get brand recognition for many companies out there. How are you utilizing social media primarily Instagram and the tobacco communities within that industry to grow awareness of Hiram and Solomon cigars?
DU: This is a great question Gene and I will try to answer it as best as I can. Hiram and Solomon Cigars has only one primary account for Instagram, @hiramandsolomoncigars. Fouad personally manages this account and primarily showcases his experiences, travels and appreciation for our supporters through it. The amount and frequency he posts daily is extraordinary and the reputation it has garnered has been vital to the brands growth and recognition.
When I joined the company back in August, I associated my personal Instagram account to Hiram and Solomon Cigars by adopting the handle @hiramandsolomoncigarsgm. I have since changed the handle to @davidmumbria and continue to be associated to Hiram and Solomon Cigars. Through this account, I primarily engage the community by liking and commenting on their posts, sometimes even sharing. I also communicate with them directly through DM. I make myself readily available and dedicate a lot of time to this platform. I think the community appreciates it.
So, with this all said Gene, I believe engagement and interaction with the community is how we’ve been utilizing Instagram. While others are posting beautifully produced images to share, which we do and will as well, we are literally interacting and communicating with the consumer and community. I think our sincerity comes through and it resonates, and in return the community has responded by rallying behind us and Peoria amongst themselves through shared images and reviews. We couldn’t be more appreciative and thankful for this, our supporters.
Let’s get a bit personal – First Cigar:
DU: Macanudo Portofino
Best Cigar outside of your own line:
Ashton Cabinet #7
Liquor of Choice:
DU: Scotch, Glenlivet 18
Cuban or Non Cuban cigars:
DU: Taste and aroma comes from soil and Cuba remains the best soil. Cuban
Brooklyn or Anywhere else?
DU: Brooklyn!!!!
Women make up 50% demographics of our society, yet it still seems that both tobacco (particularly cigars) and spirits are still targeted more towards men by the brand ambassadors. What can the cigar manufacturers and brand ambassadors do to grow their female base?
DU: For starters I would tell the ambassadors to stop assuming women only smoke petites. Too often I’ve been in a shop or lounge and have witnessed the clerk make suggestions for smaller cigars when a recommendation is requested by a woman. Women are more than capable of smoking Double Oscuro Gran Toro’s, embrace it.
For the manufacturer I would suggest involving women more in the production of the cigar. What many people don’t realize is that women often have better, more discerning, palettes than men. Traditionally, women are exposed to many more taste and smells than men are. This puts them in a unique position of being able to not only pull out certain flavors but being able to describe them more eloquently as well. This should be embraced by the manufacturer.
Together, I think if the ambassador and manufacturer start with what I am suggesting they will find growth in their female base.
What have been some lessons you’ve learned working in the cigar industry? What has been the best piece of advice someone has given you?
DU: Good…rising tides lift all ships.
Bad…sometimes your friend is your enemy and your enemy your friend.
Advice…it’s not always who you know. Sometimes it’s who knows you.
Anything else you want to share with our readers?
DU: Thank you, thank you for being the best part of Hiram and Solomon Cigars. Thank you, thank you for accepting and embracing me in this community.
