CigarZone between Tastings and Business: What the Tobacco Advertising Ban Means for Readers and Customers

Dive into the world of ZigarrenZone with me and find out what goes on behind the scenes of the online community. As a passionate cigar lover, I spend my days tasting cigars, writing articles and eBooks and producing videos. But behind it all is a tough business that has to adapt to changes in the cigar industry. Find out in my article how ZigarrenZone manages the balancing act between passion and business and which new formats will secure the future of the community. Join me on a journey of discovery and take a look behind the scenes at ZigarrenZone.

Expected Reading Time: 5 Minutes

CigarZone: Between tasting and business

A typical day for me starts early, at 7 a.m. at the latest. After a cup of coffee and reading the NZZ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) online, I check my e-mails. I answer inquiries from readers and customers and check the latest news from the world of cigars.

Then a cigar tasting is on the program. It's a comparison between a 2011 and a 2022 COHIBA, a sponsored content that I produced in April 2023. This is a new format that I'm testing in 2023 and I'll be offering it to my customers from 2024.

Tobacco advertising will be banned in Switzerland in 2025 and ZigarrenZone will have to change in order to survive. The banner ads on the website will disappear as early as 2024, as will the ads in the online magazine FlashCigar. This will allow customers to slowly get used to a new situation.

Free of charge for readers

ZigarrenZone is free of charge for readers. To keep it that way, ZigarrenZone relies on income from the cigar industry. New formats will ensure that ZigarrenZone can continue to be made available to readers free of charge in the future. This includes so-called "sponsored content". This term has not yet been finally defined. Depending on the legal situation, it may be different from 2025. My media lawyer is already working on it. This is content where the work involved is paid for by the client: Tastings in text and photo or as video, presentations of new cigars, company or personal reports in text and photo, video documentaries and eBooks. The honest opinion about a cigar is still decisive for the reputation of ZigarrenZone and this will not change.

The course of a cigar tasting

I always try three cigars. I examine the first one analytically with the ZiZo tasting tool (available free of charge as a PDF, see link below under resources on the subject). This usually happens around 8.30 am, when my tongue is still unaffected by food and drink. The second one I try in the afternoon after eating and this is the actual pleasure smoking. I need the third one for photo or video production. After the tasting, I edit the photos, write the article or edit the video.

Reader surveys and special moments at ZigarrenZone

I am in close contact with my customers and readers. Together we are always looking for even better ways to convey the message about cigars in an entertaining and informative way. Several times a year, I ask my readers what topics relating to enjoyment and cigars are currently on their minds. I use this feedback to produce new articles and videos.

It's always a special moment when I meet a customer or reader in my studio. We enjoy a cigar and chat about this and that. The topics are varied and of course we always talk about cigars.

During the day, I answer emails and work on the content for the forums and the blog. I finish work at around 7pm in the evening. Before that, I get an overview of the next day's productions.

I am proud to share my passion with others and help them start their own cigar journey.

I hope you enjoyed my latest article and found the information it contained interesting. I am very excited to hear your views and look forward to reading your comment 🤗

Resources on the topic

Reviews at Google about Cigars.Zone

Photographer Christian Schmid, FotoWerk 132

Want to take your cigar reviews to the next level? Free Cigars.Zone Download Tasting Tool.

Helpful tips: From "retronasal", "R+ technique", about "umami" to the difference of cigars storage between Non Cuba and Cuba.