娱乐圈有一句老话叫“了解你的受众”（Know your audience）。雪茄制造商埃内斯托·佩雷斯·卡里略（Ernesto Perez Carrillo）采纳了这个思路去研发下一个新品。他借助Zoom软件和消费者沟通，了解他们希望在抽雪茄时感受到什么，然后推出了一种口味更温和的雪茄。这种温和的口味对于雪茄新手来说很友好，对于经验丰富的老茄客来说口味也足够复杂。
这款新口味将命名为“恶作剧”（Escapade），一包为三支，三支的烟叶混合各有不同，消费者可以上网投票，建议哪一支可以作为2024年的限量版继续生产。
埃内斯托·佩雷斯·卡里略说，我很高兴能研发出这些新的烟叶混合，我觉得创造出一款较为温和的烟叶混合对于我来说可能是一种挑战，因为我之前并没有擅长制作温和雪茄而出名。我始终牢记消费者在雪茄中寻找的东西，同时参考眼下雪茄客喜欢的口味复杂性，为消费者提供一款可以日常抽茄的选择。
雪茄是在卡里略自己的联盟雪茄厂生产的，雪茄厂位于多米尼加。三支雪茄的尺寸一样，52环径，6英寸。目前关于烟叶混合成分唯一透露的是茄衣烟叶，一支使用了尼加拉瓜的科罗霍99烟叶，一支使用了厄瓜多尔康涅狄格烟叶，一支使用了厄瓜多尔哈瓦那烟叶。每支雪茄佩戴不同颜色的烟标来区分。
如何获得这款一包三支的Escapade？消费者在11月1日到12月31日之间购买一盒卡里略的雪茄，将购买雪茄的收据照片发送到info@epccigar.com.，前1000个消费者将可以获得Escapade，每一包雪茄商都印制一个二维码，消费者可以投票，选择他们喜欢的口味，明年公司将会将胜出的这款雪茄再次生产，推出限量版，预计明年2月份推出。
卡里略的女儿利塞特（Lissette Perez Carrillo）在Zoom会议里和消费者沟通，让他们了解雪茄之旅。她说，Escapade雪茄是一个非常有趣的项目，我们预计新茄客和老茄客都会喜欢这些烟叶混合配方，我们将倾听消费者的声音，和他们接触，帮助他们提升抽茄体验。
这种请消费者投票参与公司下一个类型雪茄的方式不是卡里略公司第一次采用了，之前的Platinum Bash（铂青铜）、Pledge Lonsdale Limitada（誓约朗斯代尔限量版）都是根据消费者的意见和反馈推出的，前者是根据顾客的投票选出的，后者是满足消费者对较细口径雪茄的需求而推出的。
In the world of showbiz, there is an old expression that goes, “Know your audience.” Cigarmaker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has taken this approach to help craft his next release. Called Escapade, the release will be a pack of three cigars, each with a different blend, which he created through consumer feedback. Consumers can go online and vote to determine which version of Escapade will return in 2024 as a limited edition.
The cigarmaker spoke with customers via Zoom to ask them what they were looking for in a cigar and then set out to create something milder, a cigar meant to be approachable for those new to the world of cigars but also complex enough for seasoned smokers.
“I was excited to work on these blends because I felt challenged to create a mild cigar that perhaps I am not known for. I kept in mind what beginning smokers are looking for in a cigar, while at the same time staying true to the complexity our current smokers enjoy, to offer them an alternative to our regular lines,” says Perez-Carrillo.
The cigars are rolled at Perez-Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic. Each is the same size—a 6-by-52 toro. The only blend details that are being disclosed at this time are the wrappers: One is rolled with a Nicaragua Corojo ‘99 cover leaf, the second is cloaked in Ecuador Connecticut, and the third wears a leaf of Ecuador Habano. Each cigar comes with a differently colored band to distinguish them.
To obtain an Escapade three-pack requires the purchase of a box of E.P. Carrillo cigars. To get one, consumers must either attend an E.P. Carrillo Escapade event (which are taking place between November 1 and December 31) or by sending a photo of a box-purchase receipt to info@epccigar.com. Only 1,000 three-packs are to be released. Each three-pack contains a QR code allowing consumers to vote, with the winner returning next year as a limited edition of 1,000 boxes. The most popular blend of Escapade is expected to release around mid-February.
Lissette Perez-Carrillo, Ernesto’s daughter, will be hosting additional Zoom sessions to connect directly with consumers. These sessions are aimed at learning about their cigar journeys and what led consumers to their first cigar. “The E.P. Carrillo Escapade has been such a fun project. We anticipate that new smokers and seasoned smokers alike will enjoy these blends,” she says. “We have made it a priority to listen and engage with consumers to elevate their smoking experience.”
This is not the first time Perez-Carrillo has had customers help decide on a new cigar. Other fan-voted limited releases include the E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash, whose blend was chosen by customers voting on their favorite blend and the Pledge Lonsdale Limitada, which was created in response to demand for a cigar with a smaller ring gauge that was still big on flavor.
