Creation secrets of cigarettes Marengo as Premium-class brand

Day after day the Moldavian market expects the occurrence of a new cigarette brand – Marengo. These are the cigarettes of the premium-class focused on an audience belonging to a certain social status, with definite habits and predilections.

Natalia Sergakova, the creative director, and Tsukanov Vladimir, General Director of advertising agency "Pares Relations" told AllMoldova about brand concept, process of its development and difficulties could be faced, while launching a new product on the Moldavian market.

The company Tutun-CTC J.S.C. entrusted us with a task to develop in the shortest terms a cigarette brand for premium-class segment. The cigarette brand we were elaborating is one of the first national premium products in Moldova. The recipe has been developed by the Swiss company "P. Lehmann Consulting", and includes about 30 types of tobaccos and various components. Thus, the approach to brand elaboration should correspond to the level of the product.

 The task was quite interesting. I can not tell that it was difficult. In case the requirements are concrete; moreover, when the customer clearly understands what he strains after, it is much easier to work. Also it is significant to note creative and adequate approach of "Tutun-CTC" management. Thanking these factors we managed to meet quickly assigned targets and reach successful results.

The first stage was the elaboration of the Name – naming. We offered the customer several variants and after dynamic discussion, we came to the following conclusion. Firstly, we took into consideration that a good thing is distinguished not by an external gloss, but by the quality of details and nobleness it is impregnated. Indeed a good suit is not differed by the presence of gold buttons, but by the quality of the lining and manual handling of the details. The luxury does not cry, it speaks in a whisper. Besides, Marengo is rather ambiguous colour (which is actual in the interior and design), and the thing of the premium-class should be ambiguous, clear not to all and, probably, accepted not by all. The name Marengo sounds nobly; it does not cause any difficulties in writing it in Russian, English and Romanian languages.

After we have finished the task with the name, we started working on logo creation. We endeavored to make the brand recognizable either by the name or by the logo, to make the logotype become an independent graphic element. Namely for this reason the customer has made his choice on this decision.

Packaging creation was the following stage. Taking into consideration that formerly we did not work with cigarette brands, it was very useful experience for us. We stepped both thoughtfully and intuitively, being guided by existing trends in design. We challenged the offer of the customer to lean against the white colour, as a basis, giving obvious arguments for considering that the most correct decision would be to make the base pack in dark colour. Almost all cigarette packs presented in the Moldavian market are mostly of white colour. We did not wish to follow this principle, taking at the same time into consideration the world trends which have not reached Moldova yet. We have offered several variants of packaging. Among these were both dynamic and conservative variants. However, in respect that discussion of the forthcoming steps is one of the major stages, we managed to realize both the desire of the customer and the effect we reached after. As a result, the pack with Marengo colour for the strongest cigarettes, light with dark for the light cigarettes and light for the super light cigarettes were rather quickly confirmed.

Doubtless, the packaging development stage was the most difficult one for us. Firstly, due to the fact, that the Moldavian polygraphic industry is not ready for such tasks yet. We had to supervise each step, outwearing the printers literally.

One more interesting and unusual task consisted in the development of the gradation for three types of cigarettes. First of all, the important thing was to make it conformable with the name, and also to be understood in three languages. As it emerged, this problem, in its essence is more difficult than elaboration of the naming. There were too many conditions and legislative restrictions. But we managed quickly. As a result, there were chosen the musical terms which reflect the fortress of each kind of Marengo – Forte (loudly, strongly), Legato (smoothly) and Piano (silently, calm). In spite of the fact that these are the musical terms, they are clear enough to the most part of the audience and they transfer our idea very precisely.

As we did not stop on creation of cigarette brand we decided to acquaint the non-smoking part of the audience of a certain social circle with Marengo brand as well. Therefore the project Marengo Chocolate was developed. The recipe of chocolate Marengo also belongs to the Swiss company. This is a unique chocolate for the Moldavian market with the maintenance of 88 % cocoa. The chocolate is rather expensive; however we were not frightened of the generated price because the quality of the chocolate fully justifies it. This is evident also from the fact, that during first two hours after Marengo came into the market in one of the shops “Bucuria” about 30 chocolate bars were sold. Thus, chocolate Marengo is an independent product which confirms the quality of the brand and acquaints with it the non-smoking audience. The idea was developed quickly, precisely and conjoined very harmoniously with the general concept of the brand.

Brand Marengo is an original demonstration of company Tutun-CTC’s force, connected with the transformations inside the company and a new quality degree of its work. Marengo is very ambitious brand; moreover it is not "empty", not pseudo premium, but it is worth the attitude it pretends to.

Besides pleasure and the sense of the executed obligation we gained very valuable experience, first of all in packaging manufacture. Moreover, we got deeply acquainted with cigarette branch that is also irreplaceable experience.

This was a very scale project in respect of its ambitions and unusual orientation for our country. The point is that those appeals, which were actual 5-10 years ago in the CIS countries and focused on the domestic manufacturers, did not touch the feeling of citizens of our country absolutely. Practically we do not have really good domestic brands. It is time to contest the fact that the wine is the unique pride of Moldova. Marengo is a serious demand to success, it is a brand which has all chances to change the existing position.