So Many Blends ... So Little Time

Excellent article. Makes total sense too about needing to offer new lines to improve brand performance.

Good article. I would attest some of it to be like how a band has to release a new album every couple years to stay relevant/search for that "number one hit"

Fred Brown does good work. I'm intrigued by the marketing dynamic he describes. Novelty

drives online sales that drive the market. The flaw in this for the consumer is that, once you

find a blend you particularly like, there is the distinct chance it won't be around in two years,

no matter how much you like it, nor how much you buy. Also, pipe smokers that buy mostly

online may tend to be transitory in their tastes. They may not go back to good old MM965,

being too busy smoking a dozen other blends that grab them. As long as we are content to

be forever sampling, this is quite a fiesta of blends, with a few duds to keep us moving. But

if you are looking for consistency and the nostalgia of a blend you have long neglected, it's

a roll of the dice if you'll ever see it again, and good luck. I'm loving the new blends. But I

sure enjoy a bowl of Granger now and again.

Great article. That 'splains my dozen tin backlog of blends I'm trying out. Apparently there is no hope of getting my TAD under control! 8O