Case presentation at the #CMFF Conference on May 18, 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1. Noblego, Online Cigars,
Nr 2 in Germany
via Search & Content
Andre Alpar

2. Online Cigar Shop Noblego:
Becoming the second largest Shop in Germany with „only“ SEO and Content
Marketing
Amsterdam – May 18th
, 2017
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3. Agenda
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• Self introduction
• Content marketing frameworks and strategy
• The case of Noblego

4. Performics employs 250 people in Germany – international team doing
performance, content and search marketing
4CMFF – Andre Alpar - @andrealpar
Andre Alpar
•First online business in 1998
•Serial entrepreneur (casual games,
marketplace, audio book publisher, agency …)
•40+ business angel investments
•3+ years leading role at Rocket Internet
•Conference host, podcaster, book author …
Performics Berlin
•Founded AKM3 late 2009
•Berlin office: 170 ppl - Native speakers of 15
languages
•Part of Publicis since late 2014
•PerformicsAKM3 since Sept. 2015
•Performics since July 2016

5. We are not “only” an online marketing agency but also a leading online shop
for cigars
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• Strategic approach for product choice
• Own financing – focus on return
• Two brands: Noblego and Cigarmaxx
• Complementary online magazine: zigarren.org

6. Disclaimer: my style of slides is special, thoughtful and individual and if you
don‘t think
it‘s funny you are just not getting it!
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7. Agenda
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• Self introduction
• Content marketing frameworks and strategy
• The case of Noblego

8. Make sure you have a realistic and possible strategy where expectations match
budgets, capabilities and potential
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Cheap
Fast
Risky
Expensive
Slow
Sustainably
successful
Impossible

9. The growing popularity of content marketing shows a paradigm shift from push
to
pull advertising – search people know “pull” well - they have never done
anything else!
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Content Commerce
Ad space
Classic
advertising
Content Commerce
Content
Marketing
Push
Pull
Ad money

10. Attention Interest Desire ActionBuying
process
Fulfill demand
Objective
Channels
Search Engine Advertising
Search Engine Optimization
Content Marketing
Understand and appreciate the role of search and content marketing and
where
strength is within the sales funnel – then use accordingly and what the ROI!
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11. Summarizing: invest evenly and in a meaningful relation between content
production
and marketing for that content
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„Marketable“
Content
(Dedicated)
Marketing of
the Contents

12. Branding
Content
• Aka. Informational
content
• Great landing pages for
SEO / SEA / SMA due to
lower competition
Invest in high quality content – understand different content types and the role
they
can play in your digital marketing orchestra
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Transactional
Content
Social
Content
Content Types
Content for SEO
Content for Content Marketing

13. Examples for different content types – Each type of content has to have their
own KPI
sets in order to be evaluated in a corresponding banner
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Don‘t use the
same KPIs!!!

14. Informational content can have at least four major purposes that impact
marketing
to new and existing clients in multiple ways
14
New customers
Possible uses of
informational
content
Better
retargeting for
display
Brand building
(also extend
earned reach)
CRM (eMail
newsletter /
social media)
Direct sales
(even different
initial intent)
Existing customers
CMFF – Andre Alpar - @andrealpar

15. Agenda
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• Self introduction
• Content marketing frameworks and strategy
• The case of Noblego

16. Noblego is a Solid Taste GmbH brand
Initial acquisition of a well-known brand on the market
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17. Started with two separate humidors – then walk-in humidors at the agency (25
m²) and simple packing stations
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18. Our own office since August 2015 (340 m²) with large warehouse and separate
lounge
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19. Example of transactional content – detailed product information
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• Largest possible depth
of data
• Reviews for and by
customers
• Qualitative &
quantifiable

20. Every single product has its own unique content – content at product level
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21. Products are enhanced with pictures and videos – higher relevance
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22. All transactional pages are filled with content – sometimes with detailed
infographics
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23. Branding content is generated with the glossary first and foremost – optimized
for mobile
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24. Transactional pages are strengthened by means of informational content
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25. Use social media to expand reach and generate social signals
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26. Various content marketing initiatives (online and offline) expand reach and
strengthen authority of Noblego
• Publications/PR
– Blog
– Social Media
– Cigar book
– Expert articles / interviews
• Events / Own Cigar Lounge
– Own online cigar tastings (Hangouts)
– Own offline cigar events
– External exhibitions and cigar events
• Grassroots Marketing
• Apps
• Related products
• Own brands:
– Positioning a new brand
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27. The blog is used primarily for corporate communication, but also for social
content
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28. Social Media: Separation of B2C and C2C
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• fb/noblego for B2C communication, focusing on distribution
• fb/zigarren for C2C communication, focusing on lifestyle topics

29. Own cigar book: Increase authority within the industry
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30. Editorial content in industry magazines
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31. Online Events – Noblego Live Video Tasting
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• Live Video Tasting via Google+ Hangout
• Introduction and sampling of new
products in live mode
• Mixture of customers and experts in the
form of an alternating panel
• International Hangouts with the
respective manufacturers in the pipeline

32. Offline Events – External Cigar Tastings
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• Cigar events:
Connoisseur events not
only bring products and
customers closer
together, but also help
to establish an offline
community.
• Noblego Cigar Lounge:
Initially a pop-up, also a
flagship store since
2015.

33. Offline Events – In-house Cigar Tastings
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34. Grass Roots Movement – “We smoke the City”
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"We smoke the City" as a movement of confident pleasure-smokers
with well-known ambassadors and "localized" merchandise

35. Mobile Media – Cigar App
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• Noblego cigar app
• V1.0: Databank with the most
relevant cigars in the German market
• Mobile shop storefront
• Possible steps: Community features,
location-based services

36. Related products, such as alcohol, expand Noblego's target group (Cigar beer)
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37. Own brands are beneficial for the branding of Noblego – first project "Cenicero"
(limited quantities)
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38. New own-brand "Cinecero NICA" is constantly available
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39. Premium own-brand: New "ultraboutique" project (www.ultra.boutique)
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40. High visibility (in relation)
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41. Lots of relevant rankings
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42. With the help of branding content, top positions are generated for
informational rankings
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43. Performance of the glossary entry – traffic constantly rising
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44. Relevant offpage signals – Tips for Wikipedia links
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• Create an account
• Actively contribute
• Improve sources
• If applicable, insert own
sources

45. Relevant offpage signals
Founder and startup pages / Newspapers, publishers and niche portals
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46. Relevant offpage signals – Cigar portals regularly talk about Noblego
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47. Success factors – brief summary
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• Target group
• Goals
• Content / Message
− Don't talk about yourself! Deliver extra value!
− Every industry is different!
• Consistency throughout
• Processes are vital
• Specialism / niche
• High quality content
• A good team!

48. Pull and push marketing combined are more powerful than one of the strategy
and
tool sets alone
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49. Do you want more?
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• Twitter:
@andrealpar and
@performics_de
• Podcast www.omreport.com /
www.omreport.de
• Annual "AdWords conference" PPC
Masters in Berlin in February
• Annual Content Marketing
Conference in Berlin
• OMCap: Annual online marketing
conference in Berlin in October
• My books are available in German

50. performics.de /
performics.com
Paul-Lincke-Ufer 39/40
10999 Berlin
Germany
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Thank you very much for your attention!
Let‘s keep in touch!
50CMFF – Andre Alpar - @andrealpar