Customers will pick up on key features as they log online and review a new smoking pipe item. These components are essential in pushing and influencing smokers to buy certain collections and dismiss others. We will open a discussion about 7 of the leading features and how they shape consumer behaviours.
1) Pipe Style & Design Features
Consumers will be very particular about the type of smoking pipe they acquire for their tobacco use. Yet it is the style and design nature of the brand that will come into sharp focus for local members as they see what appeals to the eye and what is practical for their ongoing use. From the long and thin Churchwarden and Standard Canadian models to the stout Squat Bulldog, the classical Bent and Full-Bent collections to the Zulu, Prince and Billard alternatives, these creations will provide unique interpretations for the size and shapes of the bowl, stem and the shank respectively.
2) Quality of Materials
The type of material that is used to manufacture a new smoking pipe will go a long way to shaping what users think of the item and if it will deliver the kind of longevity, authenticity and value for money that they were looking for. In this context, there will be common design materials that are easier to access. This will include rose-wood, clay, meerschaum, corncob, pear-wood and briar wood creations. However, the industry has expanded out to deliver all manner of interpretations featuring safe usage of acrylic, glass and even stainless steel. The key for any consumer in this space is to find materials that are authentically manufactured.
3) Brand Recognition & Brand History
Smokers who want the very best from their new pipe collections often fall into the same consumer habits as any other industry. Is the brand well known and does it enjoy the kind of acclaim and recognition from the tobacco community as their peers? This is not to say that all reviews follow the same patterns, but there will be distinct advantages for mainstream suppliers given their resources and ability to sell to wide market profiles. A brand story is also important given the tradition and custom of pipe smoking over the course of generations.
4) Ease of Use/Ease of Cleaning
A majority of shoppers will think about the practical elements of a new smoking pipe before proceeding and agreeing to the purchase price. This comes down to ease of use of the item, ensuring that the tobacco is easy to insert and to light up. Then it becomes a question of cleaning thoroughly because odl residue will damage the experience for the following batch.
5) Size & Weight Discrepancies
Comfort with a smoking pipe can be assessed in a number of ways, but it will often be the size of the design and its weight that dictates how much people really enjoy the brand. This gives an advantage for lighter wood designs and for suppliers who deliver a range of size options for shoppers. When reading reviews and comments online, this will be a common theme to pick up on.
6) Item Price
The notion of value for money with a smoking pipe is completely subjective. With this being said, there are common themes and price policies that indicate what is worthwhile, what is cheap and what is overpriced given expectations, even after taking inflation into consideration. Premium pipes must deliver premium quality while the bargain brands are a case of “you get what you pay for.”
7) Shipping & Additional Pipe Extras
There are two final components that are in play for those that review and recommend a new smoking pipe brand: does the supplier offer helpful shipping services for home delivery; and does the outlet offer fun extras that extend even more value to the overall package? If the answer is ‘yes’ on both counts, that will reflect in the positive nature of the service and how the brand is reviewed.
