Swedish Match claims V2 snus is poor quality

[Experimental Monkey]

What SM really needs to ask themselves is how can they compete with the marketshare V2 is controlling, their demographic. The people who like cheap, strong snus.

Swedish Match: ....... Ah ha! I've got it! Let's make another General product!!!! V2 is REALLY screwed now!

[Snusdog]

Wait.............. are you saying that Swedish Match did NOT invint........"round"

Give em hell V2

and thanks for all the great snus.

[rickcharles606]

Thanks for the support guys!

as i personally see it is the monopoly has woken up and suddenly we have become a competitor…

I think we brought some innovation into the business, which was needed.

From day 1 we want to apply to the same rule and standards as SM. We have made many analisis durring the years and we have always fund the results well bellow SM limits in Gothiatek. Durring next week we will release a official statemant regarding limits and results. We love this business and would never supply bad quality. V2 dont have the same over 100 years of experience as SM, but we do what we can to continually improve and refine our quality.

Regarding the tobacco question: We buy all our tobacco from the world's leading leaf tobacco merchant and processor (American company) who does testing and quality check of everything they sell… and that is not cheap tobacco.

Regarding bacteria: we have more bacteria then SM, but within was is allowed in Sweden. And that is something we choose. If you heat the tobacco more, you get lower level on bacteria and higher level of nitrosamines (TSNA). TSNA is harmfull, bacteria is not.

Thanks for the response guys Just as I suspected the allegations by SM are intended to be malicious, and somewhat unfounded. I've been in product sales and marketing for many many years, and a maket leader like SM should NEVER engage in a "smear campaign" against a well respected competitor, especially if that competitor is gaining market share. It paints them in a poor light, as a "poor loser" so to speak. By my estimation this will negatively impact SM's brand perception.

Honestly, I'm not sure why they even needed to do this, as they lead just about every major Swedish snus market worldwide. Rather than talk trash about a competitors product, they should only ever promote the features and benefits of their own products over the competitive products. If they're losing marketshare, maybe they should re-examine branding strategies worldwide, instead of bashing an up and comer It still baffles me because SM's products are good enough to stand on their own merit, given the proper marketing. All in all they've done a great job but this attack against V2 was in my opinion a mistep.

[Snusdog]

Thanks for the response guys Just as I suspected the allegations by SM are intended to be malicious, and somewhat unfounded. I've been in product sales and marketing for many many years, and a maket leader like SM should NEVER engage in a "smear campaign" against a well respected competitor, especially if that competitor is gaining market share. It paints them in a poor light, as a "poor loser" so to speak. By my estimation this will negatively impact SM's brand perception.

Honestly, I'm not sure why they even needed to do this, as they lead just about every major Swedish snus market worldwide. Rather than talk trash about a competitors product, they should only ever promote the features and benefits of their own products over the competitive products. If they're losing marketshare, maybe they should re-examine branding strategies worldwide, instead of bashing an up and comer It still baffles me because SM's products are good enough to stand on their own merit, given the proper marketing. All in all they've done a great job but this attack against V2 was in my opinion a mistep.

Funny you should mention this Rick................The moment I saw the Article I thought...............whoever dropped this bomb will not be a SM employee in 2 months. SM will ride out the storm with him/her.............(to fire now is to admit guilt)....................but once it has passed.................said spokesperson will quietly disappear.

The reason is the situation..........at least in my eyes.............has been a complete strategic blunder.................

If the allegations are untrue (or exaggerated) then Sm........by making them.......... has drawn a world wide crowd only to hand the microphone to their competitor and allow them space to tell the world how great their product is and how apparently afraid SM is of it...........this is bush leage......... and just plain dumb

If the allegations are true.................. I fire him twice as fast
(a) for waisting an open shot on the competition
(b) for making my company look petty and afraid in the process.................... and thus proverbially paying for the other guys sins (they do wrong but the way I handle it makes me come out looking bad)

Instead.........leak the info to a friend over at the proper regulators and then have them leak/report their findings to the press

Then you (in a tone that is saddened and surprised) get to say to the watching snus world how sorry you are to hear that the beloved traditions of snus making are not being maintained to Swedish standards...............by no less than foreign snus companies ..............and then spend the rest of the time telling the world how great your product is and how diligently you strive to maintain the high quality that the consumer expects and deserves

Thus regardless of whether the allegations are true or false (and I believe them to be no more than spin) ..................somebody botched this one big time....................and did so on an international stage

[xrt]

Although not poor quality, some Offroads brands are not good at all !
Then again, some brands are better then Swedish Match.

[Connavar]

i think i have always prefered the portion material in most of the v2 products, not that SM uses bad stuff, but the v2 portions have always seemed more comfortable.. yet another thing i think they do better... if they keep up what they have been doing i have no doubts they will conti nue to play a big role in the market and i hope they do. although i do think they need to work on a chocolate/hazelnut snus *hint hint* hell, they could put botulism in that snus and i would be ok with it lol

[lxskllr]

Although not poor quality, some Offroads brands are not good at all !
Then again, some brands are better then Swedish Match.

I've never been a fan of V2 portions, but I like their lös a good bit, with the Lakrits being in my top 6. It only misses a top 5 spot due to Gotland Grå, which I find usable over a larger variety of moods, though V2's Lakrits is delicious.

I find it useful to think of V2 as being Danish snus, rather than Swedish snus. They're completely different from all the Swedish makers, but share some similarities with Orlik, who is also Danish. The point is, if you take it on it's own terms, and appreciate them as a distinctly different product than Swedish snus, it makes more sense, and frees your mind to accept something that's different from what you expect.

[Veganpunk]

I've never been a fan of V2 portions, but I like their lös a good bit, with the Lakrits being in my top 6. It only misses a top 5 spot due to Gotland Grå, which I find usable over a larger variety of moods, though V2's Lakrits is delicious.

Very true. Though I prefer V2s' over Gotlands Gra.

[rothenbj]

Rather than trying to hold on to market share in a mature market like Scandanavia, SWM should be concentrating on expanding its customer base and step up distribution of its products here in the states.

I'd second that motion except then they'd go high profile and Altria and RJR would get involved, bring the FDA and TC into the mix and get regulations in place to help save us all from ourselves. That translated to mean our Norwegian friends would go the way of the Indians.

It might be expensive shipping wise and a PIA delivery wise, but we still can get most of the product we want. Give ABT and Our gubernmint a chance and we'll have the option of Marlboro or Camel SNUS. Better under the radar.

[chadizzy1]

Larry says he's talked to both SM and V2 and we should see an article on his site soon.

I'm not that political so I didn't touch the subject, but his should have details from both sides and whatnot.

[cj]

i think in the long run v2 is going to come out of this just fine SM just needs to accept the fact V2 is here to stay

[Snusdog]

Larry says he's talked to both SM and V2 and we should see an article on his site soon.

I'm not that political so I didn't touch the subject, but his should have details from both sides and whatnot.

Larry..............because SM is going to come clean with Larry

The same SM that sent two reps here to the worlds biggest international snus forum..............and then proceeded to implement not ONE idea or suggestion that was made

It was all corp BS and spin.

But Larry is gonna fix it for us

Laudate Dominum Larry

[chadizzy1]

well ya never know.
it could have good information in it.

[Premium Parrots]

well ya never know.
it could have good information in it.

sure the info might be good. but will it be accurate?

[timoteo]

ive been thinking about this thread for a couple days now, and all i can say is " A low blow attempt at the American consumer, due to sales dropping off cause of the much higher costs of taxation plus shipping in the U.S. due to pactact."

not to mention the stupid stickers this ungodly country forces them to place on every dern can.