[the nub]

I hate to say it but I think it's due to lack of advertising.

If you look at other consumer goods segments, you'll find that brand loyalty is very high. Soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, clothing, electronics are dominated by brands with strong media campaigns that in turn builds brand loyalty.

Cuban cigars have almost no advertising and my guess is overall there is low brand loyalty except maybe for the global brands. I'd also guess that in the US where print and POP advertising is allowed for cigars, brands such as Macanudo, Punch, White Owl, and Davidoff have stronger brand loyalty due to their (IMO) greater marketing efforts. But otherwise there is no direction except personal unbiased preference.