Each year CRT helps dozens of San Diego businesses to grow by providing free advice and resources they never had access to before. Here’s the story of one client who took advantage of all CRT had to offer:
CRT CLIENT: Duck Foot Brewing
WHAT THEY DO: Duck Foot makes a creative lineup of craft beers for the craft consumer, as well as the perfect answer for the gluten free community. They’ve made it their mission to make a beer that people look forward to drinking, rather than having “just another beer.”
RECENT SUCCESS: Opened the EAST VILLAGE TAPROOM & KITCHEN, their second location. Duck Foot’s Head Quack, Matt DelVecchio, reports: “The reception in the beer community has been nothing short of amazing!”
OBJECTIVES: Participate in an aggressive, vibrant, craft beer community in the pursuit of excellence.
- Provide local residents with an atmosphere that is authentic, unpredictable, and irreverent
- Become a destination for quality, beer, food, and fun
- Deliver a line of unique beers, merchandise, and experiences
- Appeal to niche markets (gluten free, snowboarders, etc.)
CHALLENGES: The company’s team of 22 employees had been debating strategies for growth as demand for their products was outstripping their production capabilities. Internal discussions led to a recognition that an outside perspective could probably reveal better strategies and answers that were hidden in front of their eyes.
CRT RECOMMENDATIONS: CRT provided two mentors for six months of one-on-one discussions, culminating in a presentation before the full board of 45 current and retired CEOs in a wide range of industries and corporate disciplines. These suggestions were made to Matt and his team:
- Clarify the marketing message, highlighting the Unique Selling Proposition
- Expand use of social media, blogging to build the community of followers
- Revisions and updates for the web site and other marketing communications
- Rebuild operations, systems, and financial structure to sustain planned growth
RESULTS: Duck Foot is currently implementing CRT’s recommendations and expects to open several more locations over the next three years, even as they increase their production without significantly adding to overhead.
CEO MATT DelVECCHIO SAYS: “Chairmen’s RoundTable is a fantastic organization, and I can’t heap enough praise on the people and the process they’ve walked through with us. If you own a business, you NEED them by your side. Don’t ask why…just do it, and you’ll never regret the decision.”