National Ice Cream Retailers Association

Transcription

1 NOVEMBER $15.00 National Ice Cream Retailers Association NICRA S ANNUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 7-9, 2017 FOUNDERS INN & SPA VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA Monday, November 6, :00 AM 3:00 PM Golf Tournament - Heron Ridge Golf Club 10:00 AM 3:00 PM Executive Committee Meeting 4:00 PM 9:00 PM Membership Committee Meeting Tuesday, November 7, :00 AM Noon Board of Directors Meeting Noon 1:00 PM Board of Directors Lunch Noon 5:00 PM Suppliers Setup Exhibits 12:30 5:00 PM Open Registration 1:15 PM 1:45 PM General Session Convention Overview Kickoff Convention Committee Jill Curran, Kimball Farm, Chairman David Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe George Xouris, Andia s Ice Cream George Dunlap, C. Nelson Mfg. 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM Single Scoop: Develop Your Concept Speaker: Patti Otte, Sweet Firefly Moderator: Dirk White, The Alaskan Creamery IN THIS ISSUE 84th Annual Meeting Seminar Schedule...1 Butter Prices...4 Exhibit Room Sold Out for 84th Annual Meeting Promotion of the Year Submissions...6 New Active & Supplier Members...8 NICRA Members Only Facebook Page...9 Come Early, Stay Late Ways Businesses Blunder by Larry Light...10 United Dairy Farmers Updates Its Brand Officers, Board Members, Supplier Officers...12 Double Scoop: Sharpen Your Concept What is Working? What is Not? Speaker: Ken Smith, Moo Thru Moderator: Janet Mitchell, Woodside Farm Triple Scoop: Concept Fads & Trends That Impact Your Existing Business Speaker: Nicole Therioult, I. Rice & Co., Inc. Moderator: Ben Keser, Concord Foods/Oringer div. 2:30 PM 3:00 PM Break 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM Single Scoop: Financing Your Concept Speaker: Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Moderator: Hank Sweeney, Classic Mix Partners Double Scoop: Calculating the Cost of Your Ice Cream Cone Speaker: Bill Meagher, Lakeside Creamery Moderator: Jim Mitchell, Woodside Farm Triple Scoop: Why You Should Raise Your Prices Speaker: Sarah Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Moderator: Rod Oringer, I. Rice Co., Inc.

2 3:45 PM 4:30 PM Single Scoop: Choosing My Location & What I Learned Speaker: Sean Brockette, Lake Highlands Creamery Moderator: Katie Dix, Capannari Ice Cream Double Scoop: Ice Cream Carts at Festivals & Farmer s Markets Speaker: Andia Xouris, Andia s Homemade Ice Cream Speaker: Christine D Amico, Over the Top Moderator: George Xouris, Andia s Homemade Ice Cream Triple Scoop: Licensing to a Third Party Location Speaker: Rich Draper, The Ice Cream Club Speaker: Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Speaker: Jeff Shain, Shains of Maine Moderator: Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper 4:30 PM 4:45 PM Break 4:45 PM 5:15 PM First Timers Meeting Valerie Hoffman, Yummies 5:15 PM - 5:45 PM Question & Answers 5:45 PM 6:00 PM Meet & Greet the NICRA Officers and Board of Directors 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM Welcome Reception & Cash Bar Meet NICRA Past Presidents 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM Welcome Dinner (Ticket Required) 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM Your Best New Flavor Contest Exhibits Open - Cash Bar Wednesday, November 8, :30 AM - 4:00 PM Registration Open Speaker: Steve Christensen, Inside Ice Cream Moderator: Jill Curran, Kimball Farm 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM Exhibits Open Trade Show Day 10:35 AM - 11:45 AM Coffee Break 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM Luncheon (Ticket Required) 1:00 PM 2:30 PM Speed Networking for Ice Cream Store Owners Speaker: Carl Chaney, Chaney s Dairy Barn Moderator: Jim Oden, Debbie s Soft Serve 2:45 PM 4:00 PM Single Scoop: POS Systems Speaker: George Xouris, Andia s Ice Cream Moderator: Frank O Brien, Daddy O s Irish Ice Cream Double Scoop: Best Customer Loyalty Programs Speaker: Jason Mandler, Carmen s Italian Ice Moderator: Valerie Hoffman, Yummies Triple Scoop: Promotion of the Year Award Presentations Speaker: Lynda Utterback, The National Dipper 4:00 PM 4:15 PM Coffee Break 4:15 PM 5:30 PM Single Scoop: Morning/Nightly Cleaning Procedures & Regular Maintenance Speaker: Victoria Mufson, Jon s Ice Cream Store Moderator: Matt Lumpkin, Matt s Homemade Alabama Ice Cream Double Scoop: How to Find & Train the Right Manager Speaker: Kelly Dillon, Marianne s Ice Cream Moderator: Jen Cook, Cook s Ice Cream Triple Scoop: Justifying a Major Store Renovation Speaker: Jeff Shain, Shain s of Maine 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM Opening Breakfast (Ticket Required) 8:45 AM 9:00 AM Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau What to do and see in Virginia Beach 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Single Scoop; Double Scoop; and Triple Scoop Altogether Social Media 6:00 PM 9:00 PM Party in Exhibit Room Bryce Thomson Silent & Live Auction Thursday, November 7, :00 AM 3:00 PM Convention Registration 8:00 AM 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast 2

3 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Speaker: Rich & Heather Draper, The Ice Cream Club Speaker: Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Moderator: Jill Curran, Kimball Farm 9:00 AM 10:30 AM Supplier Meeting in Exhibit Room 10:30 AM 3:45 PM Exhibit Hours 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM Coffee Break 10:45 AM - 11:55 AM Single Scoop: Accounting 101 Understanding Balance Sheets & Income Statements Speaker: Charlie Wilcox, Marianne s Ice Cream Moderator: Kelly Dillon, Marianne s Ice Cream Double Scoop: Accounting 201 Understanding Your Cash Flow Speaker: Ken Dix, Capannari Ice Cream Moderator: Jim Capannari, Capannari Ice Cream Triple Scoop: How to Plan Your Exit Strategy/What is your Business Worth Speaker: Stan Sitton, Green Mountain Flavors Moderator: Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper Noon - 12:45 PM Luncheon (Ticket Required) 12:50 PM - 1:30 PM Ice Cream Clinic In Exhibit Room 1:35 PM - 2:30 PM Single Scoop: Methods for Hiring The Right People Speaker: Katie Dolan Dix, Capannari Ice Cream Double Scoop: Hiring Year Round Employees & Offering Benefits Speaker: Steve Christensen, Inside Ice Cream Triple Scoop: How to Know and When to Let Employees Go Speaker: Kelly Dillon, Marianne s Ice Cream Speaker: Jill Curran, Kimball Farm 2:35 PM - 3:30 PM Single Scoop: Marketing to Open Your Ice Cream Store Speaker: Sue Kloter, Kloter s Dairy Barn Moderator: Victoria Mufson, Jon s Ice Cream Store Double Scoop: Marketing Your Established Ice Cream Store Speaker: Kelly Larson 3

4 Triple Scoop: Marketing Your Wholesale/Catering Business Speaker: Henry Gentry, Henry s Homemade Ice Cream Moderator: Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM Coffee Break 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM Single Scoop: Menu Development Speaker: Mike Bouvier, Hey Mikey s Moderator: Robert Bouvier Double Scoop: Brand Development Speaker: Mary Leopold, Leopold s Ice Cream Triple Scoop: Upselling for Profits Speaker: Rick Pizzi, Pizzi Farm Moderator: Rod Oringer, I. Rice & Co., Inc. 6:00 PM 6:30 PM Cocktail Party 6:30 PM 9:00 PM Awards Banquet Friday, November 10, :30 AM 2:30 PM Tour PLEASE NOTE: Seminar topics and/or dates and times are subject to change due to the availability of speakers. BUTTER PRICES October 6, 2017 Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2016 price was $1.8565) October 13, Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2016 price was $ October 20, 2017 Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2016 price was $1.7636) October 27, 2017 Grade AA Butter finished at $ The weekly average was $ (2016 price was $1.8650) Support prices for butter start at $1.05. Butter prices are reported from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange every Friday. The Merc is considered a spot market for butter. Merc prices are important to dairy farmers because the value of the fat and fat differentials in raw milk are established from the prices quoted from the Exchange, and Merc prices are used in the BFP update. EXHIBIT ROOM SOLD OUT FOR NICRA S 84TH ANNUAL CONVENTION FOUNDERS INN & SPA VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA The following companies have signed up for exhibit space at NICRA s 84th Annual Convention and Trade Show November 7-9, 2017 at the Founders Inn & Spa in Virginia Beach, Virginia Advanced Gourmet Equipment & Design Avalon Chemicals Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Classic Mix Partners Cold Car USA ConAgra Brands Concord Foods/Oringer div. Cone Guys Cream O Land Dairy JD Drip Catcher DV Plastics Dingman s Dairy Dippin Flavors Emery Thompson Machine Forbes Chocolate Froyo Gelato Supplies Frozen Solutions, Inc. Global Refrigeration Great Lakes Ice Cream & Fast Food Assn. Green Mountain Flavors Hershey Foodservice Hershey s Ice Cream Homestead Creamery The Ice Cream Club Inside Ice Cream JD Drip Catcher Joy Cone Company Lakeland Confectionary Supply Lloyd s of Pennsylvania Lochhead Mfg. Co. Mami s Gelato Met Speed Label The National Dipper C. Nelson Mfg. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas No Water Bath PreGel America Purdy Products I. Rice Co., Inc. Swanson-Girard Distributors Taylor Company Taylor Freezer of New England Trahin Miller Insurance Services TRToppers Upstate Niagara Inc. Weber Flavors 4

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6 2017 PROMOTION OF THE YEAR SUBMISSIONS The 29 th Annual National Ice Cream Retailers Association Promotion of the Year Award will be presented at the Association s Annual Meeting, November 9 th at the Founders Inn & Spa in Virginia Beach, Virginia. CALL YOUR NICRA SUPPLIER MEMBERS FIRST This year promotions were submitted by Bob and Robin Turner, Dairy Corner, Urbana, Ohio; Henry Gentry, Henry s Homemade Ice Cream, Plano, Texas; Carla Brubaker, Homestead Creamery, Wirtz, Virginia; and Rhiannon Morgret, Queen City Creamery, Cumberland, Maryland. Dairy Corner Our promotion actually started 34 years ago when we bought our ice cream business. Through the years we have made many friends and great customers. This proved to be very helpful this year when the city started a major road construction project on the street in front of our store. We knew that this was going to happen, but had no idea how major of a project it would become. Imagine coming to work on April 10 th, (the start of our busy season) and seeing ROAD CLOSED and DETOUR signs. We knew the construction would be restricting traffic, but this was the first we knew the road would be closed. We had an indication of how this project might go when we saw the first Road Closed sign, and it was misspelled, ROAD CLSOED. We went to the city engineer to find out how bad it was going to be. He told us that the road was to be closed to through traffic for 90 days, but traffic would be able to get to us and all of the other businesses on our street. They told us that there would be brief periods that traffic would be stopped, but for the most part local traffic would be able to get through. They finally changed some of the signs from Road Closed to Road Closed to Thru Traffic. The original project was for curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street lights, a tree lawn between the sidewalk and curbs and repaving the street. This was originally to be done three years ago. The project then grew to also include storm sewers and drains. Our understanding was the storm sewer was going to be along the side of the street. We were wrong. It went under the eastbound lane of traffic, so that lane was closed during this time. Every so many yards, this drain had to cross the entire road to connect with the drains they installed on the other side of the street. During this time, the road was closed to all traffic for short periods. We also have a rear entrance to our business that comes off of a side street. It is a dead end street that runs between the street with construction and the local YMCA. In the middle of the construction out front, the city awarded a contract to replace some of the curbs and repave that street also. We also had the excitement of seeing the Police Department, Fire Department and utility companies at times shutting the street down as the construction company hit underground utilities. Just within the sight or our store, this included 3 gas lines, 2 water lines and an electric line. The electric line caused a very temporary loss of power. Luckily it only lasted a couple minutes and we had no problems because of it. This also brought customers in on those evenings to find out what all the excitement was about. Our street runs parallel to the street behind the businesses adjacent to us, both streets being state highways. At first, many of our customers crossed the parking lots of these businesses to get to us. Then all of a sudden the contractors started tearing up the driveway entrances to every one of the businesses on that side of the street due to the fact those businesses had an entrance from the other street. They did leave a small portion of the driveway directly across from ours open. Many of our customers would use that drive to get to us to avoid the construction on our street. Our city has some very restrictive sign ordinances. It limits how long and often businesses are allowed to use portable signs or any form of advertising. With the help of our city councilman, we were able to get them to allow businesses to use portable signs for the duration of the construction. We set our sign out and began putting sayings on it related to the construction and to ice cream. By changing the sign every few days we created a buzz around town that people thought was funny. We could not go anywhere in town that people didn t make comments about our sign. Customers were telling us that they come in every few days just to see what we had put on the sign. They would come through the construction area to see the sign and buy ice cream. Some of our most popular sayings were: Don t Let Your Ice Cream Be Detoured Cone Wars, Traffic or Ice Cream? Dairy Corner Ice Cream Relieves Stress When Will This Be Done? We Will Get Thru This Mess We Need Our Driveway Back! Ice Cream Fixes Everything (Except Roads) To keep the interest up, we looked for anything we could use to draw attention to our store. We had talked about making a dirt sundae for several years but never followed through with it. What a perfect time to introduce a road construction special, Dirt Sundae. The hotel next door to us had a crop spraying company stay a couple nights while working in the area. Their sprayer happened to be a helicopter that they landed in an area behind the hotel. Pictures of the helicopter went out saying, they may tear up our street, but our customers will find a way to get here. In 2016 we had a record year, up slightly from When we found out how much this construction project was going to disrupt the area, we set a goal of trying to match what we 6

7 did in In talking to other businesses, I heard that sales have dropped 5% to 40% from We have been able to keep our sales at our 2015 level. It has been fairly easy to keep our sign changed with fresh ideas. But as stated at the start, our success really started 34 years ago. We feel that if you treat customers with friendly service, serve a great product, and earn their respect, they will stay loyal to you, even with the challenge of getting to you. As of the submission date, we still only have half or our driveway, dirt and gravel, open. It is finally starting to look like they are finishing parts of the project. They have until the end of October to finish all of the construction. We will be closed for the season before the whole project is done. As of this date, we have been able to exceed our sales goal. We feel this promotion was a success in keeping sales up during all of the mess and a cooler than usual summer. Henry s Homemade Ice Cream My objective is to bring awareness to the employees, our wholesale restaurant accounts, the store, and the community, by being thankful. Verbal thank you giving positive feedback often management by walking around. The art of writing a thank you note to restaurants and catering. Post positive news, complements let all employees know when you see something positive. Thankful to our community run ad; social media; programs like Sundae School, Girl Scouts, support softball. This program achieved its goal, we are thankful. We just need to realize that we need to slow down, stop, and analyze all business that you do. The final analysis of a project is not finished until you thank someone who helped you achieve your goal. This program is easily adaptable by any store. We also notice employees are happier, your restaurant loves you and it is contagious. Homestead Creamery Webster s definition of promotion: the act of furthering the growth or development of something; especially: the furtherance of the acceptance and sale of merchandise through advertising, publicity or discounting. How do you create promotions? Which promotions work? What drives customers to come into my shop? Is it a bargain or the experience? These are all questions that we, as ice cream shop owners and managers ask. If you are a yearround shop, there is a slow time that becomes known as the fall and winter slump. To keep business going, you must get creative and constantly be in your customers thoughts. One of the main reasons customers come into an ice cream shop is to celebrate or to reward themselves for something special. Why not just have a promotion where your customer gets to experience an exclusive item that they can only find at your shop for a limited time only! It makes them keep coming back for more! What other way to celebrate National Milkshake Month in September than to have an abundance of unique shakes to shake your customers up? Shake-Tember was created to pull in customers as our fall slump was beginning. In addition, we wanted to get all our store employees involved in not only making the shakes for the month but creating them as well. We wanted them to feel as if they had ownership and to take pride in our promotion. We started it off by explaining the competition 3-4 weeks before September. We gave our employees instructions to come up with a shake combination and submit it for approval about a week before the contest started. All employees were to consider time of making the shake and cost of ingredients. This allowed them to think about how everything they use is a cost. We encouraged them to think about how variety is a necessity as well. Each individual shake was keyed into the POS system by their unique names for tracking purposes. As September started, we had 12 unique shakes ready to sell. We had posted it on Facebook as well as having a Shake- Temper vinyl sign made that we hung up outside for the whole month. At least five of each shake had to be sold before the contest started. This allowed the employees to work together to try to sell each other s shakes. A competitive vibe flowed in the ice cream shop as well as a renewed excitement. First place was to receive a $100 gift card and second place was a $25 gift card. We continued the competition throughout the month of September. At the end of the competition we sold 307 of the Shake-Tember shakes in addition to the 875 normal shakes. In Shake-Temper shakes alone we sold 44% more shakes in September 2016 than in September Total ice cream sales in September were up 26% from 2015 to In addition to our increase in ice cream sales, we felt that the foot traffic and sales of other products were also remarkably increased. Two of the shakes were so close in sales that we ended up giving two first place prizes and one second place prize. Several of our employees really got into the competition and it brought something fun, exciting and different into their work. It motivated them and certainly was a daily topic of conversation. They learned a little about marketing as they collaborated to promote each other s shakes. Throughout the year we had several customers come in and 7

8 ask for specific Shake-Tember shakes as well as our employees asking if we were going to do it again. Our sales from our milkshakes exceeded our expectations and we are now in the middle of our second annual Shake- Tember which is already off to a great start. Queen City Creamery This past year we really have been working on promotions to boost sales during our slower months. We started doing cake decorating nights in February and continued doing them through the month of May. We will begin them again in October. The cake decorating nights included: a premade small cake, decorating supplies to use, and a glass of wine. Each participant paid $25 to participate. Each month had a different theme: February, Valentine s Day; March, St. Patrick s Day; April, Easter; and May, Mother s Day. The participants were given a pre-baked cake and were guided through a decorating lesson the instructor (myself), showed them some basic piping lessons that allowed them to use their creativity and decorate their cake as they wished. When finished, the participants were able to take the cake home to share with their families or eat it themselves. We originally set a limit of 16 participants, but increased it to 30 participants because of the great response. We posted the classes on Facebook and within 24 hours the classes were full. By March, we added an additional night to try to meet the demand. Our sales compared to the same night last year drastically increased. On average, the cake decorating nights saw a 38% increase in sales as compared to the same nights of In addition to the profit that was made from the class itself, many of the participants would come early before the class to have dinner in our restaurant before the class began. Some would also purchase additional glasses of wine while participating in the class. Although we do have the capabilities to make traditional cakes in our restaurant, I understand that most of the NICRA businesses do not. This promotion could be easily modified to use ice cream cakes only. We have had such a great response to this promotion, and people are ready for the classes to begin in the fall. Plan Now to Attend NICRA s 84th Annual Convention & Trade Show Founders Inn & Spa Virginia Beach, Virginia November 7-9, 2017 NEW ACTIVE MEMBERS Big Dipper Creamery 2014 W. 43 rd St. Sand Springs, OK / Samantha Cooper Brian Cooper DD Big Scoop 19 Parkcrest Ct. Simpsonville, SC / Michelle Sundquist Lewis White Evan Sundquist YY, SS Clumpies Ice Cream Co St. Elmo Ave. Chattanooga, TN / Doug Chapin Wesley Young MP, FD Doozies 21 Westlake Village Council Bluffs, IA / Susan Larsen Don Larsen FD, SS Fundae s Ice Cream & Sweets, LLC 5561 Primrose Dr. Whitestown, IN / Kasandra Miller Donny Miller Highview Ice Cream & Coffee P. O. Box Louisville, KY / Camille Anderson-Linton FD 8

9 Ice Cream Factory 246 E. 11 th St. Traverse City, MI / Lori Buchan MP, WD, FD, SS Nifty Fifty Soda Shop County Road 8050 Rolla, MO / Jennifer Ruth Ted Ruth DD Pecan Jacks Florida LLC 4368 W. County Hwy. 30A, Suite 105 Santa Rosa Beach, FL / Veronica Wyatt Timothy Wyatt FD Carol Ann Pisciotta 1206 Windham Ln. Silver Spring, MD / FD, II Point Creamery 3014 Route 88 Point Pleasant, NJ / Joseph Carannante Antonella Carannate MP, DD, SS Scoupe de Ville Ice Cream Parlor 3365 Main St. Birdsboro, PA / Melanie West FD, SS, II The Silver Lining Creamery 4123 Prairie View Dr. Rapid City, SD / Michelle Pulling Ian Pulling MP, WD, DD NEW SUPPLIER MEMBERS Cream O Land Dairy 529 Cedar Ln. Florence, NJ / Brian Fyfe Jay Schneier Robert Schneier Ice Cream mix and toppings Sea Breeze 441 Main Rd. Towaco, NJ David Jacobs Steven Sanders Josh Sanders Equipment rentals, manufacturer of syrups, sundae toppings, juices Swanson-Girard Distributing Southern Loop Blvd. Pineville, NC / Sean Girard Frank Faulkner Paul Swanson Distributor of Stoelting ice cream machines and parts NICRA MEMBERS ONLY FACEBOOK PAGE NICRA now has a members only Facebook page, just for members to post photos and videos of your store, ask questions of fellow ice cream store owners, exchange ideas. Share promotions, get and give advice. It is quick and easy to sign up. Go to com/groups/ Tell us who you are and the name of your store and we will add you to the discussion. Since the page was started during the convention in November, there has been a lot of discussion and because Yahoo just announced they have been hacked, we will no longer be using the NICRA News group. If you are a member of the news group, sign up for the Facebook page instead. 9

10 COME EARLY!!! Heron Ridge Golf Club Monday, November 6, Tee Time 10:00 AM Grab your clubs and get ready for a beautiful afternoon of Virginia Golf. Destination: the Heron Ridge Golf Club. Heron Ridge, which features 14 holes with lakes, water hazards or natural wetlands winds around a unique setting of tall Oak, Beech & Elm trees, Wetlands, Natural Depressions and uncommon elevation changes, topography that is not typically found in this geographical area. All of these elements lead to a unique feel on each and every hole and provides a more memorable experience for those that take on the challenge. Cost is $60 per person. STAY LATE!!! Tour of Colonial Williamsburg Friday, November 10, :00 AM- 3:00 PM Depart via motor coach with your tour guide for the charming town of Williamsburg. A dedicated, licensed tour guide will provide interesting and informative narration during the ride about the historic Virginia Peninsula and the Coastal Virginia area. Once you arrive in Williamsburg, you will step back into the 18th century while strolling through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg. Your historical interpreter will guide you through the past and the events that helped shape America s history as you enjoy a one and one half hour leisurely walking tour through the restored area of this lovely colonial capital city (Actual distance is approximately 4-5 blocks). Following your overview tour, enjoy free time to shop and browse in the many unique specialty shops in Merchants Square. High quality apparel, gifts, jewelry, unusual quilts, beautiful furniture and holiday decorations are but a few of the offerings found in this quaint, picturesque shopping area. Enjoy lunch on your own in one of the Colonial Taverns or in Merchants Square. Admission to buildings additional. Cost is $65 per person, includes transportation. 4 WAYS BUSINESSES BLUNDER AND MAKE A MESS OF THEIR BRANDS On a November day in 2008, three automotive-industry CEOs flew from Detroit to Washington, D.C., on a mission they insisted was crucial to their companies survival. They sought a federal bailout to help prop up their struggling businesses. But to the American public and some members of Congress, the CEOs lament that they were hard up for cash rang hollow because of their chosen mode of travel luxurious private jets. Their arrogant attitude left people with bad perceptions of the individual car brands, the overall Detroit brand and even the larger brand of cars made in America, says Larry Light, a global brand revitalization expert and CEO of the businessconsulting firm Arcature. Such stumbles aren t that unusual, and brands on occasion commit major missteps that risk putting them out of business. In fact, says Light, co-author with Joan Kiddon of Six Rules for Brand Revitalization, some people even claim brands go through a natural life cycle from birth to death, so the eventual demise of any given brand is inevitable. But he insists that s not necessarily so. Brands can live forever, he says. The problem is that brands too often get into trouble due to self-inflicted actions of their owners. Light says there are probably a dozen identifiable ways businesses can make a mess of their brands. Here are four: The arrogance of great success. Arrogance is bad for business and bad for brands. Avoiding arrogance takes character and effort on the part of leaders, Light says. The leader who creates a culture of arrogance by letting success go to the head and ego is a leader who is more committed to self than to brand. The comfort of complacency. For brands and organizations, complacency lulls people into laziness and inaction, and crushes curiosity and creativity. Eventually, it leads to market-share loss. The danger is that you stop looking at the changes in the world around you and in your specific market segment, Light says. Complacency creates inaction and, eventually, irrelevancy. Building of organizational barriers and bureaucratic processes. Bureaucracy and silos, where departments don t share information with each other, can damage the brand s health and the organization s health. Silos, for example, create all sorts of bad behaviors, such as hoarding, stopping the spread of ideas, and reinforcement of the status quo, Light says. When silos are combined with mind-numbing bureaucracy, a brand can stagnate. Focusing on analyst satisfaction instead of customer satisfaction. Too many companies focus on short-term gains and the stock value this quarter. They lose sight of long-term strategies and keeping customers happy over time. A brand needs to satisfy stock analysts and investors four times a year, Light says, but they need to satisfy customers every day. Yes, corporate boards have a duty to shareholders, he says. But those boards need to recognize that there is no shareholder value unless there is customer-driven brand value. 10

11 Even the biggest brands can fall into trouble, as we see all the time in the news, Light says. Sometimes it s a fast free fall, and sometimes it takes decades. But it doesn t have to be fatal. It s possible to change the trajectory from waning to winning. About Larry Light Larry Light, a global brand revitalization expert, is co-author with Joan Kiddon of Six Rules for Brand Revitalization. He also is the Chief Executive Officer of Arcature ( a marketing consulting company that has advised a variety of marketers in packaged goods, technology, retail, hospitality, automotive, corporate and business-to-business, as well as not-for-profit organizations. Prior to consulting, Light worked on the advertising agency side as a senior executive at both BBDO and CEO of the International Division at Ted Bates Advertising. He was global Chief Marketing Officer of McDonald s from where he was involved in one of the most recognized brand business turnarounds. From 2010 to 2014, Light was Chief Brands Officer of the global hotels group IHG. UNITED DAIRY FARMERS UPDATES ITS BRAND Bonding and creating memories with family and friends over ice cream is a tradition that motivates the Lindner family, owners of the United Dairy Farmers Stores and Homemade Brand Ice Cream. Produced in Cincinnati, Ohio since 1939, the company operates almost 200 convenience and gas stores across the Midwest. Three generations later, they continue to craft their ice cream with quality ingredients, attention to detail and care that remain the signatures of the UDF Brand and Homemade Brand ice cream. With competition growing from national and regional competitors, UDF reached out to San Francisco-based Perspective: Branding, to harness the unique emotion of the brand s story. According to Simon Thorneycroft, Founder/CEO of Perspective: Branding, This is a story about a classic American family with a rich history that has always been devoted to producing the best quality and a commitment to always deliver great products and excellent service. It s the singular idea of passing down the good stuff, that speaks to the brand character, the product and the origins of the recipes. After an extensive strategic visual audit, Perspective: Branding revamped the Homemade Brand line starting with a new distinctive brand identity: the image of a father and son gazing out to the future sitting atop the brand name. We are paying homage to the wholesome values and family history -- the passing of the baton from generation to generation, he adds. Thorneycroft then chose a white contemporary font with a twirl in the letter o on a solid black rectangle representing the creaminess and the act of mixing in all of the quality ingredients. Subscribe to The National Dipper The only magazine that keeps you up-to-date in the retail frozen dessert industry. Regular columns include: New Products Industry News Calendar of Events Classified Special features include: Equipment Reviews Management Articles Association Events Employee Training Promotions Annual Source Book Also Available: Dipping Tips Training Posters Manuals for Costing Products Employee Training Posters Point of Sale Posters Magazine Binders Call or write for a subscription today! 1030 West Devon Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL Phone: (847) Fax: (847) lynda@nationaldipper.com Subscribe on-line at:

12 2017 NICRA OFFICERS President Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper, Mammoth Spring, AR President Elect Jill Curran, Kimball Farm, Westford, MA Vice President David Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Secretary/Treasurer George Xouris, Andia s Ice Cream, Morrisville, NC Secretary/Treasurer Elect Jeff Shain, Shain s of Maine, Sanford, ME Immediate Past President Jim Oden, Debbie s Soft Serve, Smithsburg, MD Executive Director Lynda Utterback, Elk Grove Village, IL Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2017 Valerie Hoffman, Yummies, Warsaw, NY Sue Kloter, Kloter Ice Cream Barn, Ellington, CT Kelly Larson, Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MI Johnny McGregor, Clemson University, Clemson, SC Stan Sitton, Green Mountain Flavors, Oswego, IL Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2018 Cliff Freund, Cliff s Dairy Maid, Ledgewood, NJ Vince Girodano, Sno Top, Manlius, NY Bob Hearn, Hearn s Ice Cream, St. Marys, ON, Canada Juergen Kloo, Joy Cone Co., Hermitage, PA Jason Mandler, Carmen s Italian Ice, Rockville, MD Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2019 Mary Leopold, Leopold s Ice Cream, Savannah, GA Jim Marmion, Advanced Gourmet Equip., Greensboro, NC Patti Otte, Sweet Firefly Ice Cream, Richardson, T John Pitchford, JP s Custard Cart, Albuquerque, NM Dirk White, The Alaskan Creamery, Sitka, AK 2017 SUPPLIER OFFICERS President George Dunlap, C. Nelson Mfg. Oak Harbor, OH Vice President Cherish Mathews, Forbes Chocolate, Broadview Hts., OH Secretary/Treasurer Kyle Cameron, Joy Cone Co., Hermitage, PA Chairman Lisa Gallagher, ConAgra Foods, Naperville, IL COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Executive Committee Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper, Mammoth Spring, AR Nominating Committee Jim Oden, Debbie s Soft Serve, Smithburg, MD Convention Committee Jill Curran, Kimball Farm, Westford, MA Membership Committee Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Ice Cream Clinic Committee Pete Freund, Cliff s Dairy Maid, Ledgewood, NJ Scholarship Committee Cliff Freund, Cliff s Dairy Maid, Ledgewood, NJ MISSION STATEMENT FOR NICRA The mission of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association (NICRA), a non-profit trade association, is to be the leader in the frozen dessert industry that others look to for help, support and education. NICRA will promote business growth and development throughout the industry. VISION OF THE ASSOCIATION NICRA will associate with similar associations dedicated to the same interests. NICRA will facilitate communication and education that both newcomers and veterans in the industry desire to be successful. NICRA will maintain a feeling of family within the association as it grows, and be dedicated to responsibly managing the association while maximizing value to the members. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY NICRA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all of its endeavors. To that end, NICRA shall not tolerate any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any inappropriate behavior in general against any person affiliated with NICRA, including its members and guests, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation. This Bulletin is published by: National Ice Cream Retailers Association 1030 West Devon Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL Dave Deadman, Chairman Publications Committee Lynda Utterback, Editor 2017 National Ice Cream Retailers Association Vol. 38, No. 11 This issue of the NICRA Bulletin is now available online at Click on the Members Only button and enter your Username and Password. If you cannot find your Username and Password, call the NICRA office at or send an to info@ nicra.org requesting the information. IMPORTANT NOTE: Please LIKE us on Facebook using your personal Facebook page not your business Facebook page, in order to receive our comments in your News Feed. 12