Case Analysis Group 10 March 22, 2012

Transcription

1 Case Analysis Group 10 March 22, 2012 Skye Rawlings (S ) Karen Prins (S ) Joseph Rega (S ) 1

2 Who is the Five Islands Brewing Company? 2

3 Product, Place, Price and Promotion The handcrafted boutique beers produced by FIBC are natural, preservative and additive free without the addition of sugar, and are made with wheat rather than barley used by traditional commercial breweries who do so to facilitate high volume and rapid production. 3 The use of wheat makes for flavoursome handcrafted beers, and extra specialty ingredients such as strawberries, ginger, coriander and orange peel adds a new dimension to one s palette giving rise to culinary complementation.

4 Product Cycle 4

5 Current Market Environment Beer and Cider Market Volume by Segment (Fosters) Beer has 30% decline in market share since 1960 s Consumption of Alcohol by Beverage Type (ABS) 12% Growth in new Style Boutique Beers per annum in the past 5 years 5

6 Macro Environment Political Economic Social Technological Environmental High taxation rate on alcohol within Australia (between $18 -$34 per litre of alcohol dependent upon alcohol percentage in addition to GST)(ATO) Local tourism has a direct impact on sales due to the location and nature of the venue (WIM Entertainment Centre) Pressures from the media and community can influence the perception of licensed venues and alcohol manufactures and their impact on the community. Health issues with consumption of alcohol. Global trends in flavours and beer styles can require additional brewing knowhow and equipment. Access to information regarding beer has increased consumer knowledge. Unseasonal weather events can impacts sales. Legal Liquor Licensing can impact on location of promotional events and operating hours. 6

7 Micro Environment There is a large amount of diversity and segmentation in the craft beer market allowing for Five Islands to pursue niche differentiation strategies. Barriers to Entry are Low as equipment and supplies for start up are easy to obtain and can be purchased at a low cost. Supplier Power is Low as there is little supplier power in the microbrewery industry as the components in the production and packaging of craft beer are commodity products and can be purchased over the counter. Buyer Power is High as buyers are faced with numerous varieties of beer styles and suppliers. The Craft beer industry has little power with the wholesale distributors making it difficult to obtain distribution. Threat of Substitutes is High as there are a wide range of substitute products from imported beers, domestic beers, other craft beers, as well as wine and ciders. Rivalry is High as there are numerous micro breweries currently in competition as well as mass production breweries. 7

8 SWOT Analysis Strengths: Strong local customer base Well defined target market Unique quality speciality product lines Ability to adapt to change in Market Strong umbrella branding with smaller product lines underneath High industry recognition through International and National awards Opportunities: Specific niche for high quality natural beer product Internet marketing and online sales Identify high end venues for distribution channel Weaknesses: Low consumer brand awareness Competition with established beer bands Low economies of scale Lack of reputation in the market Lack of distribution channels Threats: Competition from other micro breweries Decline in local tourism market Shift in trend of current target market 8

9 Critical Success Factors Key areas for success: Distribution Build capacity to get the products to more customers. (Bottling for direct sales and liquor stores) Product Keep abreast of market trends Develop new seasonal flavours Promotion Build brand awareness domestically Build active community of users/advocates using social media and events 9

10 Recommendations Increase distribution of products by bottling What How Why FIBC need to get the product in the consumer s hand. With eight flavours available on tap with only one bottled flavour the reach is considerably reduced. Bottling more flavour gives FIBC the capability to distribute directly to customers and leverage the extensive network of bottle shops and licensed venues around Australia. Develop additional bottling capability Build larger distribution network using bottle shops and licensed venues Bottling allows for a wider audience to promote the product including beer clubs, tasting events and restaurants. This will increase brand awareness and therefore demand for the product that can be met by sales from the network of bottle shops and licensed venues Leveraging Unique quality Products Strong Umbrella branding Specific niche market to Address Lack of reputation in the market Low consumer brand awareness Lack of distribution channels Decline in local tourism market 10

11 Recommendations Increase promotional exposure of the products Firstly And Then FIBC advancement requires a comprehensive social media network, throughout Australia and globally where in the USA Coopers are distributing to every state. From this the following number of actions should be pursued:. Maintain current level of promotional activities Substantially increase promoting the unique FIBC brand. Packaging 6-Packs of assorted staple beers and promoting their shipping throughout Australia and even globally, to beer tasting fraternities, usually groups or parties of unique beer testing which tend to be monthly get togethers. Showcasing to beer and food festivals not only held regionally and intrastate but also Australia wide. Produce a flavour of the month and showcasing the flavour at domestic and international airports, and central train stations within their licensed areas. Furthering its current CBD showcasing, and distribution in Sydney, advance to multiple venues towards inner city bars and hotels. Showcasing to every Australian capital city, and distribution initially to CBD bars and hotels, and then following the Sydney model advancing towards inner city bars and hotels. Continue showcasing at International and Australian Beer Awards. When capital investment and production capacity permits, promote and distribute targeting the USA, Europe, Japan and China. 11

12 Posi4oning strategy for both mass and niche markets What Five islands need to develop a two way product strategy that provides a standard range product line for mass market and a secondary product line for seasonal/diversified products for their niche market. How The standard product range to consist of the 3 most popular beer varieties to be available on tap and bottled and distributed to the mass market. The niche product range to consist of an additional 5 different boutique flavours that are driven by customers needs. The needs will be identified through customer testing and feedback at the brewery/restaurant and other venues including product cycle testing based on overseas trends. The flavours will continually change to move with the needs of the customer on a rotational basis. Why Leveraging Unique quality Products Brand awareness Specific markets 12 Five islands need to segment their market into groups in order to position two distinct products. This will assist with the specific targeting; how to communicate with each of these groups, positioning; how the products should be perceived by each group and messaging; which specific messages to use to influence each group. to Address Lack of reputation in the market Low consumer brand awareness Shift in trends of the current consumer

13 Case Study Questions 1/ There are eight stages in the new-product development process. Should companies always use all steps in sequence, or can some be deleted or overlapped to speed the development process? Provide reasons to support your answer. There are eight stages in the product development process and all the steps identified in the Product Development Process are used in sequence. According to the Illawarra Brewing Company, occasionally a step is deleted or overlapped to speed the development process following consumer market testing. A preferential flavour may also be accelerated following the assessment of overseas trends. Handcrafted beer flavours are continually fast-tracked as testing can be done quickly and cost effectively. 2/ How many beer flavours do you think a beer manufacturer should offer? Three staple beers bottled and on-tap mode with an additional five beer flavours draught on-tap mode are considered the maximum for manufacture at any one time, according to the Illawarra Brewing Company; any more would be a promotional overexposure in the marketplace, notwithstanding plant production efficiency. Even with further expansion into NSW and Australia wide, an increase in flavours would be unlikely. When a new beer flavour is deemed marketable for distribution, in terms of taste and culinary positioning a flavour of the existing eight is replaced on a rotational basis. 13 "Ten years ago, the average drinker drank three brands of beer, "These days, the average drinker drinks seven brands of beer on a regular basis. They might drink a premium beer if they're out on a date, or a traditional beer if they're out watching sport with their mates. James Tait, corporate affairs director at brewer Lion Nathan

14 Case Study Questions 3/ There is a handful of very large beer produces in Australia, plus numerous imported beers. What are the main beer brands in your local region? How can a small micro-brewery such as Five Islands compete in such a marketplace? The two largest companies that own all major breweries in Australia are Fosters and Lion Nathan with the exception of Coopers which is the largest Australian owned natural brewery. The most common brands across the states are: Tooheys, VB, XXXX, Carlton Draught, James Squire, Cascade, Boags and Swan. Five Islands competes in this market space as it has adopted a different strategy than the large brewers, offering unique and seasonal product with no added sugar, chemicals or preservatives. We have seen the influence that microbreweries have on the large brewers when they have introduced new brands to compete in the microbrewery market and when they have failed they have invested in the microbrewery eg NSW Blue Tongue Brewery bought by SABMiller in / In your opinion, what flavours of beer, or niche markets, that don t currently exist might be a commercial success? As the market has changes and drinkers have become better educated about beer styles and types, people want to try new beers. Therefore we propose a share pack which comprised of six beers of three flavours. This mixed six pack would appeal too consumers who are visiting friends, wanting to experiment without an expensive layout of a full case of beer which they may not like the taste of. Additionally we believe there is opportunity to have consumers receive periodical deliveries of FIBC beers in a mix and match style case of beer. Currently the wine market exploits this well with wine of the month clubs and we believe that emulating this with beers would be successful. 14

15 Case Study Questions 5/ Five Islands Brewing Company currently targets residents in a local geographic area plus tourist. Given the high tourist activity in the region, how might Five Islands expand to market its brand outside the current geographic region? Five Island Brewing Company currently targets residents and tourists in the local geographic area. Given the high level of tourist activity in the region, expansion to market its brand outside the current geographic region and various venues in Sydney is limited to the current production capacity of the manufacturing plant. According to the Illawarra Brewing Company they have full intentions of expanding to the next stage. In order to expand capital investment injection will be required and a new brewery to cope with demand in line with their Business Objectives will need to be developed. Bottling could conceivably be outsourced and the brewery production and bottling could also be offshored. 15