Situation analysis

Druid City Brewery mainly uses Facebook and Twitter for communication tools. The company uses Facebook to provide information about hours, contact information and special events going on at the taproom. Although the company uses Facebook effectively, the company could do a better job at responding to messages on this social media platform (Druid City Brewing Company, 2012). The company also has a Twitter feed that they use to announce what kind of deals local bars are having on DCB beers. The company could also use Twitter to provide more information about the taproom (druidcitybrew, 2012). Druid City is currently working on its website. The website should be made available as quickly as possible because it would be a great tool to not only promote awareness for the brewery, but serve as a direct communication tool between the brewery and residents.

Bo Hicks and Elliott Roberts founded the Druid City Brewery on Black Friday of 2012. They’ve spent a combined total of nearly three decades studying beer, “a thorough and complete regimen of exhaustive tasting,” according to Hicks (B. Flanagan. 2013). After studying it and gaining an appreciation for unique beers, they decided to start crafting their own brews. They wanted to create something distinctive that their friends and family could enjoy.

Initially, Hicks and Roberts created a website on Indiegogo.com in order to raise $10,000 to help buy a seven barrel fermentation vessel for mass production of the brews. They ended up passing their goal quickly, and raised $12,327. Surprised by Tuscaloosa’s eagerness to help out their business, they decided to up their inventory and work towards opening a brewery (“Campaign,”n.d.).

“Based on the commitments and inquiries we’ve received from bars and distributors, our biggest worry is not to be able to craft enough beer for Tuscaloosa,” said Hicks. “We’re not worried about our time and work, we know we’ve got long hours in the brewery ahead of us. The thing we need most next is more room for fermentation (“Campaign,” n.d.).”

Not only were they interested in selling beers to any and every restaurant and bar in Tuscaloosa, Hicks and Roberts want to eventually partner up with local community organizations and farmer’s markets like Kentuck, Black Warrior River Keeper and the Tuscaloosa River Market.

However, they have missed an opportunity with the Black Warrior River Keeper (BWRK). Atlanta’s own successful local brewery, Sweetwater, has already partnered up with BWRK in an effort to raise money for the charity. All over Tuscaloosa, Sweetwater has put up paper fishes to indicate donations of support toward the success of the River Keeper foundation (G. Hagemann, 2013). It is a great opportunity that Druid City Brewery should get involved with, because local companies should be helping local nonprofits.

Also, according to the Brewers Association website, the craft-brewing industry grew 13 percent by volume in 2011 and 15 percent by dollars. Despite the trend, though, craft brewing has been largely inhibited in Alabama by state laws. But in the last three years, some of these restrictions on the beer industry were changed, opening the door a little wider for craft beer lovers and producers. (A. Ellsworth, 2012)

Since, the brewery has been able to craft three unique brews, which all debuted in December 2012:

• 
  Lamplighter India Pale Ale (IPA)
  
• 
  Druid City Pale Ale
  
• 
  Druid City Wheat
  

The key audience for the brewery has been for beer drinkers and craft beer lovers. However, with the rise of craft brew popularity, the target consumer has expanded to anyone 21-and-up. Craft breweries are beginning to target consumers who weren’t always big beer drinkers, and convert them to appreciate the unique tastes of craft brews.

Some external threats to Druid City Brewery will be the Black Warrior Brewery, which has yet to begin its taproom craft in downtown Tuscaloosa. The location of Black Warrior Brewery will be a threat because of its proximity to other local bars downtown. Druid City Brewery’s main threat is its inconvenient location: it’s at least a mile away from the closest bar scene in Tuscaloosa.

The Druid City Brewery already has a loyal following in Tuscaloosa dedicated to its success. The people who drink its brews genuinely believe in the product as well as support it because it’s local.

While the consumers are loyal, there are few. Druid City has a long way to go to create the presence and cult following like Atlanta’s Sweetwater Brewing Company. Also, the lack of a website prevents the public from getting legitimate information on how and where to purchase the beers.

One opportunity would be to create a presence on the Internet as well as on campus. While craft beers have mainly been aimed at older, more experienced beer drinkers, Druid City brewery could target college students by sending representatives with samples at game day bars like Gallette’s, Innisfree and The Booth. Also, they could partner with Black Warrior River Keeper, the Tuscaloosa River Market and other local charities and festivals to promote their product.

The Druid City Brewing company needs an active website and interactive online presence. While they have a Facebook and Twitter, there is not a reliable way to communicate to the owners of the company. After reaching out via email, Twitter, and Facebook, we received no response from both owners. Reliability, communication and an interactive presence will help build a loyal following for the Druid City Brewery.

Campaign Home. (n.d.). Help Druid City Brewing Company make more beer. Retrieved on

July 30, 2013 from http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-druid-city-brewing-company-make-more-beer
druidcitybrew. (2012, June 17). In Twitter. [Fan feed]. Retrieved July 26, 2013, from

https://twitter.com/druidcitybrew

on July 28, 2013 from

http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/07/druid_city_brewing_company_ope.html
Good People beers. (2013). Good People Brewing Company. Retrieved on July 30, 2013 from

http://www.goodpeoplebrewing.com/beers/