Based in Alnwick, the Northumberland Spirit Company has
grown from humble beginnings, producing its first blend of hand-crafted Alnwick
Gin from a potting shed in 2016, to securing award-winning status in the global
spirits industry and a turnover in excess of £300,000 per year.
Well-known in its native North East, Neil Osborne, director
and entrepreneur behind the company recognised that in order to grow the
business, its sales and marketing strategy needed refinement.
He approached the Business Clinic at Northumbria University
for advice and briefed a team of four future marketing experts to research a
strategy that would improve productivity through increasing sales and raising brand
awareness outside the North East of England.
The students took on the task, which also formed part of the
final year of their undergraduate degree at Newcastle Business School,
replacing the traditional dissertation with a business consultancy project,
which involves working for a real company to find practical solutions to real
challenges.
To meet the brief, the students conducted extensive primary
and secondary research into the UK market for specialist gins, reviewing brands,
competitors, trends, target markets and availability through online and offline
retailers.
The project culminated in a full report with actionable recommendations
linked to available budget and resources that would enable the company to grow its
market presence efficiently, promote brand recognition for both the business and
its growing range of craft gins, including flagship products Alnwick Gin and
Firestorm Gin.
Describing the business consultancy process, Neil Osborne, Northumberland
Spirit Company director said: “From the outset the business has grown organically
but we know there is huge untapped potential in the heritage gin market and we needed
a practical approach to capitalise on it, but most importantly, a plan that
would allow us to build the business in a manageable and sustainable way.
“The students have been thorough in their market research
and the detailed recommendations in their report offer us a solid base to work
from in order to grow both our online and physical presence outside the region.
“We have already begun to implement elements of their
strategy, particularly in relation to Firestorm, which we launched in January.
They addressed the brief well and gave us a lot to think about.”
Team member and final year business student, Emily Spink,
age 25 from Yorkshire, said: “The practical experience I have gained has been
invaluable. It was challenging taking on a real business project, we had to
collaborate as a team to plan our approach and meet Neil’s brief within the
agreed timescale.
“Working for Northumberland Spirit Company was a great
opportunity for me to put business development theory into practice in an
exciting and competitive market place. The skills and experience I’ve gained
throughout the process will undoubtedly help me in future projects.”
The Business Clinic at Northumbria University is an award-winning
education scheme that involves groups of business students forming a
‘consultancy firm’ to provide free advice to clients. The service is available
to all types of businesses from SMEs and multinationals to charities and third
sector organisations. The model enhances student employability and skills by
working directly with organisations and sectors in need of consultancy advice
by analysing the problem and providing up to date research and sound
recommendations to help them grow.
Nigel Coates, director of the Business Clinic, said:
“Northumberland Spirit Company is an ambitious small business that is
passionate about the quality and heritage of its hand crafted gins. They have a
great story to tell and saw the benefit that engaging with our students could
bring.
“Since 2013, the Business Clinic has seen over 1,200 students
work with and advise more than 300 organisations in a wide range of sectors
including SMEs and multinationals.”
