Strategic Execution

We talk about marketing and branding tea concentrates, especially our ThirsTea brand of iced tea concentrates.  Last week I was in New York, attending the BevNet Live event learning more about my craft.

For those not familiar with the event, it is a trade only conference that brings together brand owners, executives and beverage experts.  For two days we are treated to the insight and experience of others who have “been there, done that.”  We are talking some of the most influential people in the industry, sharing from their personal experience and discussing what they see as our industry’s next trends and challenges.

I had already written this week’s update on marketing and advertising, sharing some of what we went thru last week on a last minute print advertising campaign.  I will post that one next week.

Inspired by the conference, I decided to write about execution.  Not the “firing squad” execution in Utah, which seems to be getting ever closer to happening.  No, I want to talk about execution of a plan or strategy.

No matter how good a business plan or marketing strategy is, if your people can’t execute the plan you are going to fail.

If your business plan is so complex no one can understand it, you are not going to get funding.  If your strategy involves too many people doing too many things, it won’t be successful.

Focus on the execution part of your plan WHILE you are building and developing it, keeping the objectives simple (to understand, if not simple in nature) and your chances of success grow exponentially.

The mortality rate for new brands in our industry is 80%.  Most beverage brands won’t survive long enough to become a long-term success.  Why?

The simple answer is execution.  These new brands fail to build a program that can sustain itself.  The goals and objectives are too broad or too complex to be successfully carried out.  And since the planning is faulty, the execution is impossible.

Vita Coco and their CEO, Michael Kirban, have figured out the execution aspect.  They focused their product launch in their backyard and on a small achievable scale.  Michael did the first product distribution on rollerblades and got additional help from his mom.  Over a six-year period, Vita Coco slowly and methodically built upon their existing distribution.  Recently they announced a distribution agreement with Dr. Pepper/Snapple that will give them nationwide distribution.  Their plan was executed to perfection.

What is our plan?  Our plan is to build upon our existing distribution base.  In 2010 we have a big focus on increasing our sales in the east.  Specifically, we are looking at increasing sales in the northeast and southeast.  We hired two individuals, with DECADES of experience between them, to help us build sustainable distribution channels in those two territories.

There are specific, quantifiable goals for each territory.  And, we maintain an open dialog with our entire sales team to make sure everyone is speaking the same language and our overall corporate message is clear.

What are you doing to execute your plan?  Do you have measurable goals, or is your brand going to become an industry statistic?

Ray Welch

President