Strengths
Sun King Brewing Company is a small, family-friendly business. The co owners of the company have an inspiring story on how they started it. Dave Colt and Clay Robinson were restaurant workers who had a passion for brewing beers. They also wanted to provide the people of Indiana with a home brew that grew their local economy. These stories inspire many locals to purchase their products and stay true to their brand.
The company has an aggressive marketing strategy that works wonders for it. It holds promotional tours and has a discount Friday, where clients get to sample free beer. Furthermore, the business has a strong public relations policy. It participates in several community events and builds a lot of clout amongst local buyers. In this Brewery, the business culture is quite homey.
Employees feel like they are part of something special as they are treated with respect. The organization has also garnered the reputation of being one of the best places to work in Indiana. The company offers life and disability insurance. It also gives workers free meals at least thrice weekly and pays them relatively well. The key strength in the firm’s product is its freshness.
Sun King sells its product to individuals within Indiana, so beer gets to them in a fresh state. This approach is in line with many people’s preferences for organic and freshly made goods. Additionally, the firm is highly creative as it sells a diverse array of specialty beers. The co-founders strive to use a meticulous process that yields consistent products (Yelp 6).
Weaknesses
The size of the company limits its effectiveness as employees tend to be overworked. A person like Clay Robinson carries out multiple duties such as public relations, marketing, delivery, supplies and equipment management, and even plays the role of a janitor. While multitasking may endear locals to the co owner, it undermines his effectiveness in carrying out all the jobs effectively.
This explains why the rate of growth of the company is rather slow. Some of their beer brands are not popular in the state. A number of customers that have tasted brands like ESB and Wee Mac assert that they are overwhelming. The company finds it difficult to strike a balance between the diverse arrays of tastes within its target market.
In an effort to appeal to a larger client base, the organization has made some of its beers bland. The product packaging is also a subject of intense debate. Some of the buyers would like to buy the beer in pints but do not have such an opportunity. Growler fillers are a great way of marketing the product but to keep customers loyal to the organization, it needs to make the beer available in more portable packages.
Opportunities
Beer making can always be improved upon. A series of ingredients such as yeast or malt could be changed in order to make the product more appealing. Some clients may take Sun King beer for its sentimental value rather than its actual taste. In fact, a series of Indiana natives feel that the Brewery does not make the best beer in the state.
Since it is relatively small, the organization can continue to experiment and establish a beer that many locals appreciate and love. Additionally, the company has often worn awards for its specialty beers, but the firm’s flagship brands are not as appreciated. Therefore, it needs to improve the taste of its flagship brands as this will elicit positive responses from consumers.
The organization ought to consider what its top competitors make and borrow some ideas from them. Sun King’s operating hours are inflexible and unsound for a Brewer. The organization closes during the holidays, after 5pm as well as on Sundays.
While these working hours may apply to organizations that do not focus on leisure, the same is not true for Sun King. Craft beer needs to be delivered when fresh, so making it available throughout the weekend is imperative. The firm needs to consider opening on Sundays and closing on Monday. Alternatively, it needs to have a shift system that will make it more flexible.
Threats
Companies like Upland, which boast of having created the craft beer industry in Indiana, may step up their campaigns on the basis of this advantage. Currently, Sun King is one of the most heavily marketed craft beer makers. It needs to keep up with this momentum if it hopes to maintain its position. Such competitors could reclaim their place as pioneers and thus outsmart Sun King.
The option of offering company tours can be borrowed by other competitors as it requires nothing special. Other breweries have larger spaces to accommodate visiting clients and may also offer satisfactory customer service. This may take away some buyers from Sun King. Price is one of the key competitive advantages for the Brewery.
It offers its house growlers for $5 and then sells them at $6.50 in other premises (Yelp 6). This approach has made the company’s offerings the most affordable craft beers in the state. However, competing on price always makes a business susceptible to price wars. Its competitors may decide to take it on, and they might win due to economies of scale.
Works Cited
Yelp. Sun King Brewing. 2013. Web.