Event shows entrepreneurs how to build concept, brand identity
Tonia Speir speaks during Entrepreneurship Day at SiMT, Feb. 7. Photo by Melissa Rollins
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
During an event at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology Feb. 7, entrepreneurs-to-be heard from businesses professionals about ways to start, grow and market their business or gadget.
The keynote speaker for Entrepreneurship Day was Tonia Speir, co-founder of Growler Chill, a device meant to change the craft beer experience. Speir talked to participants about how her company used social media to grow interest in their product.
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it,” Speir said. “We are here to preserve and protect the craft brew movement, to protect the art of the brewer. How we do that is through an innovative device that preserves carbonation, keeps the beer cold and protects it from oxygen. The what is Growler Chill.”
When asked by a listener if they were the Keurig for beer, Speir said that they are not.
“It is really interesting because people do ask us that,” Speir said. “We are not Keurig for beer. A lot of people think that because you can get beer right on your countertop. One of the products that is closely aligned to our product tried to be the Keurig for beer and what they did was they misproved the marketplace and they opened the door for us to slide right in and solved the true problem. The craft beer drinker didn’t want to change their container. When you think about the Keurig, they actually changed the container that the homeowner brewed their coffee in with the K-Cup.”
Speir said that Growler Chill set itself apart from products in its space.
“Here is where we are a little different,” Speir said. “One of our signature things, in our logo development, is that we have a penguin. We went to the Greater Beer Festival in Denver this past October and everybody had these really clean, sleek kitchen-type appliance logos. We said that craft beer drinkers are fun…so we wanted a mascot. We wanted something so that our brand could have legs and reach out and give the consumer legs.”
When creating any new product and bringing it to market Speir said there are several key factors to consider.
“What is the problem that we’re solving, what need are we meeting for the consumer and can we swiftly answer the demand,” Speir asked. “It is not good enough to have a good idea and its not good enough to meet a need. Can you have a good idea, solve a problem, meet a need and get it to the customer before someone else does? That has been our fast track to getting this product to market over the last 18 months.”