Sainte Famille Wines (SFW)

Introduction

Sainte Famille Wines, which will be referred to in this essay as SFW, was established by Suzanne and Doug Corkum. The company specializes in the manufacture of wines located in Falmouth Nova Scotia in Canada. At the time, the Wine Industry in Canada fell into one of three categories: Commercial and table stock wines (high volume produced, lowest in quality and cheaper), Specialty wines (small volume produced, premium price, not wide distribution) and Investment wines (higher priced luxury collection wines). SFW decided to commercialise specialty wines with their own grapes. In terms of competition, the wine market was very intensive, Canadian producers suffered from US competition because of Free Trade between Canada and USA. US wine producers had large scale production and growing conditions and their wines were less expensive. Competition were intensive between American and Canadian producers who sold commercial and table wines. SFW was not affected directly by the competitions of US producers but market was open, enabling SFW to enter and compete if they wanted to. In order to better understand this case study, I will firstly conduct a critical analysis study and evaluate Suzanne’s Corkum’s motives in starting a wine business. In this first section, I will also be looking at the entrepreneurial character traits, if any, does Suzanne Corkum possess? Secondly, I will devise a marketing strategy for growth for SFW Limited and consider the extent to which such strategy is sustainable.

I. Critical analysis and evaluation of Suzanne’s Corkum’s motives in starting a wine business. Which of the entrepreneurial character traits, if any, can be attributed to Suzanne Corkum?

First, Suzanne has a solid background which show her motivations in starting a wine business. She had previous experience as a producer of strawberries in Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, Nova Scotia Strawberry U-pick industry went into decline and then together with her husband, they started to evaluate other commercial crops. In view of her previous experience and positions occupied in the several other companies, she felt confident enough to start her own business. Family heritage and upbringing also played a big part in encouraging her to set up her own business. She grew up in the family farm, so she was familiar with the business. She already had experience of making wines for family consumption whilst working in the family business. Starting a business requires the ability to constantly deal with new problems and challenges, without the traits necessary to withstand this, any “business could implode on you faster than it started”. (Jason Bowser in his, article 8 Traits of successful Entrepreneurs)

In terms of her entrepreneurial skills, she had many; most striking was her desire to be her own boss and be independent. This was evident because after leaving her last job, she constantly tried to build her business, she was a self-employed broker of confectionary goods, grew strawberries when she purchased her farm in 2004 and then she started her wine business. She was interested in any business linked to farming and agricultural activities.

When she saw Mr Roger Dial on Television, president of Grande Pre Estate Wines discussing the merits of grape growing in Nova Scotia, she saw it as an opportunity to set up her business after researching the wine industry with her husband.

Suzanne is disciplined, believe in herself and self-confident in her business. She knew exactly what she wanted despite barriers and difficulties that she meets, stay focus on her goal. When she had an issue about listing of wines with NSLC, she found a solution that was selling her wines under the farm winery policy which permitted her to avoid the NSLC whom demonstrate her skills as a good manager. To be a successful entrepreneur it’s necessary to be a good manager. (Sara Carter &John Evans) Also, company was well-structured even though it is a family and small company, everyone had a clear and well defined role. She is self-confident, she knows the market and she believes in her quality of wines despite barriers that she meets with the distributor network. The fact that she wants to grow and keep the control of her business shows some entrepreneur skills amongst which, determination, motivation and high achievement.

She’s an ethical entrepreneur, who is keen on adhering to her principles always. Most businesses are driven by profit and will not hesitate to adapt and change to make more and more money. Therefore, she could have found it hard to evolve and grow in competitive environment, had she not had, and adhered to her ethical principles. All these decisions that she made are measured for example before starting her wine business, were tested by planting one acre of grape wines. Then she saw that she did well in the warm summer climate of interior Nova Scotia, after her first trial she did a second acre to know if the land and climate were suitable for growing quality grapes. She didn’t start her wines business without researching and trial that shows her ability to risk but risk measured.

She is realistic about her production targets because she knew that she could not exceed 7000 cases of wines. When NSLC offered her to sale her chardonnay at higher price ($13.20), she found that prices were higher than her expected prices. She was afraid that the high price would

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II.

not encourage consumers to try a new wine. This shows that she knows the market and the needs of consumers and always has a long-term analysis of her products.

After looking at Suzanne entrepreneurial skills and her motivations to start her wine business, I am able to say that she is a good owner manager who is an entrepreneur (Paul Burns). In the next part of this study, I will devise a marketing strategy for growth for SFW and consider the extent to which such a strategy is sustainable.

Devise a marketing strategy for growth for Saint Famille Wines Limited and consider the extent to which such a strategy is sustainable.

In this section, the marketing strategy will allow us to demonstrate how SFW can growth and be sustainable while maintaining control of the company.

In my opinion I found necessary to use SWOT to understand in which environment SFW is, and then it will help me to explain the marketing strategy of SFW.

Firstly, we have to use SWOT analysis which may lead SFW to conclude that their Strengths and Weaknesses /Opportunities and Threats in the market environment in which the business operates and also the basis for undertaking customer analysis and deciding on market segmentation. This analytical tool

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