Team work
Caledonian's managing director explains how cricket influences its work ethic.
There might be a few uncharitable souls who would suggest that selling cask beer in Scotland is as unrewarding a task as persuading the Scots to support the quintessentially English game of cricket. If that were true, then Stephen Crawley would undoubtedly be on a very sticky wicket. But since he's quite successfully doing both, it would seem reasonable to assume that the affable managing director of the Caledonian Brewing Company (CBC) hasn't set himself such an uphill struggle as it might seem.
He played cricket for the Scottish national team, the Saltires, as well as for his birth county, Cheshire. "I'm a great believer in the idea that the values you pick up playing sport can be applied to business," he says. "You learn a great deal about the importance of teamwork and commitment."
Caledonian has bought this team ethic into play in a practical fashion, with cricketer Gavin Hamilton, who played for Scotland, Yorkshire and England, having worked for the CBC sales force in both London and West Yorkshire during the off season. Yorkshire captain Craig 'Chalky' White has also turned out for CBC on the sales side. The latest cricketing recruit to the sales team is Ryan Watson, who won man of the match in the Scotland v Holland ICC trophy when the Saltires beat Holland by 98 runs.
In April, CBC's flagship beer, Deuchars IPA, became the official beer of Cricket Scotland in a five-figure sponsorship deal. Part of the cash contribution will be used to bolster the Scottish game's players' fund, enabling six top players to make themselves available for cricket on a full-time basis throughout the season.The deal also reinforces Deuchars' Scottish brand heritage and identity.
This helps to differentiate a brand which, realistically, needs to generate most of its sales growth south of the border in order to prosper.
Privately-owned CBC has said that it saw volume sales across its brands increase by over 30 per cent in the 2003-04 year, at a time when Deuchars was still strongly growing in the ale market after being crowned Champion Beer of Britain by CAMRA in 2002. With its growth inevitably stabilising, for 2004-05 CBC is still projecting a further healthy rise in volumes of over 20 per cent.
While Deuchars is a top 40 brand in the Scottish on-trade, as calculated by AC Nielsen for the annual Publican Brands Report, only a limited number of Scottish pubs are equipped to serve cask beers. The CAMRA accolade was a huge benefit, says Mr Crawley: "We've been able to get through the door at the major pub owners thanks to the raised profile of Deuchars." The brand portfolio also includes Caledonian 80/-, organic ale Golden Promise, and a number of seasonal and bottled beers. A new launch is also imminent.
CBC itself is no stranger to tie-ups with bigger players. When Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) exited brewing at the Fountainbridge site in Edinburgh last year, it announced a partnership investment with CBC. S&N acquired the Caledonian brewery site in Edinburgh, which now produces the McEwan's brands as well as CBC's beers. S&N now sells the Caledonian brands to the UK off-trade, as well internationally. The global brewer also has a stake in CBC, run by the Caledonian management team, which is responsible for the Caledonian beer business in the UK on-trade. The partnership has provided Caledonian with access to wider markets while maintaining the company's independence. "We're masters of our own destiny," says Mr Crawley. "The tie-up with S&N has brought real benefits, but ultimately it's up to us where we take the business."
Pictured: Stephen Crawley, Caledonian MD; Martin Kellaway, sales director; Craig White, Yorkshire captain; and Gavin Hamilton Durham CBC and Scotland.
