Old New Orleans Rum Case Study

The Old New Orleans Rum company was casually founded as Celebration Distillation Corporation by a group of artists and musicians in the 9th ward of New Orleans. In 1995, it incorporated and purchased and moved into a warehouse on Frenchmen Street (http://www.sos. la.gov/BusinessServices/SearchForLouisianaBusinessFilings/Pages/default.aspx). In 1999, the company was finally able to put a rum on the market. Over the years that followed, they produced a number of other rums including Old New Orleans Crystal Rum, Old New Orleans Amber Rum, and Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum. These rums received numerous awards: 2011 Pikimal.com Winner: Best Spiced Rum; 2010 International Review of Spirits ratings of 93, 90, and 88; 2009 International Review of Spirits rating 90; 2008 International Rum Festival Gold Medal for Crystal, Silver Medal for Cajun Spice and Amber, and Bronze Medal for Ten-Year; etc. These awards started in 2000 with USA Today’s rating of one the “Top Five Spirits of the Year” (http://www.oldneworleansrum.com/).
For such highly rated rum, the market penetration could be much broader and deeper across the US. Furthermore, although the rum is offered for sale in almost every bar, restaurant, and supermarket in the greater New Orleans area, the general public knows little about the product. They offer distillery tours, support local non-profits and host events at their distillery (http://www.oldneworleansrum.com/). They have successfully distributed their product but they are still in need of a more strategic marketing plan to reach the general public. They have the opportunity to capitalize on their origins in New Orleans’ 9th Ward and focus on their local flavors, especially in southeast