Impact Seminar Snapshot: RNDC’s Alan Dreeben On Innovation At The Middle Tier
April 4, 2012The second-largest wine and spirit wholesaler in the U.S., Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) has managed to maintain progress through the troubled economic times by adopting new strategies and technologies. This year, the group is projecting revenue growth of more than 10%, to nearly $5 billion. At the recent Impact Marketing Seminar, RNDC partner Alan Dreeben delivered a presentation entitled “Building the Wine Market of Tomorrow through Innovative Distribution,” revealing the fresh initiatives and ideas that have driven the wholesaler’s expansion.
In an effort to refocus its wine business, RNDC has set a goal to increase “transparency and communication,” establishing stronger partnerships with wine suppliers, retailers and consumers, Dreeben said. Additionally, the company has worked to better educate and train its staff in order to offer better service, and has also ramped up its marketing division. “We do cross-merchandising with an in-house department, and we perform our own market research,” Dreeben explains. “Consumer data helps make products more relevant within an adverse market comprised of different cultures and ethnicities.” He adds that the company has switched from a “pull” to “push” marketing strategy, abandoning its newsletter for more dynamic electronic app content.
RNDC has also upgraded its technology. The wholesaler has computerized its warehouses, which are now able to ship more with less labor and breakage while continuing to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, RNDC can now auto-replenish product and provide electronic invoices for retailers. With these and other new strategies, “RNDC can continue to grow organically by the strong double-digits” in the years ahead, Dreeben asserted.
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