Narragansett Beer Project

Narragansett Beer has a vibrant history and has been through a lot since its creation in
1890. The company is currently back on its feet and holds a significant footprint in the state of
Rhode Island both in the past and in the present. They have practiced and portrayed effective
community relations and continue to do so.
Narragansett Beer started with the John H. Fehlberg, Augustus F. Borchandt, Herman G.
Possner, George M. Gerhard, Constand A. Moeller, and Jacob Wirth, known as the original six.
The original six is a group made up of local businessmen that invested $150,000 in funds and
capitol to construct the brewing house in Cranston, Rhode Island in 1888 and thus creating the
Narragansett Brewing Company. In December 29, 1890 the first Narragansett Beer was produced
and became the largest brewery in New England.
Despite the successes of this growing company, the 1920s hit and prohibition was in full
effect. Narragansett Brewing Company was granted permission by the IRS to sell beer for
medicinal purposes, however, sales and cash flow wasnt where it once was creating damage to
the company. On December 5, 1933 prohibition was repealed and Rudolph Heffenreffer Jr.
became owner and president of Narragansett Brewing Company. He helped revolutionize the
company and created a new look and market strategy for the company in order to finance the
company and get sales back to where they once were. He hired Dr. Seuss who created
advertisements and their chief icon of the company.
They also began creating important community relationships that would drive their
business. In April 1944 Narragansett began a relationship with the Boston Braves and Boston
Red Sox for over 30 years. In addition, towards the end of World War II the company started to
launch different campaigns, one being the Hi Neighbor Have a Gansett slogan, which attracted

many due to its affectionate and close to home nature. They also began creating brewery tours
and promotional events using Irene Hennessey as a popular icon and soon after began using
animated advertisements to catch the eyes of many. The company recognized that their successes
were partly due to the amazing team of approximately 850 employees and rewarded each
employee with a gold-plated bottle of beer. The company offered their employees great pay,
benefits, and free beer! They created a happy and wholesome work environment for their
employees thus demonstrating their robust community relations practices. This also acted as free
advertising for the company. If employees were happy with the brand they would convince
others to feel the same way.
On July 15, 1965 Falstaff Brewing Company purchased Narragansett Brewing Company
for $17 million in cash and $2 million in Falstaff common stock. They continued to progress and
by 1972 Narragansett brewery was producing 1.7 million barrels per year. However due to
Falstaff leadership the brand began to lose its identity causing Narragansett to end its longtime
relationship with Boston Red Sox and furthermore moving the production of the beer to a new
plant in Indiana in 1982 causing Narragansett Brewery to officially close in 1983. After about a
decade of abandonment, the brewerys building was destructed.
After having a high turnover of leadership, a long time Rhode Island native Mark
Hellundrung along with other New England investors purchased the brand and worked to revive
the Narragansett brand identity. Former Narragansett brewer Bill Anderson returned to the
company and brought back Narragansett beers original recipe. Hellundrung increased the
companys footprint and created a strong community relations philosophy. Narragansett focuses
on the community and teams up with charities and local businesses to hold events and donate as
well. They hold beer tastings and have many promotions at local bars in order to market and get

more people to buy their beer. They also create seasonal brews along with brews that tie old
Rhode Island traditions such as Dels lemonade and Allies Donuts. Their famous Gansett Girls
attend public events and promotions, promoting the company in a positive and energetic manor.
According to Rhode Island Monthlys article Getting Crafty written by Joshua Aromin,
currently Rhode Island breweries cannot sell their own products and are only permitted to give
visitors up to a seventy-two-ounce take home sample as part of a brewery tasting or tour while
other states allow the sale of beer at breweries. Despite the distribution issues these companys
here in Rhode Island face new breweries continue to open. The demand in Rhode Island has
increased causing these small breweries such as Grey Sails to exceed their projections. This
company started with two full time employees and within a year has five full time employees and
has increased its capacity by 3,000 barrels (Aromin). Rhode Island has recently seen success of
craft beer due to a growing national interest. It is important for Narragansett to join these Rhode
Island brewers to help promote Rhode Island beer and keep up with these craft breweries. In
order to do so they must target these specific publics:
1. Women Ages 25-50
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in Rhode Island women make up approximately
52 percent of the population, meaning more than half. There are 545,093 women and
503,226 men in Rhode Island. In addition women are actively participating in the
workforce and women-owned firms in Rhode Island allocate for approximately 27
percent. It is important to target these women who firms and businesses because this
means that they have power and money. These workingwomen attend happy hours and
are more immersed into the culture of consuming beer. According to Craft Brewing
Business article Survey: Women drinking more beer, men drinking less? beer is
making strides among women when 26 percent of women named beer as their favorite

alcoholic beverage in September 2013 versus only 24 percent the prior year. Women are
interested in finding new flavors, which is a component that Narragansett excels in.
2. People of Hispanic Origin
Hispanic people are identified not by race but rather by ethnicity. The Hispanic and
Latino populations are growing rapidly meaning that it is very important to target this
population. The population of Hispanics of any race in Rhode Island is 13.2 percent.
Hispanics growing as a population also means that they are joining the workforce and
working more. According to the article Alcohol and the Hispanic Community,
Hispanics who choose to drink are more likely to consume higher volumes of alcohol
than non-Hispanic Whites. Due to the fact that Hispanics are working more and
becoming highly populated they are becoming acculturated meaning that they are
adapting to American culture, which can and does increase their alcohol consumption.
3. Veterans
Another significant group of people in Rhode Island are veterans. According the U.S.
Census Bureau there are 70,000 veterans in Rhode Island. It is important that they are
targeted in Narragansetts community relations plans because they are loyal and
represent a unique community in our society. It is important for a company to honor
Americas military and veterans because they represent support and loyalty two things a
company needs in order to be successful. According to Disney Institutes article The
Value of a Veteran to Your Organization, veterans play a valuable role in our
organizations and businesses. Veterans love to support true American companies and
brands because they fought for this country so targeting this sector of people can be
very beneficial to Narragansett Beer. Narragansett Beers footprint with philanthropic
outreach in a community resonates with Veterans and is a good way to get them
involved in supporting Narragansett Beer.

My recommendations to improve Narragansett Beer footprint and community relations in

Rhode Island stemmed from my extensive research of not only the company but also other
successful and large businesses. I have researched and analyzed four other businesses that have
successful and stable community relations efforts in Rhode Island, and nationwide.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island is a Rhode Island based healthcare company that
has a footprint in its community. According to BCBS.com the company has been trusted for 80
years and opens doors in all 50 states. In addition it is accepting by over 90 percent of doctors
and specialists. This means that the company is now nationally recognized however they still
stay true to the Rhode Island community. According to bsbc.com 1 in 3 Americans rely on Blue
Cross Blue Shield companies for access to quality healthcare. The relationships with our
communities and the improvements we have made together demonstrate The Power of Blue- the
power to make a difference. This statement shows that they focus on bettering the community
and the quality of the community. The company has invested $979,000 in financial or in-kind
donations invested by the company in Rhode Island.
In addition, a company that is very important to the Rhode Island community and
beyond, is CVS Health pharmacies. CVS Healths headquarters is located in Woonsocket, Rhode
Island. According to cvshealth.com CVS is a multi-million dollar corporation and the largest
integrated pharmacy company in the United States. From looking at CVS Healths website it is
quite clear that they hold an extensive footprint in Rhode Island when it comes to community
relations. The company holds many events and supports many local charities and organizations
in Rhode Island such as the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, The Alzheimers
Association of Rhode Island, Charity Classic Gold Tournament, and Women and Infants. They
are dedicated to giving back to the Rhode Island community through volunteerism, scholarships,

educational efforts, and charitable donations. If Narragansett Beer follows CVS Healths
footsteps within their footprint they can be sure that they will find success due to their
community efforts.
Next I will discuss two nationally recognize corporations. Starbucks is a nationally
recognized coffee shop that is highly documented for their employee benefits. In addition to
having a notable employee program they are also highly involved in the go green movement
and are big supporters of bettering the environment by using only eco-friendly products. Being
eco-friendly is something that many companies are embracing because they see the value in
becoming eco-friendly. Consumers are now seeking eco-friendly products and are interested in
companies who have ethics and are doing the right thing by going green. When reviewing
Starbucks webpage I found a page named Being a Responsible Company. On this webpage I
found an important statement that sums up their goal as a company: So it is our vision that
together we will elevate our partners, customers, suppliers and neighbors to create positive
change. To be innovators, leaders and contributors to an inclusive society and a healthy
environment so that Starbucks and everyone we touch can endure and thrive. This philosophy
has had a huge impact on their success and acceptance of their customers. Starbucks is also
committed to their hometown, Seattle, Washington and continues to create jobs for the
unemployed by creating a stable footprint in Seattle. I recommend that Narragansett Beer follows
this concept and brings production back to Rhode Island in order to show loyalty to its roots and
bring back pride and enthusiasm of the brand to the state.
Dominos is a leading company in its industry. Dominos is consistently one of the top
five companies in terms of online transactions, behind companies such as Amazon and Apple
(biz.dominos.com). Dominos has a commitment to the community and is committed to

supporting causes and giving back to its hometown in Michigan. The company partners with
nonprofit organizations and gives back to the community by serving food at homeless shelters,
giving pizza donations, and supporting their team members. They have created a The Dominos
Pizza Partners Foundation, which cares for team members and supports them by providing
immediate financial assistance to team members around the world. This company feels strongly
about taking care of their own which is something that I recommend Narragansett integrate in
its community relations plan. Narragansett Beer has been previously known and recognized for
its noble and wholesome treatment of its employees, which I recommend continuing. In addition,
Dominos also helps raise funds for worthwhile causes and supports nonprofit organizations
through fundraising. A unique aspect of Dominos footprint in the community is its commitment
to diversity. According to biz.dominos.com, Dominos commitment to diversity is based on
creating a unified and inclusive environment that respects and celebrates the uniqueness of our
exceptional people who invest their time, talents and energies while striving to make our
company the best pizza delivery company in the world. I recommend that Narragansett Beer
commit to an inclusive culture within their customers, team members, and community.
After analyzing Narragansett Beers history, and footprint in community relations I
recommend that they seek the above target audience groups and develop their 2016 community
relations plan based on the recommendations of the successful companies mentioned above.
Narragansett Beer should target women ages 25-50, Hispanics, and veterans in its community
relations program for 2016 in order to be successful. These target groups represent large numbers
of the population here in Rhode Island. The articles I used support my recommendations and
demonstrate why Narragansett beer should target these groups. Women are becoming powerful
and have the money to support hometown companies considering they themselves are business

owners. In addition, veterans and Hispanics are groups that need to be supported and focused on
because they hold important positions in society.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield and CVS Health are two local Rhode Island companies that
have it all together. They understand that it is their responsibility to support their local
community and give back anyway they can. These two companies have grown to be successful
and large in size not only in the Rhode Island community but nationwide as well. Their
community relations program and footprint in Rhode Island has immensely helped them get to
where they are today. Starbucks and Dominos are two nationally recognized companies that are
multimillion-dollar corporations that stay true to their roots. Starbucks focuses on bettering the
environment and supporting the green movement. Dominos focuses on giving back, through
donation of their pizza, fundraising, and supporting equality and diversity of cultures.
Narragansett Beer can improve their footprint in Rhode Island by using these
recommendations in its community relations program. Narragansett Beer should give back to
local charities and foundations, support their employees, and seek to better the Rhode Island
community. Improving their footprint in Rhode Island will furthermore improve their company
as a whole and make them both successful and profitable.

Works Cited
"About Us." Starbucks Coffee Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
"Alcohol and the Hispanic Community." Alcohol and the Hispanic Community. N.p., n.d. Web. 26
Oct. 2015.
Aromin, Joshua. "Getting Crafty." - Beer in Rhode Island. Rhode Island Monthly, n.d. Web. 26

Oct. 2015.
"Census.gov." Census.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
"Community." Community. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
Crowell, Chris. "Survey: Women Drinking More Beer, Men Drinking Less?" Craft Brewing
Business. N.p., 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
"CVSHealth.com." CVSHealth.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
Jones, Bruce. "Talking Point: The Disney Institute Blog." The Value of a Veteran to Your
Organization. N.p., 22 May 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
"Latest News." Narragansett Beer. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
"Trusted for 80 YearsOpens Doors in All 50 StatesAccepted by over 90% of Doctors and
Specialists." About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.