|
 SBDC Counseling Assistance
Counseling from Carolynne Gamble, Napa SBDC Marketing Advisor helped bring the new “Bearshead Napa Valley” DVD to market. Bearshead Productions is owned by James and Kerry Forbes, St. Helena’s wine film producers & publishers, and recent SBDC NxLevel graduates.
SBDC Counseling Solutions
Counselor and client together refined the text copy for the DVD packaging before going to press. With SBDC advice, the opening segment was expanded, and the order of various segments was rearranged.
“It was great to have access to a knowledgeable outside view of our emerging product. Carolynne is a marvelous resource and sounding board. We appreciate her enthusiasm and encouragement as much as her advice,” remarked Kerry Forbes.
Bearshead Productions Publicity and Distribution
The DVD features 44 Napa Valley wineries and 88 interviews. Advance publicity includes accolades from Peter Marks MW, Wine Director at Copia, Robert Bath, famous Napa Valley Master Sommelier, and George Starke from the St. Helena Star; “Here are breathtaking panoramas of Napa Valley’s beauty; this is a great gift for all your oenophile friends,” remarked George Starke. DVDs are for sale in the retail shops of wineries that are featured, as well as local bookstores. By repurposing their source material into a Podcast series and a book, Bearshead plans to maximize PR and sales through cross promotion through audio, video and print media.
Bearshead Productions Sales Growth/Employment Growth
Money for filming and production was raised through extreme belt tightening, a second mortgage, and winery commissions. The product has entered the marketplace nationally with distribution on Amazon.com and the bearshead.com website. Selling for $39.95, projected sales are on track to turn a modest profit by the end of the first year. The Bearshead Napa Valley DVD is the first in a series on Wines and Spirits of the World. James and Kerry are now starting production on future titles in the series, with the goal of establishing the Bearshead brand as the pre-eminent global source for wine related audio visual information. Owning 75% of the business, James and Kerry Forbes are now employed full time in the company and they expect to hire two part time sales people by the summer of 2007. They will also hire freelance technicians as needed.
****
Find an SBDC near you |
How can we help you grow? 
