Back in the late eighties, one of bold steps taken by the founders of Barefoot Cellars was to invest in “worthy cause marketing” the funds conventional wine marketers would have invested in advertising. Developing multifaceted relationships with causes important to Barefoot’s retail customers and consumers was one of the company’s key success factors. Although Houlihan sold the company to E&J Gallo in 2005, the cause concept at its core has lived on — in fact Barefoot won a 2012 Cause Marketing Halo Award for its beach clean-up programs with the Surfrider Foundation.
Now a business consultant and author of the upcoming book “The Barefoot Spirit,” Houlihan will share strategies and tactics that small businesses and their nonprofit partners can employ to do well by doing good. Join us for what promises to be a spirited presentation.
Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.
Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.
They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.
Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.
To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.
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