Russian River- A Craft Brewery: Building a Brand through Product Innovation

It was mid-2016. The husband-wife duo of Vinnie Cilurzo (Cilurzo) and Natalie Cilurzo (Natalie) were in a dilemma. The popular US-based craft beer company ‘Russian River Brewing Co.’ (RRBC) that they owned had been running successfully as a boutique winery with a limited production capacity. The company was known for its innovativeness and had won several awards over the years.

The perceived scarcity of the beer they sold had created a craze among beer enthusiasts who rushed to savor the beer within the short window of time in which it was made available. The rising popularity of RRBC’s beers attracted beer enthusiasts not only from the US, but from all over the world. The couple was finding it difficult to cater to the rising customer demand each year.