Monday, February 22, 2010

A Big Week!

Hair of the Dawg is a little over 90 days old, and while the whole process of getting it out on the market has been exciting and fun, last week was off the charts!

Over the past 3 months, we have achieved distribution across the entire state of Iowa (many thanks to our distributors and fans for all of your support!). On Wednesday, we had a meeting with a company that is interested in getting the Dawg into 10 other states, and the great thing is… they courted US! There are details to be worked out, and contracts to sign, but it should be happening soon.

On Friday, we paid a visit to our co-packer’s facility in Melrose Park, IL to work on the formulas for Margarita and Mojito mixes. Several friends and fans have volunteered to help with this process, but let me tell you, it’s not as fun as it sounds. Don’t get me wrong... I love spending time with Larry in the lab, but almost four hours of sampling citrus and sugar mixes (without the alcohol, mind you) is tough on the tummy.

First we worked on the Mojito. I told Larry that by the time we were done we’d have sour stomachs and fresh breath, but I do think we came up with the perfect limey, minty mix. After a much-needed break for lunch, we returned to the lab to perfect the Margarita. By 4:00 that afternoon, my stomach ached, my cheeks were locked in a pucker, and my right eyelid twitched every time I took a sip. But again... success! All that remains to be done is to finalize the labels (they’re going to be SO cute!), and the new mixes will be on the shelves in time for a long-awaited turn in the weather.

To top off the week, on Saturday we attended the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City American Advertising Federation’s ADDY Awards. The mission of the ADDYs is to recognize and reward creative excellence in the art of advertising (the local competition is the first step in a three-tiered national competition). The deadline for entries was in November, when Hair of the Dawg was just a week old. A good friend convinced me to enter our label, and I’ll be dawggone... it won...a gold! A “Best of Category” or “Best of Show” entry is automatically forwarded by the local AdFed club to the District competition . Gold awards are also eligible for consideration at Districts, but are sent in at one’s own expense. What the heck...why not?

So as weeks go, this was one to celebrate. With a little Hair of the Dawg, of course.

Cheers!




1 comment:

  1. Congrats to you both and to THE DAWG. Looks like you are well on the road to success; hope it extends south to Texas.... Congrats also to Best of The Show at the ADDIES... We here in the lowlands are very excited for you.

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