What failed in Sales – Won in Marketing

Last year we had the opportunity to pitch BrewDog for their production facility coming to Columbus. In just two weeks, we put together the ultimate team to pursue a project that would have world-wide recognition. With the help of ZoCo Design, we developed and created a custom sales proposal like no other (See the process and story here). The total cost of chasing the project was over $15,000 in time and resources. However, in the end it wasn’t enough to win the project, or convince the BrewDog Team that Compton Construction could lead the project.

We spent long hours to meet deadlines and get everything produced. It felt like all the effort was for nothing. We poured all our efforts into this pitch. It was a stressful time that was then accompanied by disappointment.

But there is a silver lining!

Recently, we were invited to the American Advertising Awards (Addys) as a guest of ZoCo Design. They had submitted our sales kit for a marketing award, and it was up against some of the other biggest marketing pieces in Columbus. In total, there were over 500 submissions, with 25 Gold awards and 75 silver awards given.

Our Sales Kit won a Gold Award in the Sales and Marketing Category!

Out of all the award winners, we are proud to say that we were the only company from the construction industry to win. The Gold award now qualifies us for the national competition, where we hope to gain other recognition for our work.

What we learned from trying to run with the”Big Dog”

1. We can achieve creative solutions in short deadlines. Our team is made of up some of the most creative people in the construction industry. We put our minds together to come up with something unique and creative. Our ideas needed the help of many different skill sets to meet the deadline, and we did it.
2. In a digital world, real materials matter. There were 5 companies that submitted pitches for the project. Of the five, we were the only company to provide a digital and hand delivered copy of our presentation. To make an impression, sometimes a handshake and a little extra time spent can make a difference.
3. The pursuit of the “Big Dog” opened more doors than we imagined. If you look at the foundation of the content in our pitch, the theme was “We Build Breweries”. Our goal hasn’t ever been to only build breweries, or even to build all the breweries in Columbus. However, since the creation of our Sales Kit, we have had the opportunity to talk with over 6 other brewers that have started the search, or are interested in building soon. The creativity also introduced us to many other businesses hoping to build unique spaces. Get Ready Columbus! The local beer and entertainment industry is growing!
4. We Love what we do. Not that we had any doubt. At Compton Construction, we enjoy helping the local entrepreneur take the next step in their business. We love helping make visions come to life in the built environment.  We take the most pride in helping the social enterprises, local business owners, and friends of Compton Construction.