Rudder’s Rum Founder, Amy, Challenges Common Perceptions with New Business Start-Up
Left to right: David and Amy Rudd, Rudder’s Rum Founders
Founded by father-daughter duo David and Amy Rudd, Rudder's Rum emerged from their vision to craft a unique, handcrafted artisanal rum collection reflecting their passion for tradition, family, and exceptional taste. Their signature flavours, including chocolate and raspberry, challenge traditional perceptions of rum by offering a broader range of options to appeal to various palettes.
At 30, Amy is keenly aware that their business not only challenges traditional perceptions of rum but also people's assumptions about its origins.
Amy explained, “Often when I represent our brand at events, visitors assume it’s my dad’s business and that I’m hired help. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The brand is definitely inspired by my dad – a true gentleman and well-respected community member with an admirable work ethic. His values have certainly rubbed off on me and inspired me to take responsibility for advancing our business.”
Running a business demands versatility, and Amy exemplifies this by handling capital investment, finance, product development, branding, packaging design, developing an e-commerce website from scratch, marketing, and managing Rudder’s Rum stands at local events.
Recognising the need for expertise beyond her own skills, Amy has utilised business support opportunities from Staffordshire County Council, gaining valuable insights to propel Rudder’s Rum forward.
Harnessing Business Support Offered by Staffordshire County Council
Amy joined the Get Started & Grow Scheme and the new Start-Up Programme for Staffordshire provided by The NextGen to explore marketing opportunities for Rudder’s Rum.
These programs complemented each other well, with The NextGen offering training on marketing and branding theory, while the Get Started & Grow Scheme provided bespoke 1-2-1 support through an intensive marketing strategy workshop.
Kathryn Hyde, Managing Director of The NextGen, stated, “I met with Amy at Heath House in Uttoxeter, excited to discuss her new product range and the opportunities available to her. Every business I work with has unique challenges and needs a bespoke solution.
“One common challenge in the wines and spirits industry is its mature and competitive market. However, the rum segment is less saturated, and we anticipate a growth curve in the market similar to that which we have seen in the gin segment, driven by the variety of flavoured gins introduced into the market over the last decade. Manufacturers like Rudder’s Rum are developing exciting flavours that appeal more broadly than traditional ones.”
Kathryn emphasised the importance of a strong brand identity to stand out and appeal to consumers. Amy had clear ideas about the brand's influences, and defining these to drive cohesive marketing will be crucial for future growth.
Kathryn and Amy also reviewed tactical opportunities to enhance revenue and brand awareness, including SEO strategies to drive website traffic and creating social media content pillars to foster engagement and build an online community. They also used analytical tools to identify demand for future flavours, pinpointing gaps in the market.
Amy, reflecting on the guidance she received from Kathryn during a strategy session, explained, “I found the strategy session with Kathryn really useful, as she helped me to identify areas where improvements could be made to better support my business efforts. As a small business owner, it’s tough to understand the complexities of what needs to be done, how to find information, what takes priority, what all the technical terms mean, especially when things like SEO, domain ratings and social media aren’t your forte! Kathryn is easy to talk to, made me feel at ease and had a really clear approach to helping me understand the short-term priorities and some easy wins I can implement right now, as well as a plan of action for the longer term.”
The Importance of Branding for Start Ups
A common misconception about branding is that it is simply the logo design, colour palettes and fonts used in the marketing creative, and although these are all elements that contribute to your brand identity, your brand identity has many more facets including your mission, values, brand story and experiences of interacting with your organisation.
The NextGen offers an entire learning module dedicated to brand development and positioning which is accessible online 24/7.
Support Available for Start Ups
If you have a business based in Staffordshire, or simply want to explore a business idea that you have, then Staffordshire County Council have a variety of support mechanisms in place which you can explore via their website.
For more information about The NextGen Start-Up Programme visit the Start-Up landing page, to follow Rudder’s Rum on their business journey visit www.ruddersrum.co.uk.