Shroom to Grow The secret to keeping gourmet food fresh isn't Ziploc.

How do you keep a brand relevant for 25 years? Gourmet MushroomsInc.'s secret is evolving while still staying true to itsoriginal vision.

Before

Co-founders Malcolm Clark and David Law drew on their strongscientific backgrounds to unearth their positioning as "thepioneers in exotic mushroom cultivation." In 1977, theytargeted the culinary and nutritional supplement markets with thenation's first commercial shiitake mushroom farm. Within 8years, sales, er, mushroomed to $1 million.

During

By 1981, shiitake mushrooms were ubiquitous; major corporationshad entered the market, the floodgates from overseas importers wereopen, and even Midwestern farmers had converted to shiitakefarming. Because Gourmet had never stopped its quest for exoticmushrooms, Clark and Law were able to extend their brand bysuccessfully cultivating the Pom Pom and later introducing aspecial variety from Bali that they named Baby Blue Oyster. Todaythe company offers 29 different varieties of mushrooms, with lessthan 5 percent of sales coming from the shiitake variety.

After

By year-end, the firm will have multimillion-dollar sales and a43,000-square-foot facility. Despite the company's success,it's still got one branding problem: its name. "GourmetMushrooms" doesn't make inroads into the minds ofrestaurant-goers and chefs. While brands such as Starbucks coffeeand Laura Chanel's chevre cheese routinely earn a place onupscale menus, this brand can't. This year, the firm iscontemplating a more distinct, yet consumer-friendly, name. GourmetMushrooms refuses to stick its head in the sand.

Elizabeth J. Goodgoldis CEO/chief nuancer of The Nuancing Group, a brand consulting firmin San Diego, and author of the monthly newsletter Duh!Marketing.

Contact Source

• Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.<<br> (707) 823-1743,www.gourmetmushroomsinc.com