When promo sales across the industry dropped precipitously in March, firms scrambled to freeze expenses and shore up operations in order to weather the storm. For Russell Bird, owner of The Promo Addict (asi/302225) in Sherwood Park, AB, that meant locking down the entire company and making the tough decision to lay off several team members.

But a few months in, Bird had an idea: Tapping into his love of competitive barbecue, he decided to open a small retail store in The Promo Addict’s offices after friends called him asking for his professional grilling advice since they were cooking at home more often.

“I phoned one of my barbecue distributors and asked for five to 10 barbecues to have in my warehouse that I could sell to friends,” says Bird. “Within a week, they were gone. So, I got 10 more, and in a week, they were gone. And all of a sudden, I thought, ‘Maybe I’m opening a barbecue store.’ ”

In this episode of Promo Insiders, Bird discusses opening and marketing You Need a Barbecue, developing a line of sauces and seasonings, hiring back colleagues and the importance of pivoting, resiliency and perseverance in this craziest of years.

Podcast Chapters:
1:11 The early days of the pandemic
3:10 Traditional promo opportunities
3:54 Tapping into the barbecue niche
4:49 Russell’s history as a professional barbecuer
8:30 What’s happening at You Need a Barbecue?
13:48 Business resiliency in 2020
16:19 The power of social media