Turf Dawgs Practicum 2011

Challenge:

Turf Dawg USA is a Fairfield, CT-based start-up company that produces a sports gaiter designed to keep turf field pellets out of shoes and cleats. The company holds a product patent and was first to market with this concept designed to address a common problem with turf fields. Turf Dawg USA is facing a number of challenges as it seeks to grow its market share, increase its profit margins, and refine its positioning and messaging.

Project:

A team of Isenberg MBA students studied the marketplace, conducted numerous interviews with the client and with users and potential users of the product, and did exhaustive research on the growth strategies of once similarly-situated sports apparel companies including Under Armor.  Through research, the team was able to identify the strongest growth markets for Turf Dawg and also presented recommendations on how the company should re-position itself from a fashion-first message to one that reinforces the competitive advantage achieved by using the product. Finally, the team researched and presented a plan for significantly streamlining the manufacturing process that resulted in reduced costs and higher profit margins.

Impact:

"The Isenberg team brought a tremendous amount of diversity to this project, in terms of their knowledge of relevant sports, product manufacturing and the obstacles that stand in the way of market penetration. Together, they put a ton of energy and enthusiasm into the project, which showed in the rebranding and manufacturing recommendations that my company is currently implementing. Harnessing the expertise and resources of Isenberg was a dream come true for Turf Dawg. We hope to get to the top and be one of your great success stories some day!"

  - Chris Parisi, Founder & CEO, Turf Dawg USA