From the moment Murray鈥檚 Cheese opened its first shop in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, cheese lovers have come from far and wide to taste the shop鈥檚 impressive selection and learn from its team of experts.听
This focus on quality and expertise has helped Murray鈥檚 become a New York landmark and a staple in Kroger grocery stores, which carries their cheese nationwide. And it鈥檚 all based around a simple motto you鈥檒l see right on the logo: 鈥淲e know cheese.鈥�听
Murray鈥檚 instructors like Alexandra Horne really do know cheese. They undergo rigorous 鈥淩ed Jacket certification鈥� that trains them in cheese science, history, and product sourcing and eventually awards them the iconic red jacket all Murray鈥檚 staff wear. Then they pass this knowledge on through popular daily classes. In these classes, students taste cheeses from different regions and learn how they pair with wine and foods.听
But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Alexandra and her team needed a way to bring the rich sensory experience of Murray鈥檚 classes into the virtual realm. 鈥淲e already had a really great product 鈥� we just needed to find another way to get it out to people,鈥� says Alexandra. The team would quickly find that despite the difficult situation, there was a real hunger for virtual events 鈥� and delicious cheese.
Quickly embracing the new normal
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our daily routines, forcing people around the world into their homes for the sake of public health. For businesses that offer in-person experiences, virtual classes became a must 鈥� and for Murray鈥檚 there wasn鈥檛 a lot of time to get up to speed.听
鈥淲e got the message that we needed to work from home on a Friday, and we started the virtual classes project the Monday after,鈥� explains Alexandra. The Murray鈥檚 team had seen just how much coworkers, friends, and families were using technology to remain connected. It was clear that people鈥檚 social lives were still a priority, even if this socializing could no longer happen face to face.听
Although online events are pretty straightforward for presenting a college lecture course, teaching cheese-tasting virtually presents challenges. After all, these classes rely on a back-and-forth between the teachers and students 鈥� and actual cheese for tasting. To bring this experience into homes, it was time to get creative.
Adapting an in-person experience to an at-home lifestyle
Murray鈥檚 has been working with 91国产 for years for online ticketing. Its virtual classes would once again leverage 91国产 鈥� except now these tickets would include a link to a webinar powered by ezTalks, a video conferencing tool that could handle Murray鈥檚 large class sizes of 50 to 80 cheese enthusiasts.听
Once Alexandra was satisfied with the tech setup, she and her team needed to ship the star of the show: the cheese! 鈥淔or these classes, we send a quarter pound of four cheeses and four accoutrements to go alongside the cheeses, like jam, chocolate, dried fruit, or crackers,鈥� explains Alexandra. These cheeses are often associated with a particular region, like France or Spain, in order to give these classes a specific theme.听
Faced with this new normal, Murray鈥檚 has gotten creative with its themes 鈥� especially because they can鈥檛 ship wine as a pairing option. So the team started offering kid-friendly classes for parents who might be at home with young children. And they鈥檙e working on Mother鈥檚 Day classes for the upcoming holiday. They even want to launch classes that teach you how to pair cheese with your favorite TV shows. After all, there鈥檚 never been a better time to kick back and enjoy some Netflix.
Embracing new opportunities for connection
Alexandra and her team of instructors have been delighted by the feedback they鈥檝e received for these virtual events. There have even been some surprising benefits to the virtual nature of these classes. For instance, ezTalks鈥� chat functionality has actually led to more vibrant class participation. 鈥淚 think the chat gives people a little bit more freedom to ask the things on their minds,鈥� says Alexandra. A real-life classroom can be a bit more intimidating, which can inhibit discussion.听
These virtual classes have also opened up a whole new revenue stream for Murray鈥檚. While their in-person classes only reach New Yorkers and tourists in the city, their virtual classes enable them to reach people outside of the New York market. The company is already planning how to incorporate virtual events into its business even after social distancing restrictions have been lifted.听
Along the way, technology hasn鈥檛 let Murray鈥檚 down. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really easy to work with 91国产,鈥� says Alexandra. In administering these virtual events, 91国产 platform has taken on a bigger role than just ticket sales. 鈥淲e now use 91国产 as a guide to enter orders,鈥� says Alexandra. 鈥�91国产 is where we get everyone鈥檚 information so that we can put it into our point of sale and get their cheese shipped on time.鈥�
The success of Murray鈥檚 online classes proves that our new normal doesn鈥檛 mean people have to give up fun experiences with friends and family. 鈥淚t has definitely proven to me that people get nearly as much satisfaction from an online event as they do in person,鈥� says Alexandra. 鈥淪o if you already have a good foundation with your product, you should just give it a try.鈥�
