Communication at Work

Virginia’s wineries face the fight of their lives, but you’d never know it.

With:
Robert Holland
Richmond.com

The conundrum facing Virginia’s nascent wine industry is a public-relations case study in the making.

A new state law that took effect July 1 prohibits Virginia vineyards from self-distributing their wines to retail stores and restaurants. Now they must go through wholesalers or face enforcement action by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control board.

The bottom line is that some Virginia wineries might go out of business because they can’t afford the wholesale distribution costs. The oldest of the state’s wineries are only about 30 years old and most others are just gaining traction.

The new law seemed to come out of nowhere. Some years ago, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation to allow wineries to self-distribute as a way to boost the new industry. Then, in 2001, out-of-state wineries cried foul because they still were required to go through wholesalers to sell their products in Virginia. The U.S. District court agreed and Virginia lawmakers tried to even the playing field by giving similar breaks to the largest out-of-state wineries.

Lobbyists for alcoholic-beverage wholesalers, however, persuaded legislators that their interests were greater than those of Virginia wineries and Virginia wine lovers. So, the requirement of wholesale distribution became law July 1 and suddenly the future of viticulture in the Old Dominion is in question.

One news account said Virginia winery representatives hope to rally the public’s support to change the law again in the next General Assembly session. A lawyer for the Virginia Wineries Association said she believes wine consumers will become activist on the issue once they understand the impact of the new law.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am interested in this story for two reasons. First and foremost is the fact that I am a big fan of Virginia wines. I am no wine snob, but my untrained palate tells me that many Virginia wines hold their own against the best American wines and many from around the world. Experts seem to agree, heaping praise and awards on vineyards including Barboursville, Horton, Keswick and Prince Michel, to name a few.

I am also interested in this story because it illustrates a basic tenet of public relations. In order for an organization to effect change, it must clearly communicate the issue and the call to action to its target audience. From what I can tell, Virginia’s wineries so far have failed to do that. They are not alone; many organizations don’t understand the power of communication.

I am more aware of this issue than the average citizen because of my interest in Virginia wine. I would be willing to take some sort of action if asked to do so – to write my legislator, to sign a petition or whatever. Yet, there seems to be no call to action by anyone with a vested interest in this issue. As of this writing, the Virginia Wineries Association Web site has no information other than a February news release giving an „update“ on the legislation that is now in effect. The Virginia Wine and Food Society Web site has nothing, either.

Perhaps the wheels are turning behind the scene, but right now the silence is deafening.

Communication can be a powerful tool for influencing the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of target audiences. Organizations that fail to understand the power of communication – especially during critical times like this one is for Virginia wineries – might not survive long enough to learn the lesson.

Robert J. Holland owns Holland Communication Solutions LLC in Mechanicsville. He works with Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to help them develop communication programs that support business goals. He is also available to speak to business groups about workplace communication. You can reach him at [email protected], at hollandcomm.com, or by calling (804) 368-0312.

Source: richmond.com