With hope this post here is not inappropriate…
I’ve watched over the past few years as state legislatures and the federal government have taken up issues of great concern to wine lovers without ever consulting wine consumers.
HR 5034 in Washington, D.C. would severely impact wine consumers…YET, no consumers were consulted, nor asked to testify at hearings.
Michigan and Illinois have stripped wine consumers of their rights to have wine shipped to them from out of state wine stores. YET, they never consulted with wine consumers.
Wine lovers have seen strange and odd burdens placed in front of them when trying to buy wine from out of state wineries. YET, when these rules and regulations are debated, consumers are not consulted.
Consumers are never consulted because they don’t have any formal voice. Ive been thinking for a long time that a national organization of wine consumers is necessary. So I’ve taken the first steps:
THE AMERICAN WINE CONSUMER COALITION
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I’ve spoken with marketers, consumers, lawyers, social media experts, publishers and others. They all said the same thing: “Gauge interest first on a platform like facebook where support can easily be gauged.”
That’s what I’ve done by starting the American Wine Consumer Coalition Facebook Page.
If there is significant interest in an organization that can represent the interests of wine consumers, I will go forward with:
-plans to legally formalize the organization
-Creation of a board of advisors
-seek sponsorship funding
-seek significant member benefits from wineries, wine retailers, wine accessory sellers, food and travel vendors
-heavily promoting the organization through events, advertising and sponsor partnerships
-eventually create a paid membership program
-eventually create a paid business membership program
-raise funds to lobby and advocate on behalf of consumers
It seems a daunting task, but if the benefits to members are substantial, if the mission is serious and if the administration is efficient, I believe their is opportunity here.
Would love your support by joining the facebook page and promoting the page to your friends. I would love your input and experience and suggestions. I have a certain amount of experience in marketing and promotion and running an organization. I’ve made a career in wine marketing and been the executive director of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association (The AWCC has no connection to the SWRA). Still, all the input I can get will be crucial to this effort’s success.
Tom Wark
tom@warkcommunications.com
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