2 Comments to 'A jug of wine, a loaf of bread… and some way-savvy PR'
Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'A jug of wine, a loaf of bread… and some way-savvy PR'.
:: Trackbacks/Pingbacks ::
No Trackbacks/Pingbacks
A jug of wine, a loaf of bread… and some way-savvy PR
Posted By katie allison granju
I mentioned yesterday that a new blog had launched advocating changing Tennessee’s laws to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores.
Since that time, the blog has been noted and the topic taken up for discussion by a number of different Tennessee bloggers. I actually got the original tip to the new campaign from Sean Braisted, and the blog has also been mentioned at Volunteer Voters (twice), by popular KNS bloggers Michael Silence and Carly Harrington, as well as HearIt From Us, Ktownlowdown, and probably some others I’ve yet to notice. Many of these blogs linked back to one another on the topic, and some have started offering some amusing commentary on the issue:
And what was the original purpose of keeping wine out of groceries? The only benefit I can see is for the liquor stores have the market cornered currently.
Yeah, I know we live in the Bible Belt and that’s just the way things are, but was there a problem with people showing up to church wine-drunk on Sundays because they stopped to get bread and eggs on their way and were seduced into buying a bottle of cabernet?
Apparently there’s a mini-movement going on to expand wine sales to food retailers. I’m not much of a wino–the headache just isn’t worth the great taste, but I wouldn’t mind being able to buy some high gravity beers now and then without having to make an extra stop. Either way, what do I care if someone else buys wine? How does that affect me?
The dialogue is underway. I even posted the issue - “should wine sales be allowed in grocery stores?” - as today’s poll question over at WBIR.com (so go vote already).
As it happens, the blog was launched by the PR firm for the grocery lobby supporting the change in the law. And I guarantee you that they got WAY more bang for their buck getting the conversation about the issue started this way - via Tennessee bloggers - than if they had just sent a news release to all 345666766 newsrooms across the state. After all, it’s a very interesting issue, sure to inspire strong opinions and dialogue, and blogs are the perfect place to launch the debate among voters.
I mentioned to a very smart PR exec friend of mine the other day that all PR firms now need to have a blogging expert on staff. This is a great example of why.
Mar 5th, 2008
Thanks for taking up the issue. At its core, this is about choice for consumers like you and me who want wine sales in retail food stores, which includes grocery stores and convenience stores. The interest is proof that we should have this dialogue.
Thanks for the link.
And you are dead on about the PR that can be provided “free of charge” through blogs…sometimes good sometimes bad…but then again I remembered hearing that there is no such thing as bad publicity.