Distiller magazine a publication of the American Distilling Institute, the Voice of Artisan Distilling; devoted to the craft spirits industry: vendors and distillers alike.
Issue link: http://distilling.uberflip.com/i/1306663
90 distiller place related to the issue at hand, no one is expecting you to be an expert or be able to solve it for all of society. First, let's talk about the statement itself, or, what you're going to say on behalf of your brand. In any statement you make, whether on social media, your website, a press release, or publicly, it's important that you identify the issue, acknowledge its impact, clearly state your point of view, and indicate what actions you will be taking beyond making the state- ment. If you can tie it into your brand story or values, that is also a great way to exhibit authenticity and deeper value-driven roots. When it comes to writing the statement, pay close attention to word choice, tone, and branding. Use your judgment and avoid overly dramatic or offensive language and alienating tones. All of this will depend on the topic at hand, of course, but keep your brand voice present according to your brand voice guidelines (which should always have a separate section on how your brand voice comes to life in difficult situations – if you need a refresher check out this past article or take a full course on brand story and voice.) And do your research…read a few recent articles on the specific topic you're addressing and search for any content related to brands commenting on the topic. While what other brands are saying shouldn't influence your statement it can turn up some nuances of how to best craft your statement to avoid unintended consequences. If you recall, when everyone started posting black squares to their social media profiles to show support for Black Lives Matter, many also included the #blacklivesmatter or #BLM hashtag. If you had done even the littlest bit of searching before posting though, you would avoid the backlash that so many brands and people got for including that hashtag given all the black squares were drowning out the people using that hashtag as the way it had previously been used and intended - to communicate important information on the #BLM topic. Making a statement is not the time to move fast, do your due diligence before publishing to avoid unfortunate missteps. How To Take A Stand — Taking Real Action Next, it's important that your brand does something beyond making a statement. Words are great, action is better. And remem- ber this action that you plan to take should always be included in your statement as well. When it comes to taking a stand there are lots of options to consider…and you can do one, some, or all depending on how invested your brand is in this particular issue. Consider making a sizeable donation to an organization who is making a positive difference in helping solve the issue. Just make sure to do your research on the organization first. Another action step could be to host a fundraiser or be a sponsor of a community event related to this cause. In some instances, an action could be changing your operating policies or procedures to better address or support the issue at hand. is could be something like your hiring practices or the way you operate your tasting room. In other instances, you may want to support a specific underrepresented or unfairly treated group of people by creating feature content or creating a platform to help drive more traffic to their businesses. e options are endless and really depend on the topic, but the important takeaway is to take action and make it known what action you plan to take in your statement. How To Take A Stand — Showing Continued Support Lastly, it's important to have a plan to con- tinue to show support related to the issue you are taking a stand on. Making one statement and one donation and then never mention- ing it or showing any support again is a start, but it doesn't truly show conviction. is issue likely isn't going to disappear overnight, so your support of it shouldn't either. is can be as easy as regularly creating space for In any statement you make, whether on social media, your website, a press release, or publicly, it's important that you identify the issue, acknowledge its impact, clearly state your point of view, and indicate what actions you will be taking beyond making the statement.