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Shaking Off Complacency to Safeguard
an Industry
Facing one of the greatest threats to their industry in a century, California winegrape growers created and funded a research board to halt the advance of a new pest capable of devastating the state’s $45 billion wine industry. That decision created the Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board (PD/GWSS Board) in 2001. While over $14 million was raised for funding over the next three years, grower apathy, confusion and support of the program was rapidly fading. In 2004, the California Department of Food and Agriculture retained Brown∙Miller Communications to create a stronger identity for the Board, enhance its reputation and solidify dwindling grower support for the program.
The success of the campaign was demonstrated when growers voted to continue to assess themselves to pay for the research by an unprecedented 9 to 1 margin. Every objective was met or exceeded. Specific success measurements include:
- A 64 percent increase in recognition of the Board’s new identity and recall of the Board’s key messages as measured one year after initiation of the education program.
- An 89 percent grower endorsement of the Board’s efforts as recorded by
the reassessment vote.
- Development of effective partnerships with 100 percent of all regional associations and every major winery and winery association in the state, providing ideal forums for Board spokespersons and significantly enhanced distribution of Board promotional materials.
- Outstanding increase (800 percent) in media coverage of the potential crisis with literally every targeted trade and farm journal (eight) providing extensive and repeated coverage, and newspaper coverage and editorial support seen in every targeted media market (nine).
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