News from Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association

Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter

(April 25, 2010 - May 1, 2010)

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I don't know if other cities have any city wide programs like ours, but I will tell you what we have!

The City of Delano has an employee club. Each employee who works for the city, either full or part-time, can chose to be involved in the club or not. If they choose to belong to the employee club then a dollar amount is deducted from payroll to put into the club fund. Most people who participate choose to have $1.00 deducted each pay period.

The club uses that money to celebrate birthdays each month, send flowers to staff for various reasons (birth of baby, death in family, etc), supplying snacks for break room and any other cause the employee club committee deems worthy of recognition.

The employee club committee is made up of staff members from various departments within the city. They meet on a regular basis and discuss how the funds will be spent.

For example, each month we pick a day to have some sort of snack to celebrate the birthdays of that month. It may be cake, cheese and crackers, or maybe a pizza lunch. We also give each employee (whether they belong to the club or not) a gift card during the month of their birthday. The card may be for Subway, a local restaurant or one that can be used at any local business. The amount of the gift card is always $5.00.

It's a fun way to recognize our co-workers within all departments of the city.

Nancy Drumsta, MMBA Director

2010 Omnibus Liquor Bill Signed

The 2010 Omnibus Liquor Bill has been signed by the Governor. The bill includes language that now makes it legal for an exclusive liquor store to conduct off-site spirit and beer tastings, in addition to wine tastings.

Here is the new language:

340A.419 TASTINGS CONDUCTED BY EXCLUSIVE LIQUOR STORE.

Subdivision 1. Definition. For purposes of this section, a "tasting" is an event of not more than four hours' duration at which persons pay a fee to participate and are allowed to consume wine, malt liquor, or spirits by the glass without paying a separate charge for each glass.

Subd. 2. Tastings. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, an exclusive liquor store may conduct a wine, malt liquor, or spirits tasting on the premises of a holder of an on-sale intoxicating liquor license that is not a temporary license or on the premises of a holder of a wine license under section 340A.404, subdivision 5, if the exclusive liquor store complies with this section.

(b) No wine, malt liquor, or spirits authorized for use under this section may be sold for off-premises consumption. A participant in the tasting may fill out a form indicating preferences for wine, malt liquor, or spirits. The form may be held on the premises of the exclusive liquor store to assist the participant in making an off-sale purchase at a later date.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law, an exclusive liquor store may purchase or otherwise obtain wine or spirits for a tasting conducted under this section from a wholesaler licensed to sell wine or spirits. The wholesaler may sell or give wine or spirits to an exclusive liquor store for a tasting conducted under this section and may provide personnel to assist in the tasting.

(d) An exclusive liquor store that conducts a tasting under this section must use any fees collected from participants in the tasting only to defray the cost of conducting the tasting.

(e) Notwithstanding section 340A.409, subdivision 4, the premises on which a tasting is conducted must be insured as required by section 340A.409, subdivision 1.

Subd. 3. Malt liquor tastings. An exclusive liquor store conducting a malt liquor tasting under this section must also comply with the requirements of section 340A.510, subdivision 2.

Click Here for the entire 2010 Omnibus Liquor Bill

The Truth About Business Marketing

The success of your business depends on how you develop your marketing plan. Here are some facts about the marketing picture that can help you turn prospects into customers:

· On marketing: Marketing is the process through which you create and keep customers. Selling is but one step in the marketing process.

· On customers: Business operators don't work for themselves; they work for their customers.

· On products: People don't buy products. They buy the promises, the hopes, or the satisfaction they believe the product will deliver.

· On competition: One of the biggest obstacles to the purchase - and therefore your biggest phantom competition - is your customer's inclination to do nothing at all.

· On commitment: Dedicate time or money, or both, if you want to market your business from where it is to where you want it to be.

· On your business image: Most of the time, your business makes its first impression when you're nowhere to be found. In your stead is your ad, voice mail message, direct mailing, business sign, or logo. Most often, your marketing communications make your impressions for you. Be sure they send a uniform, professional message.

· On brands: Your brand resides in the consumer's mind, built as a result of impressions made by encounters with your name, logo, marketing messages, and everything else people see and hear about your business.

· On features vs. benefits: When you describe a feature of your product or service, you're talking to yourself. When you describe the benefit your product or service delivers, you're talking to your prospect. Consumers don't buy features - they buy benefits.

· On target marketing:It doesn't matter how many people you reach. What's important is how many qualified prospectsreceive your marketing message and how effectively you move them through the steps that turn them into customers.

· On print ads: Four out of five people read only the headline.

· On broadcast ads: It takes reach to achieve awareness; it takes frequency to change minds.

· On direct mail: Mail only to genuine prospects, convey a compelling offer, and use an attention-getting format.