Lessons from the Vine #2 for Consumer Product Marketers and Developers – Living As Stewards – Darla Hall
An experience during a recent visit to the beautiful vineyards and wineries in Sonoma County, California, reminded me of a lesson we as marketers and developers of consumer products can take from our agrarian friends – the importance of living as stewards of our resources. We were urged by several neighboring wineries to visit Preston Vineyards, a wonderful organic farm and vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley founded in the 1970’s by Lou and Susan Preston. The Preston’s have taken a journey of discovery to grow from a conventional estate winery to a diversified farm where wine is one of many home-grown and hand-made food products.
The Preston’s have spent 40 years learning to live in harmony with their land and practicing to be stewards of their precious ecosystem. They utilize certain plants for their soil and erosion management properties. They recognize the importance of crop rotation and leaving some land uncultivated to contribute to the sustainability of the cultivated land. They have eliminated some non-native plant species and re-established heartier, naturally disease-resistant native cultivars. They cultivate pollinator insects to create natural balance and nurture crop yields. The land rewards them with abundant sustenance that they lovingly share with their loyal customers.
We witnessed and enjoyed the fruits of the Preston’s labors on the front porch of their general store and tasting room overlooking a beautiful lush garden of fruit trees, flowers and vegetables. We took a relaxing break to pair our picnic lunch of camembert cheese and fruit with the Preston’s fresh bread, delicious home-grown figs, and a lovely glass of 2009 Madam Preston.
The Preston’s are leveraging the wine-producing reputation of Sonoma County, while carving out a unique niche of diverse products that offer a buffer for changes in market demand. They live as good stewards of their land, while staying relevant to their market. As marketers and developers of consumer products we are also called to exercise critical stewardship practices including:
• Identifying where to plant and invest resources to maximize their potential to produce results and ROI
• Understanding how to leverage resources to create products that are unique, differentiated, and provide value to customers
•Implementing sustainable practices to nurture and build up both internal and external resources (e.g. people, materials, processes)
• Responsibly cultivating the most fertile ground or markets to achieve corporate goals balanced with a social conscience
• Sharing consumer, market and technology insights as well as best practices with colleagues to cross-pollinate learning and increase potential yield in market success
At Research Vibe, we strive to hold ourselves and our client teams accountable to strategically make the best use of all available resources in our work and research together.
We would love to hear how you practice stewardship in your work or how those desired practices are challenged with other competing demands.
Darla Hall, Co-Founder
Research Vibe
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