145 Legacy Ct, Napa, CA, United States of America, 94559
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Birth Of A Brand - A Guide to releasing a new brand or label
In my 35+ years of working in compliance for the wine industry, one obstacle is time. There never seems to be enough of it which translates to additional costs to your products.
So how much time is really needed to launch a new brand or new label.
Once you have determined your product, target market, price point, image of your brand, etc. the nuts and bolts process for approvals can seem daunting.
Coordinating between artwork, final label images and all mandatory label compliance, TTB label submission, printing schedule, bottling, labeling, state registration and approval, before being able to ship your product is like a dance; where everyone has to work together to meet each deadline.
Communication is key. Everyone should understand that their part of keeping the project moving may be coming up and to be ready or that the next person is counting on them to stay on target.
I've come up with a guideline that I continue to use in my own business for projects and clients.
An overall guideline for the compliance portion of launching a brand is allow at least 6 months time from your final label images to the release date. Listed below are timelines for different parts of compliance;
Working backward from your release date, here is the guideline
- Price posting states take 45 to 60 days. Posting is usually effective the first of any month, however some posting states require that you post two months or 45 days prior to the effective date.
- Product registration and distributor appointment 30 days prior to Price Posting. All other non-posting states can receive price changes or new product pricing at this time.
- Label / Bottling 10 days prior to registration
- Label printing 30 days prior to labeling / bottling.
- TTB approval 30 prior to label printing. You can allow more time in case you need to make label corrections
- Final label design 7 days prior to TTB submission.
Imports
- Importing wines; add about 6 weeks to your release date for shipping into the U.S.and clearing customs.
- The biggest mistake that import wines make is to print prior to having TTB approval. There is so much at stake that it is never worth printing labels before TTB approval. Since most foreign wineries are not familiar with exact requirements, it's very easy to make type-o's or miss some of the mandatory label requirements.
So there you have it. A bit of planning goes a long way. Please send me an e-mail and let me know if this was helpful to you.
eva@winecompliance.com 707-252-4725
About
Experts for over 30 years in compliance, regulatory requirements, licensing and reporting. We can help you concentrate on what matters most to you. Whether you're running a large winery or a small boutique winery or starting a new winery we support you in what makes your business great, and take the paperwork burden away.
Why we're here
Making wine is an art, but filing forms with regulatory agencies is not.
Having worked in the wine business for many years, Eva Bedolla saw that wineries struggle with paperwork and regulatory requirements every day. But the wineries she knew were interested in making great wine, not in dealing with the government. These requirements upon them were at best distractions, and at worst, serious hindrances to creating wine and running a wine business. Over time she saw that she could help wineries by taking away this burden and giving them peace of mind that paperwork obligations were being taken care of professionally and carefully.
In January of 2005 Eva launched WineCompliance.com. Immediately she began acquiring clients who were delighted to be able to outsource these obligations. Ever since then, Eva and her capable staff get to spend their days doing what they do best, so their clients can do what they do best.
How exactly do we help our clients?
We prepare alcohol reports, process license renewals or first-time applications, complete audits involved in reporting to state and federal alcohol agencies, and review current recordkeeping practices. We can also recommend ways of streamlining processes, reporting, train staff in compliance issues and act as a liaison to the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau). When a client needs time prior to disclosure of a problem situation requiring TTB or ABC notification, we maintain strict anonymity.
For example: If a client suspected that records hadn't been properly prepared, we could review their data and create any supplemental documentation that might be required in an audit.
If a client was aware of previous reporting errors but was unsure how to resolve the discrepancies, we could review data, establish critical supporting documents as needed, and submit corrections with explanations to state and federal agencies, putting our client's business back on track.
We know which documentation and filings to prepare if a client is updating or changing their business entity status. The client would then have reassurance of accurate submissions.
We see the big picture
Our wide range of industry knowledge allows us to see the bigger picture and understand how seemingly minor changes can affect a wine business in significant ways. We can advise on or execute the processes needed to ensure our clients will be in full compliance with state and federal alcohol agencies.
At WineCompliance.com we're a tight-knit team of experienced professionals. Together we provide some of the best service you will find in the wine business.
Contact
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| Title | Name | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Eva Bedolla | eva@winecompliance.com | 7072524725 |
Location List
| Locations | Address | State | Country | Zip Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WineCompliance.Com | 145 Legacy Ct, Napa | CA | United States of America | 94559 |
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