We’re not fans of searching for top executives. By and large, we think, it’s best to promote someone who’s already in your organization. After all, they don’t have to spend time learning the lay of the land – or what needs to be changed.
But there are exceptions. And the biggest exception, we think, is when you hire someone from outside the organization who used to be part of the organization.
Case in point: Chris Swonger, who joined the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. a few months ago as president/CEO. Ten years ago, he had been head of public affairs for Beam Global. Then he left Beam to take a job leading global government relations for Smiths Group. Smiths has operations in more than 50 countries and does everything from making sensors to detect explosives, weapons, biohazards, etc., to components involved in heating and moving fluids and gases.
Smiths had manufacturing facilities in 40 states, and one of its units designed a grassroots platform. He also noticed the American Petroleum Institute had EnergyCitizens, which claims to be “1.6 million voices strong.” EnergyCitizens’s mission was to bring together stakeholders to advocate for the energy industry.
So when he arrived at DISCUS, creating a similar grassroots platform was high on his to-do list. He announced creation of that platform, SpiritsUnited, a few days ago. We interviewed him about it this afternoon. You can hear the interview here:
Spirits United is to harness the enthusiasm everyone in the industry has in the contributions it makes to society, on economics, etc. “What we’re trying to do,” he said, “is to bring them together, to mobilize them on big issues that are important to the industry.”
How would this work with employees at large companies, such as Beam Suntory or Diageo? we wondered. For the large companies with employees around the country. “By intent, Spirits United is a standalone brand. We didn’t want to brand it DISCUS because there’s a lot of different interest groups in the industry – state trade associations, for example – with common interests on big issues” such as the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which is “critically important for large distillers and small distillers.”
It doesn’t matter if it’s a small craft distillery in Wyoming with five employees or a large distiller with 3,000 employees, “we want to tap into that and get them engaged in the public advocacy platform for the industry,” he said. And ultimately, consumers on market access or tax-related issues, for example.
Ultimately, Swonger said, the idea is to “tap into all the great political equity that exists around the country, especially with craft distillers” giving them a voice with their Congressman, Senator or local legislators.
Swonger said that when he was in the industry 15 years ago, neither of the two companies for which he worked had a grassroots platform.
Spirits United can provide efficiencies for both the small and large distillers. “Take, for example, the craft distiller in Wyoming with five distillers. They’re busy building their brand and running their distillery. But they want to be sure their voice is heard by their Congressman and the two senators from Wyoming with regard to the Craft Beverage Modernization Act. What SpiritsUnited will let that craft distiller do in less than three minutes is write a letter in less than three minutes. They can populate the database with their name” and contact info. SpiritsUnited provides a ready-made letter that can be modified to give it their own voice.
With craft distillers in all 50 states, “we want to make sure that every member of Congress, every governor, every state legislator is engaged with and understands the important role the distilled spirits industry plays in communities all around the country – the economic contribution, the jobs they create.”
There’s a lot of shared interests between distillers of all sizes, Swonger said, although “one large company may have a different competitive interests with another large company, and that may happen with small craft distillers vs. large distillers. But we’re going to focus on the issues where there are common points of view,” he said, adding:
“And when interests come up with different points of view, we’re going to work hard to build bridges. I think there is complete solidarity within the industry on the importance of passing the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. Another campaign we’re just coming out with is garnering support for passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canadian Trade Agreement.”
One of the partners with DISCUS in SpiritsUnited is TIPS, which has 8,000 trainers that engage with bartenders around the country. Because of the way the bartender community is fragmented in the market, they probably don’t have a platform. But now they do.
Wholesalers also have a role in SpiritsUnited. “Wholesalers are important customers of ours, and we’re probably in alignment on issues about 85% of the time,” Swonger noted. WSWA supports Craft Beverage Modernization Act, tariffs, USMCA, etc.
“I hope ultimately we’ll be able to tap into consumers. There are many loyal, dedicated consumers. If we can tap into consumers to be advocates for the industry, that’s pretty powerful stuff.”
How will SpiritsUnited tap into consumers? “I hope that whenever there’s a spirits event, there’ll be a signup table for SpiritsUnited. Spirits United will be largely digital—social media – focused. If we can get those loyal bourbon, or Scotch, or gin, or vodka consumers, it will be great.”
This won’t happen overnight, he said. But he does expect it to happen within perhaps two or three years. “It’s going to take some time and full commitment and dedication,” Swonger said.