Oliver Winery Confidential Memo
Memo: Paul Oliver, Jr.
Subject: Recommendation Paul I have been spending some time looking over the facts and figures regarding the pending decision you will be making at the board meeting. This is going to be a close one. I’m going to go along and just say to you first that ultimately this is your decision and I can only present the facts and give you my honest opinion. With that in mind I want to go ahead and tell you that this is a financially smart move but may be construed as a bit morally wrong, let me explain further. My first and foremost recommendation to you would be to terminate Janet Stabler, director of Marketing; she is clearly of no use. While her words and actions may come out as looking for only the best interest of Oliver Winery, her thoughts and reasoning represent something entirely different. It’s obvious to someone like myself, who has little knowledge of wine but a keen sense of knowing when someone is doing something for the wrong reason that drives me to tell you this. She has little care for the soon to be image of you and your father’s winery. It may seem like she is invested and cares but it’s clear from her powerful marketing position that she is positioning the wine to homeless people to make more money. This is very different then the originally planned idea to market the premium varietals to a more upscale target market. If she doesn’t want the wine to be consumed by homeless winos then how come she wants to up the alcohol percentage from 12% to 18%. Also, why is there a need to change the wine by making it sweeter and by changing the name. These are all sneaky moves that may be in your favor now but soon can turn against you.
Your father came here from Greece a hard working and morally righteous immigrant but now that image will soon change if you vote to employ this plan that was discussed at the previous board meeting. The only good Janet has done for your winery is find out that the wine market is strong and can handle another upscale wine. This makes sense as people who drink wine are usually willing to try a new type of wine, especially if it is regarded as upscale. What this winery and more importantly the wine market cannot handle is another cheaper wine segmented at homeless winos who rely on their daily alcohol intake. This will surely wreck all of the hard work you and Paul Sr. have invested over the last decade.
It’s difficult to see this point when the rest of the board, including your father, are in its favor. Personally I feel the same profitability can be achieved by sticking to the original plan of expanding the company via more socially acceptable terms. This would be a short term gain and only result in brand awareness turning negative in the coming years.
Now Paul I know this is a lot to deal with so take some time and think this through. How do you think this might affect other members of your board? Rev. John W. Calvin might resign leaving your board and winery open to much criticism that could do more damage than conceived. Just saying, what if the media gets a hold of the fact that a Rev. who once sat on your board needed to leave because unethical ideas?? Not a great predicament to be in Paul! I know you will make the