BY KYLE SWARTZ

NABCA 2022 included the session , “ In the ‘ Spirit ’ of Helping : A Look at the Positives that Sprits Revenue Can Bring .”

While the weather outside was a dry heat , inside , the air-conditioned halls of the JW Marriott Desert Ridge hosted several days of networking , product sampling and educational panels . Common topics included the industry ’ s long recovery from Covid-19 and adapting with pandemic aftermath , plus modern consumer sentiment .

To the latter , many consumers now look for products whose values they share . Especially among younger generations .

“ People are who they buy products and services from ,” said E . J . Powers , partner at Montagne Powers , a communications firm whose clients include the New Hampshire Liquor Commission ( NHLC ). “ Seventy percent of consumers want to know whether the companies and corporations they buy from are socially responsible .”

“ Social responsibility is good for improving your bottom line , and good for your brand ,” Powers added , during the panel , “ In The ‘ Spirit ’ of Helping , A Look at the Positives that Spirits Revenue Can Bring .” “ I would argue that everything we do as control states is in support of the communities we serve and the central services we provide .”

Convincing the public of that positive impact is another task entirely . The fact that some people continue to push for privatization is proof that the messaging is not always perfect . Here , Powers saw opportunity for improvement .

“ For the recent , 85th anniversary of the NHLC , we used an 85 % -off discount to help raise awareness and talk about the evolution of our business ,” he said . “ A few years later , we achieved $ 4 billion in net profit , and used it as an opportunity to explain what it means to go into the general fund . We specified exactly what programs it benefits .”

Control agencies excel at generating funds for beneficial state

8 StateWays | www . stateways . com | Fall 2022