Is this a permissible tweet from a Revolution Wines, a California winery?
“Two days till @SaveMart Grape Escape in Downtown #Sacramento! Get tickets and info here: http://bit.ly/U7XFVq.”
According to the California Alcohol Beverage Control, naming the retailer in Revolution Wines’ tweet was a tied house violation. Manufactures or importers may not promote retailers. Specifically, naming a retailer in a tweet can be seen as providing free advertising to the account.
In the Sacramento Bee, Revolution Wines’ co-owner noted that its reaction was “to really button down on training.”
According to the Sacramento Bee, Revolution Wines avoided a ten day suspension by accepting a one year probation as a penalty.To avoid investigation by a state agency, remember that providing free advertising to a retail account is generally impermissible. You should review the regulations in each state carefully before referencing any retailer in your tweet, social media or even traditional marketing.