The Name Change Question
Recently, Balsamroot Winery in Manson, Washington changed its name to A Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards. Balsamroot was known for a fabulous red wine called Ivan the Red. I am a BIG fan of this wine. Since we were going to be in the area, I made it a priority to get up to this tucked away winery because I just had to know why they changed their name. The answer was because Balsamroot was hard to remember and just didn’t quite feel right.
When I asked one fo the co-owners, Judy Phelps, about the name change, she started out by telling me that most of their drinkers lived in the greater Seattle area and therefore didn’t know what Balsamroot was. This, she said, made it tough for them to remember the name.
Then she quickly grabbed a bottle with the Hard Row to Hoe label and said, “Can I tell you the story of the new name?” She proceeded to tell a wonderful and charming tale about how long ago there was a copper mine on Lake Chelan that was only accessible by boat. To entertain the workers, the company would row the workers to local “entertainment” options (read: a brothel) and it was tough to row all the men there and back.
So the name is a double entendre: their vinyards are hard rows to hoe (literally as the soil is pretty packed) and it was a ‘hard road to a hoe’ back in the day.
Judy lit up when telling the story. Their tasting room has a very brothel-esque feel (or so I would surmise, although I haven’t actually been to one) and you can even get his and her matching panties with the company logo on them.
The new brand totally works for them. It is authentic. It is fun. And it makes it easy for them to sell wine because they’re so excited about the name and telling the story and making it all come to life. And that’s good for business.
Name changes are not to be taken lightly. They are time consuming and expensive. The question to ask is: what will be different for your business or organization if you do it? Is your current name a barrier to success? Would a new name lead to more sales or donors or whatever else you may need to thrive? If the answer is yes, then you might think about a name change, but it’s certainly not a decision to be taken lightly.
I’d encourage anyone in the Chelan area to visit A Hard Row to Hoe. Talk to them about their name while sipping some of their wonderful, wonderful wine!
