The Challenge:
- Increase consumer preference for California wine by creating awareness that California winegrape growers offer significant quality differentiation advantages
- Reach a broad audience of U.S. wine consumers and wine writers/wine trade media with messages of positive and differentiating aspects of winegrape growing in California
- Link these to a perception of added value to California wine
The Strategy:
- Developed a compelling communications platform to deliver messages about California’s winegrapes
- Identified and prepared winegrape growers to serve as representatives of California Wine Country
- Invited top-tier national media to ‘California Wine Country Tour’ in New York where California declared our independence as a wine nation
- Launched a campaign microsite to coincide with the New York kick-off event
The Results:
Secured 30 media journalists at event including ForbesTraveler, Good Housekeeping, Men’s Journal, Shape, Epicurious.com, CBS ‘Sunday Morning’, New York Times, Restaurant Business, among others. Nearly 50 stories resulted in wine trades, top-tier dailies, broadcast radio, online and regional publications. New York Times reporter Stuart Elliott, one of the most respected writers in the marketing industry, covered campaign in his weekly newsletter, “In Advertising”.
