Archive for the ‘Public Relations & Wine’ Category
The concept of "Strange Bedfellows" doesn't usually figure into my work in wine public relations. The basic concept is help your client effectively deliver their brand message to a specific audience, be they trade, media or ultimately consumers. There's really not issue about worrying about whom you get in bed with. Politics is different. This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a dinner in honor of the Competitive Enterprise Institute. No one would ever mistake the Competitive Enterprise Institute…
Over at Wark Communications, the fancy name I've given to the public relations and communications consultancy that has been the the source of my income for the past 15 years, I've taken up with HAIDU.NET. I've agreed to be HAIDU.NET's communications agency of record. I've agreed to associate myself with HAIDU.NET. It's a big decision. For anyone who works as a consultant, whether inside or outside the wine industry, the very first things that must be understood is this: While…
I was disappointed, though not surprised, to see that today a conjunctive labeling law dictating that "Sonoma County" be placed on every label on wines produced from grapes grown in Sonoma County was unanimously passed by the California Legislature . Pushed as an effort to promote "Sonoma County" wines and a consumer education effort, the new law instead forces vintners to needlessly sully their package and undermines their own marketing efforts. Yet, the law does nothing to educate consumers. Passed…
People listen to Tim Atkin. At least wine people and wine industry people do, if not others who just think him a nice guy. But the reason the winiest among us listen to him is because for many years now he has ranked as one of the foremost wine communicators and educators. A Brit and Master of Wine, Tim has written for numerous VIPs (very important publications) and his talents are sought out by other across the globe. So I…
In regions like Napa, Sonoma, Anderson Valley, Finger Lakes and other wine producing regions where visitors have great choice which tasting rooms they'll visit and which bars they'll belly up to, the best piece of marketing a winery tasting room can employ is other tasting rooms. Put another way…referrals. The couple or group of couples standing at a winery tasting room bar and happily sipping on wine, talking about what they like and don't like and thinking about how much…
