The Business of Wine Wine Industry Public Relations Or The Proper Care and Handling of the Beast Tom...
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Transcript of The Business of Wine Wine Industry Public Relations Or The Proper Care and Handling of the Beast Tom...
The Business of Wine
Wine Industry Public Relations
Or
The Proper Care and Handling of the Beast
Tom WarkWark Communications
March 25, 2006
A. Stating the Obvious?1. The goal of any ongoing PR Effort in the wine
industry is to increase profits.
2. We are all here to make money.
3. A good public relations program, at its simplest, tells the world why Winery X is worthy of the consumer’s patronage.
4. Publicists are in the business of telling stories.
B. The StoryTo sell wine, a winery must be more than a maker of wine. A winery must offer a compelling reason to exist.
A winery’s story is a set of values and commitments that set them apart from other wineries.
Understanding that story, crafting it, being able to communicate it to various groups, then being willing to deliver the story over and over and over again, in a creative way, is what a publicist does.
C. Compelling Stories
1. Humanitas Wines:Giving Back-One Sip At a Time
2. Foppiano Vineyards: The Champions of Petite Sirah
3. Roshambo Winery: Wine for the People
4. Mayo Family Winery: Nothing but Single Vineyard Wines
5. Matanzas Creek Winery:Extremism in Pursuit of Quality
D. THE NITTY GRITTY: HOW TO TELL A STORY
Aiming a Story at Three Different Groups: Consumers, Trade and Media
Each Group Gets the same story, but gets it differently.
Aiming At The Consumer:Buy This (story) Wine!!
Newsletters: requesting they buy the story
Emails: electronically requesting they buy the story
Advertising: “Go buy this story!”
Events: experience our story
Tasting rooms: taste our story
Shelf Talkers: reach for our story
Media: a good reason to buy our story
Aiming At The TradeTraining More Storytellers
Sales Kits: creating the story book
Sales Trips: it’s story time
Trade newsletters: updating the story
Media:giving story tellers a reason to tell the story
E. The Proper Care & Handling of the Beast:
Dealing with the Wine Media
Understanding the Beast
Feeding Implements
Feed Them What They Want
Observe Them in Their Natural Habitat
Understanding The Beast
The Trade PressSmall, Technical, intra-industryWine Business Monthly, Wines & Vines, Practical Winery
The Consumer PressNationwide, Regional, Educational, Influences buying patternsNew York Times Wine & Dine Section, Forbes, SF Chronicle Wine Section, Food & Wine Magazine, Books
The HybridsFor Trade & Consumer, Enormous InfluenceWine Spectator, Robert Parker, Wine & Spirits, Newsletters
Feeding ImplementsCommunicating with the Press
The Press Kit
The Press Release
Pitching the Story
Face time
Samples
Events
Feed Them What They Want
The Wine Media has responsibilities.
By understanding these responsibilities and working with them as partners you help them do their job and you do yours.
Feed Them What They Want
What the Media Wants and Needs to Do Their Job: Lessons From the American Wine Writer Survey
1. What they get is not very helpful
2. New Products, Events, Awards = Useless
3. Personalities, Winemaking, Terroir, Trends = Useful
Feed Them What They Want
Breaking through the Clutter and Being Useful
1. Know the Writers
2. Fit Your Story To Their Needs
3. Avoid Disappointment
F. The Power of the Media
Robert Parker: The High-End Market Maker
The Wine Spectator: Expertise for the Masses
The Snowball: The Power of Many
G. The Secrets To Being a Great Publicist
Read
Write
Listen
Know Your Industry
H. The Blogosphere:A New Frontier
A PR Tool & a New Set of Publishers
Rapid Publishing
Rapid Spread of Ideas
Interactive
Potential for Creating Loyalty
Winery Blog
Winery Blog
Winery Blog
Regional Wine Blog
Varietal Specific Blog
Trader Joe’s-Wine Blog
Winery Website Design Blog
General Wine Coverage Blog
New York Times Wine Blog
Wine Publicist Blog
Rules to Blog By
1. Blog From An Angle
2. Express Your Unique Voice
3. Know the Wine Blogging Community
4. Publicize Your Blog
5. Post New Entries to Your Blog Often
6. Interact With Your Readers
Using Blogs To Promote
1. Treat Bloggers Like You Would Any Journalist
2. Contact Them Personally with Sample Offers
3. Post Comments on Their Blogs
4. Know What Each Blogger Tends To Cover
5. Do It Electronically
Tom WarkWark Communications
Public & Media Relations
Glen Ellen, California
707-933-9313tom@warkcommunications.comwww.warkcommunications.comwww.fermentation.typepad.com