May 1, 2012 – Hahn Family Wines has hired Benson to bring more attention to three brands it produces in the coveted Santa Lucia Highlands, which overlook California’s Salinas Valley: Hahn Winery, Hahn SLH Estate, and Lucienne. In 1991, Nicky Hahn created the Hahn Winery brand to showcase the region—that same year, he filed the application designating the Santa Lucia Highlands as an American Viticultural Area. www.hahnestates.com

May 1, 2012 – Laura Perret and Amy Yakuboff have joined Benson’s Napa Valley and New York offices, respectively. Laura joins the Mission Control social media team, and brings experience from her previous employer, Williams-Sonoma Inc., where she held a similar position. Prior to joining the agency, Amy managed publicity campaigns in the music industry, and built her wine knowledge by working at California Wine Merchants in Manhattan.

March 28, 2012 — Benson has opened an office in Paris to complement its offices in Napa and New York City. The agency now provides wine marketing services in France including social media, brand strategy, trade promotion, and direct marketing. www.bensonmarketing.fr

“In an increasingly connected wine world, a Paris office connects our clients with a wider group of experienced wine marketers and creative ideas,” said Jeremy Benson, president. “We continue to operate as one company, now we have an extra office.” Wine marketer Jeanne Peron has been tapped to lead business development in France. Peron was an account manager at Agence Clair de Lune for six years after graduating with an MBA in wine marketing from INSEEC in Bordeaux. Benson and Peron will be recruiting a Paris-based team later this spring and summer.

February 1, 2012 – Gerard Bertrand Wines, a leading producer in the South of France, has retained Benson for its Mission Control social media service in the U.S.  The company – including its Chateau L’Hospitalet winery, hotel and restaurant – was named 2012 European Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Benson also edited M. BERTRAND’s acceptance video at the January gala event. www.gerard-bertrand.com

January 15, 2012 – Benson’s U.S. team has been retained by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Soave, which manages global promotion for Italy’s most important classified white wine. The U.S. campaign will include branding, trade promotion, public relations and social media. www.ilsoave.com

January 2, 2012 – The AOC wines of Languedoc, Sud de France, are riding a wave of popularity in the U.S., with imports growing 22.5% in volume (and more in value) through YTD October 2011. The Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc has extended Benson’s U.S. public relations campaign through 2014, which complements the existing trade promotion campaign. www.languedoc-wines.com/english

Loire Valley Resigns Benson to 3-Year Campaign

November 22, 2011 – Benson has been retained again to lead a second, three-year marketing campaign in the U.S. for InterLoire and the Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins du Centre (BIVC), the two associations representing the wine producers, grape growers and negociants of the Loire Valley.  The campaign has a budget of up to 2.2 million Euros and includes a broad spectrum of programs and services including trade promotions, digital media, public relations, social networks, as well as maintaining a Loire Valley Wine Press Bureau in New York City. Exports of Loire Valley wines to the U.S. rose 43% by volume in 2010 versus 2009, the second fastest-growing French region. The campaign is supported by the European Union.

October 11, 2011 – Several new clients have joined Benson Marketing Group LLC in the past few months, requiring an additional hire in New York City office.

	David Cohn, account executive, manages trade promotional campaigns and joined Benson’s New York team in August. Previously, he led brand development and operations for Noble House — now the Gotham Wine Group – a mid-sized New York wine importer with distributor licensees in NY, NJ, PA and CT. David has also been a restaurant wine buyer, and is licensed to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

August 23, 2011 – In a sign of the growing use of social media for trade-facing communications, the Diageo Wine Academy has retained Benson for its Mission Control social media service and to produce a series of educational videos over the next year. The Diageo Wine Academy is a group of wine educators and digital pros at Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines whose goal is to share useful information about its portfolio of wineries with internal and external sales and marketing teams. The initial campaign focuses on DWA’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/DiageoWineAcademy

August 22, 2011 – Benson has been retained by the San Diego Chargers to help introduce a new wine this fall. The Chargers have partnered with veteran winemaker Anthony Bell of Napa Valley’s Bell Wine Cellars to create a limited-edition Cabernet Sauvignon bottling to celebrate the rich history and legacy of the team over the past 50 years. Chargers Legacy 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon retails for $24.99 per bottle and is available for purchase online, at select retailers and grocery stores in the San Diego metro area, during home games at QUALCOMM stadium, and by telephone at 707-944-1673. www.chargers.com