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

August 1, 2011 – Winery Exchange, the only full-service custom brand beverage alcohol company, purchased Echelon in early 2011 from Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. The Winery Exchange has retained Benson for the fall re-launch of Echelon, which will feature a comprehensive messaging, Public Relations and Social Media campaign. Echelon is Winery Exchange’s first national wine brand. www.wineryexchange.com

July 1, 2011 – McManis Family Vineyards, a perennial “best buy” winery with vineyards in Lodi and Ripon, California, has hired Benson Marketing Group for a national Public Relations campaign to raise awareness. The family-owned winery farms 2,600 acres, selling the majority of its fruit but also producing its own brand. The campaign is geared to provide the foundation, tools and outreach to spread the word. www.mcmanisfamilyvineyards.com

May 1, 2011 – Tim Chaparro has joined the growing Creative Services team at Benson. His responsibilities include helping clients develop and sharpen their visual and editorial presence. Tim balances both design and production work, mostly through websites and social media. Prior to joining the agency, Tim worked at Milagro Marketing, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, as well as juggling his own freelance projects. He graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Design Studies.