As a leading wine and spirits marketing agency, it’s not surprising that our view of PR is an expansive one.

PR isn’t a score. It’s not a one-off mention. It’s not what happens in a tasting room.

Public Relations builds credibility, awareness and, yes, sales

PR is a powerful marketing tool for wineries and distilleries, especially when combined with paid activations.

If your wine or spirits brand is looking to build awareness, think of PR as an integral part of branding calculus:  message x reach x frequency = brand awareness. If you want your wine or spirits brand to shine, PR can reach the right audience, with the right message, and the right frequency needed to generate awareness, interest, consideration, purchase, and engagement.

PR plays a starring role in this equation, but not the only one.

PR: Beyond just a score or mention

Most brands want to increase brand awareness, and that means increasing message frequency. To get there, Benson combines “earned” media coverage with complementary actions that all serve to drive message frequency, including:

• Social Media Advertising: Geo-targeted social ads driving traffic to retail accounts featuring your products (retailers love this strategy)
• Influencer campaigns:  Reach new audiences with well-vetted, expert sources catering to consumers who want someone else to curate their choices in wines and cocktails (and never read wine or spirits publications)
• Media Partnerships: Generating massive, but targeted impressions to specific demographics
• Events: Virtual webinars and in-person press events bringing your message to gatekeepers (see our YouTube channel for some examples)
• Spokespersons: TV satellite tours and media tours with media-savvy chefs, somms, and other experts.

PR Services: In a nutshell

Our best PR campaigns occur when our team is fully integrated with yours. These campaigns can include:

• Consumer lifestyle media coverage
• Beverage trade media coverage
• Scoring and reviewer strategy
• Virtual press webinars and in-person press events
• Press support for consumer, trade promotions
• Sales materials leveraging coverage, scores
• Amplification of coverage through social media
• Amplification of coverage to internal sales teams
• Broadcasts on Benson’s YouTube Channel
• Story pitches through our proprietary email newsletter
• Inclusion in on our website’s “Story Starters” and “Expert Sources” sections
• Media coaching and interview preparation
• Group press trips
• Client media tours
• Press releases and announcements: M&A, new hires, product introductions, etc.
• Speaker placements, executive quotations
• Complete reporting of clips, impressions/circulation using national databases.

See the agency’s Case Studies for examples of how coverage has raised awareness and increased points of distribution.

Let’s create your public relations plan now

For a free consultation with Jeremy Benson, schedule a call, email him at benson@bensonmarketing.com, or call him at 917.633.6002, extension 2.

There’s no commitment.  But be forewarned–you might like what you hear. Even though our contracts have a no-penalty cancellation clause, our average client engagement exceeds four years.

Ok, but how much will this cost?

Learn what PR, social media, and digital functions are best in-sourced, outsourced, or combined – and how much it all costs. Join our email list and we’ll send you our presentation, “Wine Marketing Communications Guidelines.” Twenty years of advice in less than 20 slides.