ABOUT Benson Marketing Group - Integrated Wine & Spirits Marketing

1 Team, 1 Industry

ABOUT BENSON

Benson is a leading wine and spirits marketing agency in the United States.

In 2021 we were named to the top 10 “Power List” of U.S. wine and spirits marketing agencies by Meininger’s Wine Business Int’l. Additionally, Beverage Trade Network included Benson in its 2021 list of top PR agencies highlighting, “stellar work that has attracted the right clients.”

Since 2000, we have worked with iconic wine and spirits companies, launched new brands, and even helped introduce and build whole alcohol beverage categories.

Our vision is to be the preeminent wine and spirits marketing agency. In 2005 we opened an office in New York and over the years our wine and spirits marketing services have evolved to incorporate digital marketing and advertising, branding strategy, media partnerships, influencer partnerships, PR, and advocacy marketing to better serve our clients. With a cross-cultural perspective and a collaborative team approach, our goal has never been to be the biggest, but to be the best at what we do.

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1 TEAM, 2 OFFICES

Working as one team, Benson’s offices in the dynamic, epicurean markets of New York City and Napa Valley — coupled with our virtual communications skill set–allow us to keep our finger on the pulse of influencers in the U.S.

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WINE & SPIRITS FOCUS

Our love for non-traditional marketing and great storytelling–and for all things vinous and spirituous–propels some of the industry’s best-known brands.

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INTEGRATED MARKETING

Clients benefit from cross-functional account teams composed of specialists in branding, PR, social media, digital advertising and advocacy marketing. Our combination of industry focus and service integration drives Benson’s average client engagement of four years.

TEAM BENSON

Benson’s vision is to create the preeminent global wine and spirits marketing agency.

To get there, the agency pursues a simple people strategy, the Upward Spiral. The agency adds truly outstanding people to our account teams, who deliver stellar results, which attract the right clients and allow us to expand and evolve. This self-reinforcing strategy influences every aspect of the company.

Jeremy Benson

President

Benson founded the agency in 2000 and directs client strategy and creative development. He speaks frequently at industry conferences and university seminars on digital media, direct marketing and brand marketing.

Prior to starting Benson Marketing Group, he was brand manager and export sales manager at Franciscan Estates, and marketing director for the Napa Valley Vintners Association which brought him from Los Angeles to Napa. While in LA, he managed PR campaigns for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton brands including Domaine Chandon, Moet & Chandon, Hennessy Cognac, and Tanqueray.

Benson holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BA from Occidental College, both in Los Angeles.

Sample of Industry Boards and Speaking Engagements:

Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine & Food Science, UC Davis: Former Board of Executives
UC Davis Wine Executive Program: Past Marketing Seminar Lecturer
Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium: Past Chairman, Current Steering Committee Member
University of California at Davis, Board of Visitors & Fellows: Former Director

Telephone: +1 917.633.6002 Ext 2

Thea Schlendorf

Vice President

Drawing on her experience working with Italian, Spanish and Portuguese brands, Schlendorf coordinates media outreach, story pitching projects, trade promotions and social media campaigns that garner attention for a diverse array of wines and vineyards. She also brings a tenacious and organized hand to wine events for press and trade.

Schlendorf joined Benson’s New York office in 2008 from Winebow, a successful wine importer and distributor located in New York. Working in the education department, Schlendorf developed training materials to help the sales team and buyers better understand and sell the company’s broad portfolio of brands. Schlendorf is a Certified Specialist of Wine, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and graduated with a BA in history and economics from Colgate University.

Telephone: +1 917.633.6002, EXT 1

Nadea Mina

Vice President

Nadea joined the agency in 2021, managing PR and marketing communications campaigns for a wide range of wine and spirits clients.

Most recently, Nadea was a Vice President at Rubenstein Communications where she handled a diverse roster of clients for national wellness, CPG, and hospitality brands including Eataly, Tate’s Bake Shop, The Russian Tea Room, and Crunch Franchise. Prior to that she worked at Sunshine Sachs agency and Sopexa on global brands including The Family Coppola Wines, Great Women Spirits, Monkey 47, Loire Valley Wines, Aveniu Brands, Emilio Moro Wines, Rias Baixas Wines, Wines of France, McCormick, and The Points Guy. She has also led national campaigns across a variety of sectors including travel, food, media, and publishing.

Nadea graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a B.S. in Journalism with Minors in Spanish and Ethnic Studies.

Tara Randall

Senior Account Executive

Tara joined the agency in 2000, managing and directing digital marketing and social media campaigns for clients. Programs range from sale-driving geo-targeted advertising and influencer campaigns, to SEO and community management.

Prior to joining Benson, Tara ran digital marketing for the brands produced by Scheid Vineyards in California’s Central Coast. She focused on content creation, advertising, web management and SEO. Prior to that she ran her own SEO consultancy. Tara graduated from IUPUI, Indiana University-Purdue University, studying psychology, music technology and journalism. Telephone: +1 917.633.6002 EXT 4

Lauren Liebler

Account Executive

Lauren joined the agency in early 2021 with five years experience in marketing communications. Prior to Benson, she worked at an agency specializing in travel and tourism with clients in the Caribbean and Florida. There, she secured valuable coverage and supported teams in winning multiple awards for integrated marketing campaigns. She also brings experience from the Miami headquarters of Southern Glazers where she worked in the public relations department and gained valuable knowledge of the industry.

Lauren graduated with a B.S. in Communication from University of Miami and received a M.S. in Marketing at American University.

Telephone: +1 917.633.6002, EXT 9

Marie Christina Batich

Senior Account Executive

Batich joined the agency in 2019, bringing an array of public relations, influencer marketing, media tours, and sponsorship experience from the luxury lifestyle food & beverage space.

Prior to Benson, she worked for importers such as Kobrand and Remy Cointreau, and agencies including Sopexa and Bullfrog & Baum. Her brand experience includes top tier Champagne Houses, Ketel One Vodka (and the launch of Ketel One Botanical), Gerard Bertrand Winery, as well as a bevy of French & Italian wine trade councils including Cognac, Loire Valley, and Burgundy.

When there’s spare time, you might find her mystery shopping in retailers to keep a finger on the pulse of what consumers are looking for and where they get their information. Batich graduated with a BA in speech communications and rhetorical studies from Hofstra University.

Telephone: +1 917.633.6002, EXT 15

Susan Benson

Finance Manager

Since 2007, Susan has managed the agency’s accounts payables and receivables, cashflow, and client expense accounts. She coordinates a range of different domestic and international accounts the agency uses to fund operations and client campaigns.

Prior to joining the agency, she managed winemaking and vineyard projects as Pahlmeyer Winery’s first full-time employee, in Napa Valley. Her finance career began in Los Angeles at First Interstate Bancorp, managing corporate and municipal debt obligations, and she continued in that role later in the bank’s San Francisco department. She has a B.A. in History from the University of Redlands, in southern California.
Telephone: +1 917.633.6002 EXT 11

Kara Prior

Senior Account Executive

Kara Prior joined the agency in 2022, managing media relations and marketing for various wine and spirits clients. She comes with nearly a decade of agency experience and a knack for storytelling across the consumer lifestyle sector. Her client roster has included Espolòn Tequila, Winc Wines, Zyr Vodka, GT’s Living Foods, and more. She has a proven track record of securing boundary-pushing and sales-driven coverage for clients, as well as executing award-winning creative campaigns.

Kara is based in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Telephone: +1 917.633.6002 EXT 10

Nicole Dickerson

Account Executive

Prior to joining Benson in 2022, Nikki directed content marketing for clients through her consultancy, including a luxury food and wine tour company and a new-age wine club. She honed her communications craft over an eight-year career in marketing and public relations in the entertainment, hospitality, and lifestyle industries. From launching national press tours for NBC Studios to orchestrating red carpet events for the likes of Netflix, Nikki brings diverse experience to the team.

Nikki has a Level 3 certification with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and graduated from San Diego State University with a B.Sc. in Marketing and Communications.

Telephone: +1 917 633 6002 EXT 12

Ron DeAngelis

IT Consultant

DeAngelis is a seasoned Information Technology executive based in Silicon Valley that has been working with startup companies for over 20 years. Ron and his team manage Benson’s technology resources and infrastructure, spanning WFH and office technology and a wide range of different applications that power the agency’s client campaigns.

Ron graduated from San Jose State University with a BS degree in Business Administration/Finance and Communications. He founded and has led Jump Start Technology, an IT consulting firm headquartered in Mountain View, CA, for more than 15 years.

Ron’s prior experience includes managing IT at C-Cube Microsystems (as it grew from 150 to 1200 employees with offices worldwide in less than 3 years), Novell, and Franklin-Templeton.

Telephone: +1 650.949.0667

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?

If you are inspired by how our strategy supports our vision, we invite you to review our current openings.

CURRENT OPENINGS

AGENCY NEWS

April 3, 2022

Tumbler & Rocks: Benson's First RTS Client
Sales of ready-to-serve and ready-to-drink cocktails have been red hot in the last few years, and Benson has signed its first RTS client, Tumbler & Rocks. The Canadian distiller has eye-catching packaging and a rapidly expanding footprint in the U.S.

March 4, 2022

Benson Builds PR and Digital Team
Kara Prior and Nicole Dickerson have joined the agency, adding depth and expertise to the agency's PR team and network of press contacts, as well as content marketing and digital marketing experience in consumer brands.

January 15, 2022

Rathbone Wine Group and Benson Partner to Build U.S. Sales
The campaign will include digital advertising, Public Relations, and marketing communications for the family-owned company's brands including Yering Station, Mount Langi Ghiran, and Xanadu, exemplars of Australia's quality and diversity at the ultra-premium level.

January 7, 2022

Nadea Mina Joins Benson PR Team
A former V.P. at Rubenstein PR in New York, and with extensive wine and spirits experience, Nadea has joined the Benson team as V.P..

December 1, 2021

Riboli Family Wines Taps Benson for Expanded Campaign
Benson's consumer and trade marketing and communications campaign includes the REG group of brands -- San Simeon, Maddalena, and Highlands 41 -- as well as the broader company, Riboli Family Wines, best known for the popular Stella Rosa brand.

August 19, 2021

Wine Australia Taps Benson for PR Campaign
Benson's U.S. media outreach campaign for new client, Wine Australia, will focus on the creativity and diversity of the Australian scene, elevating awareness of premium Australian wine, and promoting Australian Wine CONNECT.

July 15, 2021

Redwood Empire Whiskey and Benson "Drink Among Giants"
The fast-growing Redwood Empire Whiskey brand, part of Purple Brands, has joined the Benson client roster to raise awareness of the exciting California whiskey named after the state's ancient, majestic Redwoods.

May 14, 2021

Benson Named to "Power List" of Agencies
We're grateful that Meininger's named Benson to its "Power List" of top 10 U.S wine and spirits agencies, along with our respected peers. But it won't go to our heads. Promise. We interpret Roger Voss' article as inspiration to continue improving how we convey the fascinating stories behind our clients and the wine and spirits they create.

April 16, 2021

Benson Named a Top Marketing Agency
A blog post by Beverage Trade Network's Somm Choice Awards issued a call for more marketing spending, and named top U.S. agencies for wine, spirits marketing.

1 Team, 1 Industry

ABOUT BENSON

1 TEAM, 2 OFFICES

WINE & SPIRITS FOCUS

INTEGRATED MARKETING

TEAM BENSON

Benson’s vision is to create the preeminent global wine and spirits marketing agency.

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?

AGENCY NEWS

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