Identity, PR and digital comms

For the 10th release of Otways vineyard, “Heroes” Vineyard refreshed the brand story, defined as quality, cool climate, organic, and outside any official GI. Identified key messages, benchmark analysis, market insights, core consumers – then brand story translated to web/social content with third party endorsements and cellar door booking content. Developed a 12-month comms calendar incl. Great Ocean Road and ‘City Series’ events, local collabs (Brae Restaurant and Forrest General Store), and PR campaign to wine media – top reviews from Halliday Wine Companion, The Wine Front, The Real Review, Inside Burgundy, Australian Wine Review.

Consumer launch and live music

For Macedon Ranges wine producer, Kyneton Ridge, Wine Brain developed campaign to promote their new Pinot Noir launch with live music, incl. the Skipping Rabbit Yacht Club concept and messaging, which ran over 8 weeks across social media, email marketing, PR campaign. Pitch to local, wine, food, travel, what’s on media, and group marketing event submissions (top hits – australianwine.com, visitmacedonranges.com, allevents.in). Event planning to meet budget/profit expectations and theme, with multi-tiered tickets for 100 guests sold out 3 weeks before the event.

Brand Story, Trade Kit & Web Development

Working with Brenden Robnik – I developed a Brand Story – included market research, competitors, differentiation and key message development that speak to on-premise trade and their targeted consumer demographic. Developed Trade Sales Kit – included a wine professional level portfolio, tasting/tech notes, selling points and essential business docs. Pivoting towards direct to consumer as COVID lockdown began – worked on Web Development providing for direct online consumer sales – and recently updated branding look-and-feel.

Comms announcement, for PR and trade audience

For boutique Macedon Ranges producer, Kyneton Ridge, developed a campaign to promote their being made the first certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia in the Macedon Ranges wine region. Incl. writing AWRI approved press release and pitching to key local and wine media (hits in Wine Business Magazine, Winestate, Gourmet On the Road, Midland Express, Oz Wine Review, The Wombat Post), with rework of campaign for inner city restaurants, pubs, and bars.

PR and digital comms

For Huon Valley vineyard, Two Bud Spur Vineyard, they had well-articulated brand story of sustainability, quality, aging, Huon Valley, so focused on PR campaign, 12-month activity plan project, and establishing consistent practices for engagement and reputation building.  Targeted wine media campaign, incl. top reviews from The Wine Front, The Real Review, Australian Wine Review, Winsor Dobbin – Gourmet On the Road. Activities at the cellar door provide content for social and digital channels, build the community and database. And Marketing Retainer of social and email marketing; setting up process handover for in-house management.

Integrated comms plan, PR, Social, EDM, and Web content

For collaborative regional group of 40+ vineyards, Wine South Tasmania, rolled out an integrated comms strategy for their two festivals, Spring In the Vines ’24 and Southern Open Vineyards ‘25, incl. hotel and wine tour event partners, wrote and pitched PR and media kits to long and short lead media, on the mainland and local Tasmanian press (hits in The Mercury, Time Out, Wine Pilot, Wine Companion, ABC Hobart Radio, Tasmania Times), with month-long social media campaign, and Mailchimp EDMs to owned audience.

Web content, Blogs, and Tasting Notes

Working with Directors Stuart Wood & Michelle Gadd to develop SEO keyword digital media content to improve engagement and search. Monthly blogs – tasting featured wines and writing notes, with accompanying feature researching, sourcing images, writing content, and posting to web platform for new wine releases and educational content – on subjects as diverse as Pinot Noir Guide, Wine Additives explainer, new releases from Minimum Wine & Rosnay.

Trade Collateral, Website and Social Media Management

This ongoing retainer for Levin Wines Australia includes supporting the sales function with targeted, location-specific on-premise and off-premise marketing and collateral development like price lists, point of sale signage and customer presentations. As well as website development and ongoing management and social media management.

Targeted Email and PR Product Launch Campaigns

This retainer project for Michael Hall Wines supports the release of the new vintage product range throughout the year with press release writing, new product sampling and key wine media distribution; as well as launching the wines with targeted, sales-driven email direct marketing to the consumer database and location-based trade EDMs to drive sales and customer tastings

Digital Communications Management

For collaborative UK import channel, Great Wine Estates, Wine Brain developed the brand story, website and researched portfolio with technical and tasting notes, individual producer backgrounds and winery logos, videos and images; marketing collateral, order forms, menus, press releases and Mailchimp EDM and social media all managed for updates and accuracy.

Brand Voice, Marketing Program & Activity Calendar

For a Macedon Ranges vineyard, Mount Monument, we worked with Eleni Arbus to deliver a detailed Marketing Program within the defined brand voice, focusing on direct to consumer sales, while supporting the trade with key promotions. Strategy, tactics and activities will be designed to increase consumer brand awareness and database development, support trade sales and reputation, and drive eCommerce and online engagement, presented in January 2019.

Brand story, Comms kit, Web development

Worked with the established, small, boutique label to develop a rich and authentic identity to effectively differentiate them from competitors. Incl. their key messages, brand story, regionality and winemaking philosophy. Researched core consumer and benchmarked wines against like products. Produced detailed tasting and technical notes for trade and consumer. Developed comms kit for email marketing, press release, collateral, and website development.

Marketing Program & Activity Calendar

For Beechworth producer, Indigo Vineyard, Wine Brain developed a consumer-focused Marketing Program, including multichannel strategy, activities and tactics, geared to cellar door sales and database increase and retention, presented a detailed, annotated Activity Calendar, of EDM, social content, brand collaboration, sponsorship leverage and community development.

Export Development Support

This export development support project for Bird On A Wire Wines comprised developing a brand story and key product messaging for importer meetings at the Hong Kong International Wine Show, including PowerPoint presentation and takeaway collateral for prospective shippers.

Promo Strategy 20th Birthday Festival

This promotional strategy for Melbourne wine retailer, Armadale Cellars, comprised an integrated, five-month social media, PR and event campaign to promote their 20th Birthday #AC20thBdayFest. The social and PR campaign ran over the tasting calendar, promoting key wineries and rewarding consumer purchases with a ‘golden ticket’ to drive sales and event attendance, between May and September 2017.