Coastal Wine Trail
Media Relations
Challenge
The Coastal Wine Trail, a regional wine consortium in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut wanted a media campaign to take their brand to the next level and gain exposure for their 14 member vineyards.
Solution
Following a decisive sellout of their annual festival, we crafted a regional media campaign to capitalize on the new interest and buzz surrounding their brand. We positioned our communications efforts to cement their brand as a top New England destination for tourists, locals, and wine lovers alike.
We identified specific media outlets that would be interested in the client’s story. We sent individual emails to each reporter and editor on our media list.
To increase chances of coverage and enhance the relationship between the client and media outlets, we curated images to be shared along with the release and we conducted personal follow-up calls and emails to each reporter and editor on our contact list to increase coverage.
We polished the client’s media skills, providing best practices for interviews and on-camera television appearances, leading to excellent quotes and on-screen presence.
We monitored all coverage and compiled a list of Media Hits with links to published stories so the client could capture all coverage. In some instances, we provided hard copies of the coverage for the client’s records.
Results
Our media campaign netted 16 earned media hits, including a live broadcast segment on The Rhode Show on Channel 12. The Scottish Sun of Scotland mentioned the client in a tourism story. Discover Newport published a guest blog post written by our client, providing an opportunity to publish powerful messaging at a trusted source.
Other media hits included a centerpiece feature in the Sun Chronicle with multiple color photos and messaging taken directly from the press release. The campaign led to a feature in Providence Business News and a stand-alone blog post in Rhode Island Monthly, among many other media mentions.
