WASHINGTON WINE TOURISM

Published: Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Stanton-Masten to lead state tourism alliance

HBJ staff

SEATTLE – The Washington Tourism Alliance has appointed Louise Stanton-Masten as its executive director.

Stanton-Masten was president and CEO of the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce when it merged with the South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce and the Snohomish County Economic Development Council to create Economic Alliance Snohomish County in 2011. She has more than 25 years of experience in organization management, business development, strategic planning and government and community affairs. She is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management, has directed and served on numerous nonprofit boards and commissions and operated a successful consulting practice providing public policy and planning to clients in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Stanton-Masten was president and CEO of the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce from 2001 to 2011 and was business development director for Economic Alliance of Snohomish County from September 2011 to January 2012, when she resumed management of her consultancy, Stanton-Masten Consulting.

“I am excited to be working with our members and very dedicated board of directors to help advance the tourism industry in Washington state,” Stanton-Masten said in a news release. “Tourism is a $16 billion industry, responsible for more than 150,000 jobs in Washington state. While building upon the successes of the WTA over the past year, we’ll be aggressively working to establish a long-term and sustainable funding model for statewide tourism marketing and promotion in the future.”

Stanton-Masten’s education includes a master of planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor of science from the University of Vermont, in addition to her organizational management degree from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

She serves on the Future of Flight Foundation Board of Directors and served on the City of Everett Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and the executive board of Leadership Snohomish County. Professional affiliations include the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Planning Association. She served on the Washington Chamber of Commerce Executives board of directors between 2006 and 2012 and was board chairman between 2011 and 2012.

Stanton-Masten succeeds Suzanne Fletcher as WTA executive director. Fletcher stepped down last month after fulfilling her one-year employment contract, but remains an active WTA consultant.

The WTA was formed in March 2011 in anticipation of the closure of the Washington State Tourism office. On July 1, 2011, the WTA became Washington state’s official tourism marketing organization and assumed ownership and operation of tourism office assets in order to preserve Washington’s tourism market share.

Integrated Tie-In Marketing Campaigns for Wineries

We are huge fans of tie-in promotions to take advantage of  synergies and opportunities that present themselves whether with other companies, charities and/or cultural organizations.

Our Staff have created dozens upon dozens of tie-in activities for companies big and small.

We applaud the efforts of those wineries mentioned below and all in the State who reach out to make tie-in promotions work for all in a mutually beneficial manner:

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Yakima Valley wineries are increasingly partnering with cultural organizations

By Mai Hoang
Yakima Herald-Republic

2 photos View the gallery

ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republ

Musicians from the Yakima Symphony Orchestra perform at Treveri CellarsThursday, Oct. 24, 2012. The orchestra has been collaborating with several wineries, including Gilbert Cellars and Treveri Cellars. (ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic)

For Jessica Moskwa, the Gilbert Cellars downtown tasting room isn’t just a place to try wines.

“We see the tasting room as a gathering place,” said Moskwa, Gilbert Cellars general manager. “We see the space as a chance to exchange ideas, talk, enjoy the wine and have that dialogue.”

In the last year, the winery has partnered with cultural organizations such as the Yakima Symphony Orchestra and Humanities Washington to hold a variety of events. Last week, it held a “Think & Drink,” an event with Humanities Washington where participants learned about the origins of the Día de los Muertos celebration.

Several Yakima Valley wineries are teaming up with cultural organizations for events, including live concerts, discussions and art exhibits, as a way to draw more — and different types of — customers to their tasting rooms.

“A lot of wineries are looking to build an experience for their customers while they’re enjoying the wine,” said Barbara Glover, executive director of Wine Yakima Valley. “It gives them more of a reason to come out to the winery.”

When Treveri Cellars, a sparkling wine facility that opened nearly two years ago, opened a second tasting room at the former Sagelands Vineyard facility near Wapato this summer, co-owner Julie Grieb knew she had a perfect venue for an outdoor concert with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra.

That hasn’t happened yet, but Treveri Cellars dipped its toe in combining music and wine last week at its Evening of Harvest and Harmony, which featured music from several Yakima Symphony Orchestra members. Half of the proceeds went to the orchestra.

Grieb said teaming up with the orchestra and other organizations gives her young winery an opportunity to introduce the wine to people it would not otherwise reach.

“We can stay here and wait for people to come see us,” Grieb said. “Or we can be out where we can support the community (and) maybe reach people we wouldn’t be able to reach.”

Gilbert Cellars has done several concerts with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, including several at The Cave, the winery’s barrel room in its West Valley vineyard.

Moskwa said the partnership with the orchestra came organically, as the Gilbert family has been a longtime supporter of the orchestra and other organizations.

In addition, there’s crossover between the customer bases of the winery and the orchestra, she said.

“It’s gives them one more reason to go (to the winery),” she said.

Having such events can certainly generate more wine sales, but for many winery owners and managers, it’s also about promoting the winery and its offerings long term.

“Anytime you invite people to your business, it’s an opportunity to give a great experience,” Moskwa said. “They have an opportunity to try our product and tell their friends they had a great time here.”

Winery events and partnerships can build the brand, said Glover of Wine Yakima Valley.

“If you want to brand yourself as a high-end tasting room, you need to consistently bring in that high-end partner,” she said.

The Yakima Symphony Orchestra certainly has contributed to the high-end feel of wineries such as Gilbert Cellars and Treveri Cellars, she said.

“It’s fresh for that person who has been going to that winery and it’s fresh for the person going to symphony,” she said. “If you put it together, it’s a whole new experience.

As a result, such events are likely to continue.

Gilbert Cellars has continued to seek opportunities for partnerships and has maintained its cultural offerings, including ongoing art exhibits and live music on the weekends, Moskwa said.

Meanwhile, Treveri Cellars wants to hold more events with the orchestra, especially in the summer when they can be outside.

“It’s a real panoramic setting,” Grieb said. “I think it would be nice to have the music and the setting go hand-in-hand for an event.”
• Mai Hoang can be reached at 509-759-7851 or at maihoang@yakimaherald.com.

May we build an integrated tie-in marketing campaign for you?

Check your first case of wine free from Yakima, Tri-Cities/Pasco or Walla Walla on Alaska Airlines

Your Vacation to Washington Wine Country Just Got Easier – with the Taste and Tote program. Check your first case of wine free from Yakima, Tri-Cities/Pasco or Walla Walla on Alaska Airlines. Enjoy waived rental car drop fees from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Show your Alaska Airlines boarding pass for waived tasting fees at participating wineries.  http://www.tasteandtote.com/

MONETIZE your FACEBOOK Page

Here’s how we will monetize your Facebook Page:

We can add an interactive  BUY WINE Tile Tab to your Facebook Timeline that links directly to your Winery’s Wine Shop on your website.

Consumers click on the BUY WINE Tile Tab as seen above (WINES in red) to make a selection/purchase.  This takes the consumer to your Facebook Timeline  “Wines for Sale” listing page.  Consumer scrolls through your wine offerings.  Single wine listing below: 

In addition to being able to buy your wine, consumer can also SHARE their wine preferences and purchase experience with their friends & followers and even add their own comments:

When consumer clicks on the BUY NOW button, they are immediately taken to your website’s ecommerce wine store where the consumer completes the purchase.  Or goes on to add to their cart and then to check-out.

Facebook Timeline BUY WINE Set-Up:  $250

Add a wine to “Wines For Sale” Page on your Facebook Timeline:  $35 @

Call 206.369.0320 or email:  Bruce@WOWpromotion.com

Your Winery Pages on www.WashingtonWine.Org

How is your listing on the Washington State Wine Commission site doing?

Have you updated it recently?

We just updated the Barnard Griffin Winery pages on the WSWC website.  Click here:

http://www.washingtonwine.org/wineries/barnard-griffin-winery/ 

The WSWC site is a great portal site with significant consumer traffic that can be directed to your website and to your winery tasting room.  It is definitely worth the investment in time and energy to make sure your pages are spruced-up with eye-catching graphics and rich, robust and current information about you, your winery and your passion.

This is such a great forum and it’s all part of the perks of WSWC membership.

If you don’t have the time to take full advantage, let us help to further build out your WSWC web presence.

It’s not brain surgery. It is a matter of time & energy.  We can bring that to the party.  Maybe you should delegate more?  Call 206.369.0320 or email.

Wine Brand Logos for Social Media

How many versions of your logo do you have?    

If you said just one, you may be missing out on a LOT of opportunities to generate and maximize the exposure for your winery.

We scanned the Winery directory images in the latest WASHINGTON STATE WINE GUIDE

and there are some definite Winners & Also-Rans in the race for exposure in this publication.

Those wineries that have wide horizontal logos perhaps suffer the most.

We’re BIG fans of branding and we think you can maintain strong branding and increase winery exposure when you have several different versions of your logo/brand.

The various executions should be modified/designed to be used for different specific purposes in order to EXCEL in their respective environments.

Social media is another good example, if you don’t have a square execution that really POPS at a small size, you are missing out on maximizing your winery’s future digital exposure.

We’re BIG at maximizing small.  Call 206.369.0320 or email: bruce @ WOWpromotion.com

WINE TOURISM: Rack Cards & Brochures

 

 

They are just the right size for so many applications.

 Rack Cards/Brochures are perfect for:

 -Washington tourism brochure racks

-Insertion into business sized envelopes

-Dropping into wine & wine club shipments

-Giving to your salespeople, distributors & wine buyers

-Handing out in your Tasting Room

-Distribution at your remote tastings and special events

They are a great mechanism for driving traffic to your Tasting Room and for further bonding with your customer after the sale.

We created this rack card for Jones of Washington Wines demonstrating total branding integration with the look and feel of the website and the label.

Yeah, it’s analog.  But when it comes to print, rack cards are the Swiss Army Knife of wine tourism marketing.

May we design one for you?

http://www.WOWpromotion.com

 

206.691.3883

WASHINGTON WINE MONTH

WASHINGTON WINE MONTH

Barnard Griffin sought creative that communicated the winery’s legacy and underscores a Geo-centric message for Washington Wine Month; which takes place in March and August at Washington wine retailers.

We created Case Cards for tray-cut & stadium-cut wine cases on end-aisle and other off-shelf displays.

Retailers continue to request this graphic to help dress their stores during the promotion period as it does such a great job in communicating the message for the second largest wine producing state in the US.

What are you doing for WASHINGTON WINE MONTH? 

Testing, Testing, This Thing On?

Interactive and Integrated

Marketing Agency for Washington

Wine: Web, Social Media,

eNewsletter, Logo, Label, Packaging

and Display Design

We provide: Social Media Marketing, eCommerce wine shop and wine club development, eNewsletter and eBlast design & content generation, wine naming, logo, label, packaging and retail display design.

Wines of Washington Promotion is structured specifically to provide efficient and cooperative strategic planning and tactical execution services for Washington wine brands – both on- and off-premise.

These services include fully integrated: design, marketing, advertising, sales promotion, merchandising, production and/or printing for the small-to-medium sized vintner/wine marketer in the State of Washington – the second largest producer of fine wines in the United States.

We help level the playing field for your brand against the larger wineries and conglomerates. We provide your winery with the programs and materials that make your brand competitive in the eyes of the wine wholesaler, distributor and the store buyer.

This allows you more time and the freedom to focus on what you do best – make great wine.

Call 206.691.3883