East Bay Vintner’s Alliance
Case Study
For almost five consecutive years the urban wine scene in the East Bay had been quietly growing as new group of winemakers honed their craft. With only a volunteer base for internal organization and grassroots word of mouth marketing tactics, it soon became clear that a stronger, more strategic approach was needed to get the word out about the group. In January 2010 Provocateur Media was retained by the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance (EBVA), a collective of now 23 urban wineries with tasting rooms located in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville and Alameda, to promote their unique, burgeoning urban wine scene.
By utilizing key “A list” media contacts, Pro Media helped the EBVA garner 50+ local, regional and national media placements, including online, print, radio and television. Some of these media placements to date include highlights and features in the Wall Street Journal, ABC 7 News, San Francisco magazine, Diablo magazine, Sunset magazine, KTVU “Wine Country Insider,” Corkheads, EaterSF, TastingTable, Thrillist, GO: Air Tran (in-flight magazine), Culinary Trends (trade magazine,) and numerous Bay Area News Group newspaper features and listings, including the Contra Costa Times, Marin Independent Journal, San Jose Mercury News and the Oakland Tribune.
In addition to securing substantial media coverage for the group as the new, exciting “urban wine destination,” Pro Media also managed media and press surrounding the group’s two annually hosted events, “Passport to the East Bay” and also the “Urban Wine Xperience.” Pro Media was successfully able to secure strategic sponsors and partnerships, including radio conglomerate ENTERCOM (KOIT 96.5, KDFC 102.1 “Classical” & 95.7 KBWF “The Wolf”) mobile phone wine application Nirvino, and also Yoshi’s restaurant for 2010’s “Urban Wine Xperience.” As a result both events attained a 37.5% increase in ticket sales and has set the tone for greater sponsors for the 2011 events.