Communication Plan for H.M. Boxed Wine

May 29, 2012

Vino CommunicationsKarina Calderon

Kayse DahlHeidi Merz

Lindsey Sires

INDEX

Executive Summary Pages 2-3

Case Description Pages 4-6

Research Analysis Pages 7-9

Public Profiles Analysis Pages 10-12

Public Profiles Pages 13-23

SWOT Analysis Page 24

Audience Profiles Pages 25-29

Analysis of Key Publics Pages 30-35

Goals and Objectives Pages 36

Strategies Page 37

Tactics Pages38-44

Calendar Pages 45-46

Budget Pages 47-48

Brochure Outline Pages 49-50

Brochure Primary Messages Page 51

Blog Outline Pages 52-55

Blog Sample Pages 56-60

Newsletter Outline Pages 61-62

Sample News Stories Pages 63-69

Press Release Pages 70-71

Bios Pages 72-73

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The goal of this communication plan is to successfully introduce and promote Gilbert Cellars’ new low priced boxed wine to the Central Washington region. This plan strives to maintain the Gilbert Cellars’ reputation and expand its customer database throughout the course of the campaign. Gilbert Cellars is currently perceived as one of the most prominent wineries in Washington State but boxed wine is linked to a negative connotation among wine consumers. Our goal with this campaign is not only to establish a positive perception and acceptance of boxed wine but to influence the desired publics that there are many benefits to boxed wine and it is respectable alternative to bottled wine.

The alternative packaging of the new Gilbert Cellars’ wine comes with possible challenges. The biggest challenge we face is that the new boxed wine could have a negative impact on Gilbert Cellars’ existing reputation. The following campaign offers a solution to prevent this issue. In addition to introducing the new boxed wine to Gilbert Cellars’ publics, the following communication plan will establish:

Increased the number of individuals in Gilbert Cellars database. Increased the number of visitors to the winery. Increased media exposure. Increases number of visitors to website.

Our team has identified five key publics as essential audiences for the new product. These audiences include novice wine consumers, expert wine consumers, restaurant and bar owners, retail and wine shops and distributors. This campaign is designed to effectively target each public individually based on their self-interests by utilizing primary messages catered to each one. These primary messages have been identified within this communication plan.

To better satisfy the interests of our key publics, our team has identified five strategies for accomplishing the objectives of our campaign. These strategies include:

Educating distributors about the new boxed-wine. Promoting the boxed-wine as an innovative product and of the same high quality that

Gilbert Cellars is known for. Interacting and engaging with consumers to establish and expand the brand’s identity. Promoting the new Gilbert Cellars wine as an intelligent business decision. Educating consumers about the benefits of boxed wine. Positioning the new boxed wine as being trendy and innovative.

In order to accomplish these strategies our team will focus on implementing tactics which match the key public’s interests. Tactics will include:

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Launching a winemaker’s blog on website. Hosting tasting event. Creating a YouTube video about the benefits of boxed wine. Hosting a training day for restaurant and wine shop owners and staff. Running a boxed art contest. Hosting distributor education days. Hosting media tours at Gilbert Cellars.

The cost of running the entire campaign will come to approximately $3,446. While this may seem like a large number, the campaign will ensure that the Gilbert Cellars’ reputation remains intact while we move forward with the release of the new boxed wine. Without the implementation of this communication plan, Gilbert Cellars’ publics may reject the idea of the new boxed wine or even consider Gilbert Cellars’ wine as low quality. With the implementation of this campaign, we will be able to establish and control the messages carried with the new product. We will also be able to establish open communication with the key publics to ensure they are well educated about the benefits of the new boxed wine.

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CASE DESCIPTION

Local, National, and Global Trends in the Wine IndustryGilbert Cellars is one of the many family run wineries located in Yakima, Washington. The region has quickly become a prominent player in the wine industry on a local, national and global level. Washington wine as an industry, despite its rapidly expanding popularity, is still in its infancy. The immaturity of the industry within the state is both a benefit and a challenge for wineries such as Gilbert Cellars. While some consumers are eager to try new wines from the upcoming region, the typical demographic tends to remain relatively brand loyal. The Yakima Valley region nonetheless, is flourishing and is responsible for 60 wineries and 12,000 vineyard acres in Washington State (History & Timeline ). Wine sales on a national level is also on the rise, with sales estimating 347 million cases—a 5.3 percent increase from the previous year with an estimated retail value of 32.5 billion (2011 California and U.S. Wine Sales). Analyst project that the United States will soon become both the largest producer and consumer of wine—surpassing even the most prominent producing countries such as France.

The ailing economy has had a surprisingly marginal effect on the industry in the United States, and has simply shifted the way people consume wine, and their purchasing habits. Wine consumers have began to purchase less expensive bottles, and are more inclined to purchase wine in alternative packaging such as in kegs, on tap, and by the box. Packing by these means reduces costs and is an environmentally friendly substitute to the traditional bottle.

One topic currently very relevant to the Washington State wine industry is the recent passing of initiative 1183. This initiative has both positive and negative effects, depending on the size and business model of the specific winery in question. 1183 primarily benefits wineries by allowing them to store products in warehouses not located on their primary location. This is highly beneficial for wineries taking advantage of the trendy new packaging alternatives which increase shelf-life longevity and can now be utilized by warehouse storage.

Gilbert Cellar HistoryThe Gilbert family has been involved in agriculture since their arrival to the Yakima Valley in 1897, though only began wine production in 2004. Despite their newness, Gilbert Cellars has quickly established a reputation as one of the region’s top producers—winning awards of excellence from Seattle Wine Awards, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and earning recognition on blogs and websites such as WineSpectator.com.

ProductsGilbert Cellars has four vineyards located in Yakima, Kennewick, and Mattawa, all of which contribute to the production of their eleven different varieties. The winery produces seven red wines and four white, ranging in price from 220-352 dollars per case or 20-72 dollars per bottle. Additionally, Gilbert Cellars recently released three new wine varieties including a Rose, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Due to the success and prominent brand association, the maker is also in the process of expanding their brand into a new market by introducing a lower-priced wine to be sold for seven dollars a bottle or 105 dollars per

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case. Gilbert Cellars hopes this new product will become a popular competitor within the market of high quality, lower-priced wine.

The wines produced by Gilbert are bottled in Yakima, and sold both to the general public and shipped to restaurants and retail locations in six states including: California, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, and throughout Washington. The majority of restaurants serving Gilbert Cellars wine are casual fine dining locations such as Noir Food and Wine in California, Lolita, located in Ohio, and one of Oregon’s trendiest wine bars, Olive or Twist.

The Gilbert Cellars tasting room is located in the heart of downtown Yakima and serves as the face of the company. Here wine tastings customers range from novice wine drinkers and curious tourists to expert coinsures. The tasting room showcases work and items from the Gilbert family. A variety of small plates are offered to accompany the wine, most notable is the bacon wrapped dates, which have been praised on various online reviews. The tasting room also houses a variety of events such as salsa night, love music on Fridays, and “Winemaker-Wednesday,”—a weekly event lead by Gilbert’s wine maker, Justin Neufeld, who discusses the wine making process and answers questions from the audience. This month, Gilbert Cellars is joining forces with the Humanities Washington Think & Drink program, which invites the public to discuss ideas and issues pertaining to Washington wines and is hosted in tasting rooms and pubs around the state. Gilbert’s tasting room is considered to be a popular venue, whose events are frequently listed in the Yakima Herald-Republic. In addition to the public events held at the tasting room, private events including rehearsal dinners, weddings, and parties can be held in the basement of the tasting room and at The Cave—Gilbert’s barrel room located on Hackett Ranch.

Outside of the Valley, Gilbert aims to expose their products through outreach efforts such as partnering with ART Restaurant and the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle for the winery’s Winemaker’s Dinner. This event features Gilbert’s wine paired with cuisine prepared by a reputable chef. The winery also attended Taste Washington, Seattle’s largest wine and food festival where they sampled and sold their product to attendees.

CompetitorsGilbert Cellars differentiates their wine from competitor’s selections by emphasizing the meticulous nature of their production process. The website highlights the idea that their process and staff are detail-oriented and maintain a high level of involvement throughout each stage of wine production. Gilbert Cellars also emphasizes that their wine enhances and inspires experiences shared between friends and family—both of which are core values of the brand.

Gilbert Cellars has many competitors within the region, all of whom maintain similar claims of quality wine from humble beginnings. Wineries including Chateau Ste Michelle, Columbia Crest, and Snoqualmie all offer wines at comparable prices and also boast recognition from respectable bloggers, websites, and awards.

With the launch of their new lower priced wine, Gilbert Cellars will face new competition such as Covey Run, Yellowtail, and Cupcake. Each of these brands is recognized as being both quality and affordable

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nationally and globally. Covey Run for example, has produced 24 wines awarded by Wine Spectator as being “Best Value”. These competitors are also substantially larger than Gilbert Cellars—providing them the opportunity to market their products on an incomparable level.

Marketing and PromotionAlong with maintaining a visually attractive and easily navigable website, Gilbert Cellars uses Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo consistently to promote their business. This method of outreach has proved to be well received by audiences resulting in over 1, 600 “likes” on Facebook and approximately 850 followers on Twitter. At least one the videos from their Vimeo account appears often in the Google search results for “Gilbert Cellars” which demonstrates use of SEO. Gilbert Cellars also distributes frequent news releases about their wine launches, events, and accomplishments to local media outlets—particularly the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper. Gilbert also sponsors Northwest Public Radio and has paid for space promotion on freeway signs located on Interstate 82. Their wine also has been reviewed on Yelp and Urbanspoon and in several wine blogs including A Bottle a Week, and SimpleHedonism.com. The majority of online reviews are quite favorable.

As a special marketing promotion, the winery offers customers to join their Family Wine Club. Memberships provide constituents with email updates and exclusive invites to special Gilbert Cellars events. Members have the option of joining as a “sibling” or “cousin,” both of which allow members to receive discount, special deals, monthly newsletters and one or two free cases of wine per depending the membership option selected. Gilbert Cellars strategy in offering this membership is that members who join as a “sibling” or “cousin” will feel part of the Gilbert family and strengthen brand loyalty by developing a deeper connection between the wineries image and core values.

Works Cited 2011 California and U.S. Wine Sales . (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2012, from Wine Institute : http://www.wineinstitute.org/resources/statistics/article639

History & Timeline . (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2012, from Wine Yakima Valley : wineyakimavalley.org

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RESEARCH ANALYSIS

In an effort to gather data regarding current perceptions, knowledge, and the consumption habits of wine drinkers within Washington State, a total of 40 surveys were distributed and conducted both in person, and over the telephone. The surveys were given to individuals believed to be similar in demographic to that of the typical Gilbert Cellars customer. The majority of participants held college degrees, indicating an average to above average salary, and were between the approximate ages of 25 to 60. Over half of these participants reside in Central Washington. A total of 12 men and 28 women responded.

The questions in the survey varied in type, including the barometer scale, ranking scale, and free-response. From the questions, both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. The purpose of gathering information with this survey was to help determine: opinion leaders in the industry, resources participants use to learn about wine, the most influential factors evaluated in wine selection, if Gilbert Cellars is a recognizable brand in the industry, what the participants’ opinions are about alternative wine packaging, how much participants typically spend on wine, and which of Gilbert Cellars competitors are most favored. Through synthesizing the survey responses in regards to the preceding elements, the campaign to launch Gilbert Cellars lower priced wine can be constructed accordingly.

Gilbert CellarsIn regard to evaluating Gilbert Cellars as a brand, participants were asked if they had heard of the winery. 52 percent of respondents had heard of Gilbert Cellars, indicating that the brand is relatively well known. Respondents also indicated that they believed Gilbert Cellars was among the most popular wineries in the Yakima Valley. Both of these factors suggest that the winery has established and maintained a positive reputation in region.

Wine Sale DeterminantsTo learn which product characteristics acted as the main determinants in purchasing decisions related to wine, wine variety and price were the most frequent responses. Participants seem to greatly value price,

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though are not willing to sacrifice quality or taste. The importance of price as an integral selling point was also asserted by participants when asked how much they were typically willing to spend—67 percent responded that they were not willing to spend more than 15 dollars on a bottle.

Influentials/Opinion LeadersDetermining opinion leaders among respondents is immensely important to help identify which channels of communication will be most effective for our campaign. Almost half of the respondents stated that they rely most on the opinions of friends and family in regard to wine. Informal opinion leaders, such as friends and family, are possibly the most valuable channel of communication available. This knowledge makes it crucial that Gilbert Cellar’s campaign efforts reach these individuals and develop two-way, interactive communication. Other, more formal opinion leaders, include servers as reputable sources in the survey responses.

Alternative PackagingTo gauge public opinion about alternative packaging, a current trend in the industry, the results varied greatly as to whether people would purchase wine in the form of a box, can, or keg and if so, for what purpose or event would they consider purchasing it. Due to the resistance demonstrated in participants’ responses, this issue will need to be addressed in the campaign.

CompetitionWhen given a list of competitive wineries including other wineries in the region such as Covey Run, Snoqualmie, Columbia Crest, and international competitor—Yellowtail, 46 percent of participants preferred Columbia Crest. Due to Columbia Crest’s popularity, it is logical to assume that the winery’s promotional and marketing techniques are effective among our target audience. Analyzing the techniques used by the winery, and exploring promotional events they have held in connection with their eight dollar bottle of wine, will provide insight to help successfully plan the launch of Gilbert

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Cellar’s new wine. We will look at media outlets and outreach methods Columbia Crest utilizes and adapt them to appropriately represent Gilbert Cellars.

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PUBLIC PROFILES ANALYSIS

In addition to the surveys, in-depth interviews of local opinion leaders were also conducted. The interview participants included:

Lauren Hayes, Central Washington University Global Wine Studies major Linda Schantz, owner of Gifts of the Vine in Ellensburg Matt Wollen, owner of wine shop—Wine Works in Ellensburg, WA Steven Hanson, Manager of the Palace Cafe restaurant Trent Ball, viticulture and enology instructor at Yakima Valley Community College Marji Morgan, Journalist and wine enthusiast Joe Smith, Manager of the Starlight Lounge

We approached these individuals because of their expertise and the special insight they possess in regard to the wine industry. Each individual interviewed has a different professional and personal relationship with wine and provided thorough responses—particularly concerning the channels that will be most effective to utilize in our campaign for Gilbert Cellars.

Each interview offered an individualized perception of the industry. The key pieces of information offered by each interviewee are summarized as follows:

Lauren Hayes, Global Wine Studies Student at Central Washington University Biggest trend is the shift to focusing primarily on Millennials (ages 21 to 35) because this

group is spending the most money on wine. Other big trends include wine bars, food and wine pairings, tastings and exporting wine. The most influential opinion leader on a local scale is Amy Mumma. Washington wines are very competitive on both a national and international scale

because the state has a niche that no other place has. The type of soil and the unique climate give the region a significant advantage.

Linda Schantz, Owner of Gifts of the Vine in Ellensburg, Washington Schantz’s favorite winery is Gilbert Cellars and she stated that it is also the oldest winery

in Yakima. Great wine depends on the location of the vines, the grapes and the winemaker. Each

appellation has its own personality, style and taste. Leonetti of Walla Walla did a great marketing campaign by requiring customers to sign

up for allocations before the wine is created. This creates a limited quantity of the wine and thus more desire for it.

14 Hands did a great marketing campaign by limiting the places they distributed their wine during its first two years.

Sweet wines are a current trend. These include chocolate wines, chardonnays, sweet reds and the Confectioner’s wines.

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Linda does not trust the wine distributor’s opinions on wine and says that she usually holds most knowledge about wine than they do.

Matt Wollen, WineWorks General Manager/Wine enthusiast: There are three major trends that are occurring at the moment: boxed wine, keg,

wine, and daily consumption of wine that is not associated with food pairings. People are attracted to well-priced wine with a mystic feel. It produces a feeling of "keeping up with the Jones’s." Alternative packaging will not damage the reputation of wine. Yakima Valley wineries, as a whole, need to improve on their promotional

strategies. Gilbert Cellars is one of the two best leading wineries in the Yakima Valley. The Left Bank blend and Allobroges blend are two of their top red blends.

Steven Hanson, Manager, The Palace Cafe Customer input regarding wine, whether it is positive or negative, is important. He heavily relies on the suggestions of his distributors when selecting wine. Only Washington wines, besides the house wine, are sold at the restaurant due to

the interest of his customers supporting local brands.

Trent Ball, Agriculture Department Chair/Professor of Wine Studies and Vineyard and Winery Technology, Yakima Valley Community College

The value and cost of wine in the Yakima Valley is diverse because customers are paying for high quality ingredients at relatively minimal cost.

Gilbert Cellars are well-known among the Central Washington wine community for producing excellent grapes in their vineyards for winemaking.

Local wine magazines are better read for information on wine because of their more in depth focus on type/variety and to individual wineries.

Ball trusts his colleagues’ opinions when taking recommendations. Drinkers follow trends. Sweet wines and red blends are becoming more popular, while

Merlot’s are not as popular. Boxed wine, depending on the type, is worth drinking because the amount per cost is

quite reasonable.

Marji Morgan, Journalist/Wine Enthusiast: Individuals regarded as being experts, or having heightened knowledge about the wine

industry are above all else, interested in the story behind the wine. Expert wine consumers are compelled by label art. Wine and art are strongly connected. The Washington wine trend of creating blends from untraditional pairings has risen over

the last decade. Deconstructing blends and bottling historically blended grape varieties is also very popular.

Wine shop owners play a significant role in wine expert’s purchasing decisions.

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Wine experts rely mainly on their own pallet, rather than recommendations. The internet is only used as a resource when looking to see if a particular wine has won

awards or recognition. Wine tastings are the most popular wine-related activity.

Joe Smith, Starlight Manager/Bartender: Distributors play the most significant role in purchasing decisions. Variety and trying “new” items is very important. Word of mouth and wine tastings are the best way to learn about a new wine aside

from distributors. Blends are very trendy.

Based on our survey research, we have concluded the following: Gilbert Cellars is a well-known winery in the Yakima Valley and their existing reputation

will work in our favor for marketing purposes. Most wine-drinkers are not willing to spend more than 15 dollars on a bottle of wine.

This indicates that price is a significant factor in purchasing decisions. The plurality of those surveyed responded that wine type is the biggest selling point for

buyers, so it is fair to assume that wine drinkers often consider variety as an associating determining factor in purchases.Most drinkers trust family and friends in regard to respected opinion leaders, so word of mouth will likely be our greatest marketing tool.

Almost half of all the participants said they would purchase Columbia Crest wine if given 10-15 dollars to spend on a bottle of wine.

Most participants hold a negative perception of wine in alternative packaging, though those who would purchase wine in the form of a box, keg, or can would do so only for their own consumption. Attending tasting events is the most popular wine-related activity—72.5 percent

listed tastings as the wine-related event they were most likely to attend.

These results will be taken into consideration as we develop the focus of our campaign, and construct accompanying key messages. We will also seek to execute tactics by means which will be most effective in targeting our audiences through synthesizing responses related to opinion leaders, core values, and self-interests.

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Lauren Hayes, Global Wine Studies Major, Central Washington UniversityInterview by Heidi Merz

Lauren Hayes is a senior at Central Washington University majoring in Global Wine Studies and minoring in Public Relations. She enjoys any and every wine event that she can attend whether it’s tastings, tours, food and wine pairings or wine festivals; Lauren appreciates all things wine.

As a student in the Global Wine Studies Program, Lauren has come to realize how much an impact the wine industry has on the world.

“Wine is a global product and it is extremely diverse in so many different ways,” Lauren said. “It’s an ever-growing market and there are multiple avenues for future jobs to be created.”

In Lauren’s opinion, the biggest trend within the wine industry today is the shift to of focus to the Millenials (ages 21 to 35) because this group is spending the most money on wine. Other trends in the industry include wine bars, food and wine

pairings and exporting wine to China.

Opinion leaders that Lauren feels are most influential in the wine industry include Robert Parket, Gary Vaynerchuk and Jancis Robinson and more locally, Amy Mumma. In addition to following the reviews and information from these opinion leaders, Lauren also follows wine enthusiats on Twitter and subscribes to Wine Enthusiat’s Magazine.

Lauren had great things to say about Yakima wineries stating that they are continuously growing and there is substantial room to continue to grow. Yakima wines in general are very competitive but Washington as a whole has a niche because they have a different type of soil and unusal weather. This gives the region an advantage that not many other regions have. Lauren hasn’t visted Gilbert Cellars yet but she has definitely heard of it.

“I’ve heard that their Syrah was well balanced with fruit forward notes and it’s very complex,” Lauren said. “I will definitely be visiting that winery soon.”

There are many regional events that are coming soon such as the Red Wine and Chocolate Event in Yakima Valley; The Seattle Food Experience which offers food and wine pairings; Taste Washignton in

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Seattle; The Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour; The Wag Conference; and the Twenty-Somethings in seattle which is geared toward Millenials.

Lauren just returned from a trip to Italy where she had the opportunity to visit numerous wineries, meet winemakers and taste new wines. She thoroughly enjoyed the food and wine pairings. Her favorite wineries that she visited were Cantina Il Palazzone, Antica Cantina Leonardi and Sergio Mottura. She said that she is willing to travel the entire world to experience different wine.

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Interview with Linda Schantz, Owner and Manager at Gifts of the Vine, Ellensburg, WaInterview by Heidi Merz

Linda Schantz owns and manages an Ellensburg wine and novelty shop called Gifts of the Vine. The wines that she offers her store are all from Washington. In addition to her store, Linda is known among the Ellensburg locals for her friendly personality and wine expertise. Linda got into wine years ago when she and her husband started visiting wine bars for wine tastings in Seattle. She quickly became interested in the industry and traveled to Yakima and even California for wine tastings. Her and her husband eventually moved to Ellensburg and they opened Gifts of the Vine four years ago.

Interestingly enough, Linda said that her favorite Yakima winery is Gilbert Cellars.

“Gilbert Cellars was the first winery to pour for Gifts of the Vine,” Linda said. “Nate Gilbert even met his wife during our first event with them.”

In addition to Gilbert Cellars, Linda thoroughly enjoys the wines that the other Yakima wineries have to offer.

“Walla Walla and Napa Valley get a lot of hype about their wine but you don’t HAVE to use those grapes in order to make wine,” she said, “great wine depends on the location, the grapes and the winemaker. Yakima has a lot of great wines to offer and each appellation has its own personality, style and taste.”

When comparing the local wineries’ marketing tactics, Linda said that Leonetti and 14 Hands both have done an exceptional job at marketing their products. Leonetti is a Walla Walla winery with a very well planned strategy when it comes to their sales. When Leonetti begins selling their wine for the season, they have their customers and investors sign up for allocations and only make enough bottles to fill that quota. This makes the product more desirable and prestigious and allows Leonetti to sell their wine at an inflated price.

14 Hands also had a breakthrough marketing strategy when they first introduced their wines to the market. When the winery first started selling and distributing their wine, they would only offer it to specific places. Traditionally, the 14 Hands wine is made with added sugar and it was really appealing to

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their publics and therefore acquired a substantial amount of demand very early on. However, 14 Hands made a point to only distribute their wine to restaurants and wine shops which in turn generated even more demand. After about two years of this strategy, 14 Hands finally started to distribute their wine to stores and now it is a very common wine in restaurants, events and in the home.

As far as new trends go, Linda has noticed consumers moving toward selecting the sweeter wines. The chocolate wines, the chardonnays, the sweeter reds and the whites have all been selling very well. Linda mentioned that the Confectioner’s wines have been doing exceptionally well recently.

Linda is a wine connoisseur and she thoroughly enjoys continuing her education about wine and the industry. She is a member of the Wine Spectators Online, she reads numerous books and she does her research on every bottle she brings into the store. Linda strives to know all about each bottle’s winemaker and be able to give her customers a story about the wine itself.

In terms of the opinion leaders in the wine industry, Linda said that the distributors used to be the go-to people for any and every wine-related questions. Unfortunately, distributors are significantly less educated now and half the time cannot give a valid description of the wine they are selling, let alone any other wines. Therefore, Linda has turned to educating herself with books, blogs, reviews, events and networking with other wine enthusiasts. She said that her favorite events to go to are the winemaker’s dinners where you are able to speak one on one with the winemaker and discuss the process they took in making their wine.

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Interview with Matthew Wollen, General Manager of Ellensburg WineWorksInterview by Karina Caleron

Matthew Wollen, a wine enthusiast that has been working in the wine industry for several years, has completed numerous wine finishing schools, traveled to some of the world's most popular wine producing destinations, and is General Manager of Ellensburg WineWorks, has a strong passion for the evolving wine industry and its upcoming trends.

According to Wollen, Gilbert Cellars is one of two leading wineries in Yakima. He believes Gilbert Cellars has done an excellent job at producing great wine and believes their tasting room in downtown Yakima is in a great location with good music, small bites, and great atmosphere.

Wollen believes, Gilbert Cellars needs do a better job on their promotional strategies, but he states that Yakima wineries,

as a whole, are lacking good promotions of their wines. In his opinion, Gilbert Cellars best wines are Left Bank and Allobroges which are red blends.

Due to being a part of the wine industry for several years, Wollen is up to date with new trends within the industry. As of now, there are three trends that are evolving in the United States- everyday consumption of wine, boxed wine, and keg wine.

According to Wollen, America has surpassed Europe regarding wine consumption because Americans are becoming apt to drinking wine on a daily basis. It typically is not paired with food, but a glass of wine nightly, at parties, or at bars is not an uncommon practice anymore. It isn't common yet to admit to drinking wine on a daily basis because Americans tend to look down on drinking alcohol daily.

Another rapidly growing trend is packaging wine in wine boxes instead bottles. The connotation of boxed wine is that it is cheap, poorly made, and taste horrible, but according to Wollen that isn't the case. High end wineries are packing their wines in boxes which doesn't affect the wine in any way.

The last trend, which has taken longer to become mainstream, is keg wine. Typically wine is made in large steel containers, so storing it in a keg isn't a far stretch. According to Wollen, putting wine in kegs will lower the cost and make the process of pouring easier and quicker.

Because wine has such a high prestige, boxed and keg wine will not damage the reputation. These trends are already popular in Europe and different parts of the world such as Australia; Americans just haven't caught up to these trends. Wollen can't wait for these trends to take off. He proudly admits to drinking boxed wine and does not see anything wrong with it.

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Interview with Steven Hanson, Employee at Palace Café, Ellensburg, WashingtonInterview by Karina Calderon

Steven Hanson of the Palace Cafe in Ellensburg, WA does the buying of wine and beverages for the restaurant and gave interesting insight to his views on wine and his purchasing patterns.

Steven admitted that he believes Ellensburg isn't much of a wine town, but he takes customer input to heart when purchasing wine from his supplier to satisfy the needs of his customers. Steven mentioned that if he receives many request of a certain wine he will ask his supplier his feelings on the wine and if it would be a good sell for his restaurant or not. Steven has to keep his customers satisfied to keep the Palace Café in business, but he isn’t going to order a case of wine that only one-person request. He puts a lot of

trust into what his supplier suggests since he isn't very knowledgeable on the topic. Steven openly admitted to purchasing wine that his supplier suggests that he purchase, because his supplier is up to date on trends, what has a limited shelf life, and what wine consumers are interested in at the moment. He also is aware of the importance of a relationship between his supplier and wineries. Steven stated that suppliers typically push the wines of wineries that his supplier has a good relationship with. He isn’t opposed to this process considering he doesn’t know much about wine, but he understands how some people could have an issue with it.

Being in the restaurant industry for a number of years and being a resident of Ellensburg, Steven has noticed that his customers and members of the community believe and take pride in supporting local products. So as a result, the Palace Café only sells Washington produced wine with the exception of his house wine, which is from California. Even though Steven does not know much about the wine industry or trends, he is very aware of the popularity of Washington wines, particularly in Eastern Washington.

Overall, Steven likes to keep wine in stock that sells well, has a short shelf life, has had a history of doing well, and is Washington produced. Most importantly, he heavily relies on the opinion of his supplier when purchasing wine for his restaurant due to his lack of knowledge and the knowledge that the supplier has on the wine industry.

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Interview with Trent Ball, Professor of Enology and Viticulture at Yakima Valley Community CollegeInterview by Lindsey Sires

The wine studies program at Yakima Valley Community College (YVCC) gives students the opportunity to learn the process, from viticulture to learning which foods best compliment different wine types. Students at YVCC also make their own wine that has won two awards. Trent Ball is the head of this program and teaches enology and viticulture at YVCC. I interviewed Ball about wine in Yakima Valley and the value of it as a whole in wine production, marketing and distribution.

Ball described the cycle of wine in the valley as diverse.

“It’s diverse because you can get a good value to quality. Our climate is so diverse to value.” He believes this has to do with the

quality of the grapes compared to any other area and it’s relatively less expensive compared to California and international wines.

Some of the wineries, he believes, were very successful in their marketing strategies were Castrol Winery, Book Walter and Naches Heights Valley because of their approach to serving wine and cheese at tastings, their bistro with live music and capsizing organic ingredients, respectively.

As far as trends, blends are becoming more popular among wine drinkers. He’s noticed that Merlots don’t have as much popularity anymore, which is unfortunate for the valley because Merlots are made very well in Central Washington, and are very good in his opinion.

He follows Wine Business Monthly, American Culture and the Good Fruit Grower magazines because of their local distribution and their more specific knowledge of Yakima wines. This is also how he finds out about new wines. However he believes, for the average customer, word-of-mouth promotion is how they learn about new wines and try them for themselves.

When asked if he would serve boxed wine or wine in kegs for an event or for friends, he said that he will purchase them for any reason. Depending on the type, “you get a high quality wine for a low price.”

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Interview with Joe Smith, General Manager at The Starlight Lounge, Ellensburg, WashingtonInterview by Kayse Dahl

Joe Smith is the general manager and acting bartender at the Starlight Lounge located in Ellensburg, Washington. The lounge is located in the downtown area and serves an eclectic crowd ranging from high-strung college students, to refined locals seeking a martini. Over the years, Smith has become well-versed in the beverage and spirits industry—as he is in charge of purchasing for the lounge and is himself a wine enthusiast.

Smith’s appreciation for wine began with a bottle of a 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon.

“It was inexpensive and delicious. It just stuck” said Smith of the wine that stole his pallet. When asked what made him select a wine, Smith cited variety as being the main factor both for his personal enjoyment, and purchases for the Starlight. Smith said that purchasing different varieties keeps customers interested and ignites a sense of excitement. Smith believes trying anything new and learning about different brands is stimulating for him and visitors of the lounge.

When asked how he learned of new wines, Smith pointed to the distributors who often provide brochures that detail up and coming wineries, or the release of a new variety. The brochures are created by the wineries and given to the distributor, who then relays them to buyers in the form of restaurants, retail locations, bars, and tasting rooms. The brochures are relatively simple—providing a brief description of the wine, a picture of the bottle, and a list of prices. Smith typically looks to see if the wine featured on the brochure has won any awards or participated in any competitions to help him decide whether to purchase it for the lounge. Other than researching award recipients however, Smith’s purchasing decisions are typically uninfluenced by wine bloggers, critics, reviews, and even customer opinion. While customer recommendation is certainly taken into account, major purchases are based on information from the distributors, though the lounge manager sees tasting room, wine shop, and restaurant owners as being influential opinion leaders in the wine world.

Distributors also provide information about trends in the industry. If numerous customers begin ordering large quantities of a certain variety or from a certain vineyard, distributors will alert other customers of the “hot” item, and provide a list of the customers making the purchases. This allows bars such as the Starlight to compare their demographic with the other customers, and assess whether or not they too should carry the product.

Smith’s reliance on distributors for information on trends and wine further extends to wine-related events. Frequently, distributors will invite customers like Smith to attend large tastings hosted by 25 to 30 wineries at once. While the manager’s work schedule does not often allow him to attend these events, they are something he views as both educational and highly enjoyable. “I like getting the variety of all the different vineyards all at once. I love anything wine-related” said Smith.

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Another major element Smith considers in making his purchasing decisions is price. The majority of customers who frequent the Starlight are “glass pourers”, meaning they purchase wine by the glass, not the bottle. This must be taken into consideration when making mark-up and purchasing decisions, as the lounge cannot afford to purchase bottles priced above 15 dollars without selling it by the bottle. Once a bottle is open, the lounge has a limited amount of time to sell the remaining contents before the wine spoils, and can no longer be served. When asked about alternative serving methods such as boxed wine, Smith asserted that this type of packaging was “A beautiful thing, but it’s just that, boxed wine.” Smith expressed his disappointment about how boxed wine is received by customers, due to the shelf life longevity this type of packing offers.

The Starlight’s wine list currently consists of six wines—the house wine being Chateau Ste Michelle’s 14 Hands Cabernet. “This wine was incredibly well-marketed” claimed Smith, “they (14 Hands) targeted bulk purchasers, setting a 12 case minimum. They held it (the wine) out of stores just long enough to build popularity and when it hit the shelves, it exploded.” Two other wines featured on the Starlight’s list are also from Washington. Smith said he has tried countless wines from the region, and has enjoyed them all. “I would say really within the last decade, the industry around here has exploded. It’s great” Smith said when talking about eastern Washington wines.

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Interview with Marji Morgan, Dean of the Arts and Humanities College at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WashingtonInterview by Kayse Dahl

Marji Morgan, historian and Dean of the Arts and Humanities College at Central Washington University, is an individual most would consider as extensively knowledgeable on the subject of wine. Morgan’s passion for wine grew out of an interest in food which began in New Orleans. After receiving her first job offer in a city known for its culinary innovation, Morgan’s appreciation for good food grew, as did her appreciation of wine. Morgan’s new found passion for wine expanded when she began three wine clubs—introducing her to a new social environment that has to this day,

greatly influenced the way she conducts social gatherings and builds connections with people. “Wine tasting is my favorite form of entertainment” said Morgan, who attends and hosts wine tastings on a regular basis. According to the veteran taster, the key to a good wine tasting is that the focus of the event remains on the wine. There must be a central theme to the tasting, such as comparing a certain grape variety, and the attendants must be concentrated on truly experiencing the wine—food and atmosphere aside, though Morgan does not disregard the importance of the food that accompanies a tasting. “It’s always very interesting to explore how the flavors of a wine differ depending on the pairing” said Morgan.

When Morgan hosts a wine tasting, various elements play a role in her selection of wine, most notably however, is her own pallet. Morgan has tried countless wines over the years and tends to be relatively loyal to her favorites. Having lived in the area since 2005, Morgan has become very familiar with the different vineyards and wineries within the region. While both vineyard and winery origin plays an important role in the selection process, vineyard reputation trumps that of wineries—as different wineries may get grapes from the same vineyard, which is often an indication of a good wine. Morgan’s favorite wineries include Long Shadows located in Prosser, and Bunnell which is found in Walla Walla. Morgan shops for her wine almost exclusively at Wine Works located in Ellensburg, Washington. Shop owner, Matt Wollen, often assists Morgan in her selections based on her past purchases. Morgan also looks to the internet before purchasing a bottle for first time to investigate whether the wine has received any awards, particularly if the wine has been recognized by Wine Spectator.

Morgan describes Washington wines in general as expensive and remaining mostly within the local market however, wineries such as Chateau Ste Michelle, Hogue, and Columbia Crest have been successful in expanding nationally and offer wines at a relatively low price—something Morgan believes most people look for when selecting wine. “The vast majority of people are only looking to spend about 10 dollars on a bottle of wine, and after price, they look at the label” said Morgan.

Aesthetically pleasing labels is almost as important as reputation, according to Morgan. People look for eye-catching labels that speak to them on a personal level. Labels often act as a main determinant in purchasing decisions. Morgan explained that bottle labels are seen in the industry as art. Wine makers

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tell a story with their wine, and are always trying to convey a meaning, such as nature, both implicitly through the flavors of their wine, and explicitly through label art. Being a historian, Morgan is most interested in the stories behind the artistic expression portrayed in labels, and has been compelled to purchase bottles based on their intrigue alone. A good label, according to Morgan, is off-beat, simple and unintimidating. House Wines for example, has an immensely popular wine called “Table Wine” which is printed in simple block letters in black and white. This wine is appealing to “wine snobs” and the average consumer alike due to the straightforward and clever nature of the design. Morgan believes the owner of this brand, Charles Smith, is a master marketer and understands how to convey a message relatable by consumers on all levels.

As a self-proclaimed wine enthusiast, Morgan has taken her passion for wine to print by contributing articles to Ellensburg’s local publication, The Daily Record, writing about Washington Wine and focusing on the stories behind the creations. When asked how she decided which wines to feature in her articles, Morgan said her inspiration came from learning about the background of the wine makers, and also from receiving samples. Morgan’s article “Merlot and Midlife Crisis” for example, was inspired by a conversation with a winemaker who described some of his life complications with Morgan, and how he incorporated his experiences into his wine. Morgan also says that she has been given free bottles as samples after expressing her interest in writing an article about a particular wine. Wineries are very accommodating to individuals interested in covering their wine to attain the potential advertising benefits from the exposure.

In regards to trends in the wine industry, Morgan has taken notice to two in particular—both related to blends. Over the last ten years, Morgan has observed many wineries experimenting with deconstructing and combining blends that have never been introduced before. “There are five grape varieties that traditionally go into a blend and, unlike in Europe, the United States has no restrictions on which can be blended” said Morgan. Many wineries, such as Gilbert Cellars, who in 2007 released petit Bordeaux, are deconstructing blends, and producing wines made solely from grapes like Malbec, which historically are found only in blends. Additionally, wineries are also combining different ratios and different grapes to produce innovative concoctions with distinct and unique flavors. “The sky’s the limit. It’s very exciting,” said Morgan about the trends.

Morgan’s knowledge of, and passion for wine has affected many not only through her clubs and articles, but also through her selections for event. Morgan is responsible for selecting wine for events such as Ellensburg’s First Friday Art Walk, where community members gather to enjoy art, wine, and conversation. Morgan described wine as being a social pillar that means more than just a beverage—“When you pop a cork, you are experiencing agriculture, science, poetry, art, and faith.”

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SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths: Brand reputation Geographic and physical location Availability of artistic influences Core values Strong web and social media presence Current with industry trends Partnerships—local farmers Strong customer base

Weaknesses: Negative perception of boxed wine Negative perception of less expensive

wine Poor consumer outreach Lack of media coverage

Opportunities: Increase wine interest to general

public; specifically Millenials Partner with other local wineries and

distributors Take part/sponsor in local wine events Unique region for growing and selling

wine Educate publics about boxed wine,

kegs, and canned wine

Threats: Extreme competition within the region Boxed wine could hurt Gilbert Cellars

Reputation Same marketing messages as majority of

competition Other wineries getting more media

coverage Not known outside the region

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AUDIENCE PROFILES

Distributors

About: Wineries depend on distributors for restaurant and wine shop sales as part of the three-tier alcohol distribution system. This system is an asymmetrical model in which wine producers can only sell to distributors, who in turn sell the purchased products to restaurants, wine shops, etc. Without several distributors, restaurant product sales cannot be achieved. Distributers are the “middle men” of the wine industry; they give out information and promotional materials which come directly from the winery itself. Some distributors even host their own tasting events where multiple wineries’ products are featured.

Current Relationship: Gilbert Cellars maintains partnerships with 17 distributors in 14 states including four in Washington State. With more distributors, more ground can be covered as far as sales plus Gilbert's distributors are less likely to compete with each other. Gilbert Cellars has partnerships with four distributors in Washington who are given exclusive rights to market their product in specific regions around the state including; A & B Imports, who cover Western Washington from Bellingham to Vancouver; Bottles of Grapes, who sell in Central and Eastern Washington; DJP Selection,s who cover the Olympic Mountains peninsula; and Lynch Distributing in South Central Washington.

Self-Interests: Distributors valuable wine for a reasonable price. They follow trends to increase the likeliness of sales from restaurant and shop owners. If the product is a reasonably priced and the winery has a positive reputation, then distributors are also more likely to establish partnerships with wineries. Distributors are also concerned with their own reputations with their restaurant clients and they want to sell quality wine to maintain their reputations.

Influentials: Consumers, trends, competing distributors, bloggers/journalists/critics, and restaurants/stores.

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Expert Wine Enthusiasts

About: Expert wine enthusiasts are those who have a significant amount of knowledge about wine and the wine industry. Many potential customers will value their opinions making them key opinion leaders within the industry. When a notable wine enthusiast publically recognizes a wine or winery other customers are going to pay attention to their opinions. Therefore, in order to ensure a winery’s reputation remains positive, it’s crucial that wine enthusiasts have positive comments about the wine. The biggest hurdle for wineries is that when it comes to recognizing a good bottle of wine, expert wine enthusiast all value certain aspects of the wine differently. Some enthusiast will value specific variety of wine, others may value a good blend, some may only drink white wine, etc. It’s important for wineries to know the key industry enthusiasts and what they most highly value in a wine so they can serve them the type of wine that appeals to them and maintain a positive image.

Current Relationship: As Gilbert Cellars is the oldest winery in Yakima and they tend to have some of the best grapes in the region, wine enthusiast are drawn to this winery. As wine enthusiasts are typically the opinion leaders, it is beneficial to Gilbert Cellars to have them come to the winery, taste the wine and hopefully spread good news about the company.

Self-Interests: Expert wine enthusiasts are primarily focused on what they personally believe is good wine. They are extremely curious about wine and they want to know the process and the story behind each bottle of wine. They typically are the opinion leaders in the industry and don’t value the opinions of distributors to the same extent of novice wine enthusiasts. The opinions they do pay attention to are by those who are well established within the industry including wine judges, winemakers and other recognized wine enthusiast.

Influentials: Wine judges, winemakers, recognized wine enthusiasts, professional ratings.

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Novice Wine Drinkers

About: Drinking wine is considered an art with intricate details that only an experienced wine drinker can detect. So for novice wine drinkers, drinking wine is described as intimidating. Novice wine drinkers typically are not aware of all the aromas, different taste, and variety that wine has to offer. It typically takes years of experience to enjoy wine to its fullest potential. Price and esthetics play a large role when novice wine drinkers are choosing a bottle of wine or when at a restaurant/bar. Through experimentation at the store or restaurant/bar, novice wine drinkers begin to build their palette and learn what they like. Is has been recommended that new wine drinkers do not spend large amounts of money on a bottle of wine due to their inexperience and inability to realize what it offers. This is the audience that our product will primarily target.

Current Relationship: Novice wine drinkers typically are not interested in purchasing a $20 bottle of wine, but with the launch of a new inexpensive wine, we are targeting a younger and novice audience.

Self-Interests: Novice wine drinkers are interested in learning about what wine has to offer such as the aroma, taste, and variety. They are interested in learning about wine through a variety of channels such as wine tastings, wine parties, and other wine related events. Price is a concern due to inexperience, but it hasn't resulted in people shifting away from enjoying a glass of wine.

Influentials: Friends, family, servers, online bloggers, reviews.

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Restaurants and Bars

About: Restaurants and bars have historically played a significant role in the beverage and wine industry. These establishments form a symbiotic relationship with wineries as both customers, and marketers for their supplier’s products. Serving a particular wine can make a statement about a restaurant or bar’s values, image, organizational goals, and vice versa. These businesses play a substantial role in the community economically, and in the way of social interaction. In fact, Yakima and the surrounding area has come to be known for cuisine that stands up to the reputation of the region’s wines. Often, cultivation of relationships between wineries and restaurants/bars result in on-going business transactions and can lead to partnerships. Wineries and restaurants/ bars can collaborate to host events and broaden their customer bases. Restaurants and bars can also be advocates to wineries when it comes to government policy concerning liquor distribution, such as the recent initiative 1183—thus building positive professional relationships can be very mutually beneficial.

Current Relationship: Gilbert Cellars has a variety of current bars and restaurants with who they maintain positive relationships and conduct business with. The winery distributes to customers across the state, in addition to Ohio, Oregon, Illinois, and California. Gilbert receives much local support and is served in fourteen establishments in the area alone including Gasperetti’s Restaurant and Café Melange, both of which are esteemed in the community.

Self-Interests: Reputation is immensely important, and must be preserved by carefully selecting what is served in terms of quality and taste. They are also interested in what marketing messages will be contributed by the wine they serve. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, they are concerned with price and costs associated with the product.

Influentials: Distributors, customers, competing bars and restaurants, Journalists, online reviewers—local to Yakima.

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Retail and Wine Shops

About: Retail/wine shops are perfect channels for wineries such as Gilbert Cellars to market and sell their wine products. Retail/wine shops have a reputation for selling a variety of products to cater to their varying audiences whether it be low to high priced products, well known or hardly known, local or international, or a variety of types/flavors. Sales associates at these stories are typically educated on their products which helps enormously when novice wine drinkers or even experienced wine drinkers are buying wine. These establishments cater to all levels. Relationships are often built between the customer and sales associate which generates good relations and willingness to help if needed. Sales associates are advocates for the wines they enjoy, so it is important that Gilbert Cellars maintains a good relationship with the retail/wine shops.

Current Relationship: Currently, Gilbert Cellars wine is sold in 142 retail/wine shops/restaurants across five states: California, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, Washington. Majority of their wine is sold in Washington specifically the Yakima Valley.

Self-Interests: Reputation is immensely important, and must be preserved by carefully selecting what is served in terms of quality and taste. They are also interested in what marketing messages will be contributed by the wine they serve.

Influentials: Distributors, customers, sales associates, competing wine shops, journalist, and bloggers.

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ANALYSIS OF KEY PUBLICS

After conducting research, the following publics have been designated as being of most significance to the successful launch of Gilbert Cellars new boxed wine. Each public requires messages that are specifically constructed to attract these audiences based on their self interests and current relationships with Gilbert Cellars. These messages will be used in the construction of strategies and tactics implemented throughout the campaign.

Expert Wine ConsumersReaching expert wine consumers will be immensely beneficial to the success of introducing Gilbert Cellars new lower priced wine. Expert consumers act as opinion leaders among their peers and to novice wine drinkers who respect their experienced pallets, and seek their referrals. Their vast experience of wine tasting has led these individuals to act as their own authority when it comes to opinions about wine. What intrigues expert consumers is the story behind bottle. They look to stories, and the history about the winemakers, the production process, and the label art to guide their selections. Additionally, expert consumers are knowledge hungry, and seek information about the agricultural and Washington’s unique climatic aspects that play into wine production. This public has substantial spending power and the potential to play a large role in facilitating sales, as they typically host tastings and events for which they purchase wine to serve their guests on a regular basis. The majority of expert consumers in the region has heard of Gilbert Cellars and is aware of the brand’s reputation as one of the oldest wineries, known for producing quality wine. They are also aware of many of the events held by the winery, as well as the company’s tasting room location. To introduce Gilbert’s new product to expert consumers, the campaign must overcome this public’s negative perception about boxed wine. The majority of expert consumers believe the packaging is an indicator or poor quality wine. We must convince these consumers that Gilbert Cellar’s new wine can be compared to the high quality and award-winning taste they have come to expect from the winery. We must also educate the experts of the benefits of boxed wine, and disclaim the myths they hold about the alternative packaging.

Primary Message: You rely on your own pallet to determine what is good, just like you have relied on Gilbert Cellars to provide rich, quality wine to serve at your events, to revel in, and to unwind with for years. We bottle our stories so you can create your own. Try Gilbert Cellars new wine, and enjoy the fresh experience longer.

Secondary Messages: Gilbert Cellars has been a part of the Yakima Valley for generations. We are a family business

and we consider our customers as part of the family. Boxed wine offers benefits and can last up to 6 to eight weeks after opening when stored in the

fridge (http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/boxed-wine-is-good/boxed-wine-faq/) Boxed wine stays fresher longer once opened, compared to bottled wine.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/dining/reviews/boxed-wines-review.html?pagewanted=all)

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Restaurants and Bars

This public has the potential for influencing mass sales by serving Gilbert’s new wine in their establishments. Not only are these businesses customers themselves, but they act as marketers to individuals who purchase Gilbert’s wine at a bar or restaurant as their customers. This type of exposure may lead customers who order Gilbert wine at a restaurant or bar to purchase it from a retailer and become a regular consumer. This public is primarily concerned with two aspects when making the decision to serve a product; price and quality/reputation. The industry in which restaurants and bars operate is immensely volatile and competitive—an environment in which many business do not survive. This is why each business decision, like product selection, is crucial. These businesses search for items that satisfy the fine line requirements between quality and affordability. Bars and restaurants must also consider the reputation of businesses whose products they serve, because these products become a direct reflection on their business. They must ask themselves what serving a particular product, which in this case is Gilbert Cellars new wine, says about their own core values and the image they portray to the public. Persuading this audience to try the new wine should not be difficult due to the affordability and the benefits they would receive from the alternative form of packaging.

Primary message: Serving Gilbert cellars wine is an intelligent business decision that will produce economically sound results and please customers.

Secondary Messages: It is affordable, costing only $105 per case. The shelf life longevity provided by the boxed form

of packing will also cut down on costs—once opened the wine can be served up to eight weeks, unlike a bottle which must be discarded if not sold within a short amount of time after being uncorked.

Boxed wine stays fresher longer once opened, compared to bottled wine (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/dining/reviews/boxed-wines-review.html?pagewanted=all)

Customers will recognize Gilbert Cellar’s award-winning brand and form a positive correlation between the winery and the restaurant.

o Received Gold Award of Excellence for 2008 Left Bank at the Seattle Wine Awards in the under 20 dollars Red Bordeaux category

o Took home three medals in the San Francisco Wine Chronicles Competition: Gold Medal for  2008 Tempranillo Port; Silver Medal for  2009 Doc Stewart Chardonnay; Bronze Medal for 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Receive high review ratingso 2007 Allobroges in the Nine (9) Red Values by Wine Spectator; Harvey Steiman of Wine

Spectato r reviewed 2008 Syrah and 2008 Allobroges and gave them 91 points and 88 points, respectively; Wine Peeps rated Gilbert Vertical as “High Value”; In his review, 10 Outstanding Washington Reds, Harvey Steinman gave 2009 Syrah 92 points.

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Retail/Wine Shop Owners

Wine shop owners want to sell products that meet the following criteria; appeal to customers, follow the trends of the field, and are representative of that business and will maintain the reputation of selling excellent products. This public is responsible for the mass distribution of products to the consumer base and is essential for sales and the spread of product awareness. Retail shops, like grocery or liquor stores are the main location where customers purchase low-priced wine. Wine shop customers aren’t as concerned with price, but rather the reputation of the business and the product. Even if Gilbert Cellars isn’t a brand familiar to the shop’s customers, the wine shop’s strong reputation will be taken into consideration as selling a product that they consider to be good.

Primary Messages: Gilbert Cellars is the leader in innovative wine-making and that boxed wine is the new trend in wine packaging.

Secondary Messages: Boxed wine stays fresher longer once opened, compared to bottled wine

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/dining/reviews/boxed-wines-review.html?pagewanted=all)

Boxed wine offers benefits and can last up to 6 to eight weeks after opening when stored in the fridge (http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/boxed-wine-is-good/boxed-wine-faq/)

Up to date on the latest trend- boxed wine

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Distributors

Distributors are a necessary public to target because they are the direct connection to restaurateurs and wine shop owners. As a part of the three-tier alcohol distribution system, wineries sell their wine to distributors, who then sell the wine to restaurants and wine shop owners. Without the assistance of distributors, sales to restaurant and shop owners would be impossible. In appealing to distributors, we will present this as a wine that will do well in retail because of its packaging that preserves the wine for a longer period of time and because our wine is priced low, restaurants are more likely to invest. We’ll educate them to negate the often negative perception of boxed wine and we’ll prove that because it’s a Gilbert Cellars wine, it’s a quality wine that their clients will want to sell to their customers. This in turn will increase the reputation of the distributor for selling excellent wines.

Primary message: The future of wine is ever-changing, and drinkers are looking to new trends in variety and methods of consumption. Our new Gilbert Cellars wine, in its new packaging, follows the new trend of wine consumption, and because its reputation precedes its taste in quality because it’s from Gilbert Cellars.

Secondary Messages: It is affordable, costing only $105 per case. The shelf life longevity provided by the boxed form

of packing will also cut down on costs—once opened the wine can be served up to eight weeks, unlike a bottle which must be discarded if not sold within a short amount of time after being uncorked.

Boxed wine stays fresher longer once opened, compared to bottled wine (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/dining/reviews/boxed-wines-review.html?pagewanted=all)

Customers will recognize Gilbert Cellar’s award-winning brand and form a positive correlation between the winery and the restaurant.

o Received Gold Award of Excellence for 2008 Left Bank at the Seattle Wine Awards in the under 20 dollars Red Bordeaux category

o Took home three medals in the San Francisco Wine Chronicles Competition: Gold Medal for  2008 Tempranillo Port; Silver Medal for  2009 Doc Stewart Chardonnay; Bronze Medal for 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Receive high review ratingso 2007 Allobroges in the Nine (9) Red Values by Wine Spectator; Harvey Steiman of Wine

Spectato r reviewed 2008 Syrah and 2008 Allobroges and gave them 91 points and 88 points, respectively; Wine Peeps rated Gilbert Vertical as “High Value”; In his review, 10 Outstanding Washington Reds, Harvey Steinman gave 2009 Syrah 92 points.

Up to date on the latest trend- boxed wine Gilbert Cellars is aware that price is an issue for novice wine drinkers, so we want wine drinkers

to be able to afford a tasteful and well-prepared wine.

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Novice wine drinkers

Novice consumers are projected to be the prominent audience for Gilber’s boxed wine, as the product satisfies the determining factor the majority of novice drinkers consider most; low price. Noce drinkers often find the art of wine intimidating due to all the aspects that tasting includes such as aromas, taste, and variety. Once novice wine drinkers begin experimenting with the varieties of wine, it bcomes apparent that wine drinking is very expensive. The notion in society is that the more expensive the wine is, the better it will taste, though this is not always the case, and Gilbert Cellars aims to diminish this perception with its new product. Novice drinkers will also be less likely to associate a negative stigma with the alternative box packaging due to their inexperience with wine in general; they will not necessarily be partial to a bottle. Reaching novice consumers will allow Gilbert Cellars to help cultivate their immature relationship with the industry and Gilbert Cellars in particular. Successful introduction of the new wine to this public may result in increasing Gilbert’s database, and create returning customers who are loyal to the brand. As we found through research, Millenials are becoming an increasingly large segment of the novice consumer pulic. The interest Millenials have recently invested in the wine industry has inspired many wineries to begin catering to this audience by appealing to their interests including social media, trends, and socializing events. Creating messages that position wine as an element which can enhance their social endeavors, as well as demonstrating the trendiness of boxed wine will be effective messages for the audience. Promoting the product’s price however, should remain the main message, as it appeals to everyone considered as belonging to the novice consumer public.

Primary message: Gilbert Cellars understands the complexity of wine and how difficult it is to find the perfect wine for the unique pallets of novice wine drinkers. With the creation of a well-rounded, inexpensive, boxed wine we want you to try our latest creation.

Secondary messages: Compared to cork and bottle, boxed wine packaging decreases waste found in landfills by 91%

and reduces greenhouse gases by 76% (http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/boxed-wine-is-good/boxed-wine-faq/)

Gilbert Cellars has been producing wine since 2004 Gilbert cellars’ uses agricultural methods and techniques which take advantage of the regions

unique climate in the production of grapes Boxes have no affect on the wines taste Gilbert Cellars is aware that price is an issue for novice wine drinkers, so we want wine drinkers

to be able to afford a tasteful and well-prepared wine. Up to date on the latest trend- boxed wine Receive high review ratings

o 2007 Allobroges in the Nine (9) Red Values by Wine Spectator; Harvey Steiman of Wine Spectato r reviewed 2008 Syrah and 2008 Allobroges and gave them 91 points and 88 points, respectively; Wine Peeps rated Gilbert Vertical as “High Value”; In his review, 10 Outstanding Washington Reds, Harvey Steinman gave 2009 Syrah 92 points.

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Primary message: Involve your friends and family in the wine industry latest trend.

Secondary messages: You have the ability to raise awareness of the latest wine trend. You will become an expert among your peers. You will become a trend setter among your peers.

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goal: To successfully introduce and promote Gilbert Cellars new lower priced wine to the Central Washington region.

Objectives: Increase number of visitors to the winery by 25 percent Increase media exposure by 50 percent Host an event that provides product exposure to at least 30 percent of Gilbert Cellars existing

customers Increase number of visitors to website by 50 people Increase number of individuals in Gilbert Cellars database by 15 (wine club, newsletter)

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STRATEGIES

Distributors: Educate the distributors about the new boxed-wine.

Expert Consumers: Promote boxed-wine as an innovative product and as the same high quality wine that Gilbert Cellars is known for.

Novice Consumers: Interact and engage novice wine drinkers to get them to recognize the brand as high quality, local and affordable which will present itself as high-value product.

Bars/Restaurants: Promote that serving Gilbert Cellars wine is an intelligent business decision. Educate based on the following characteristics: long lasting, affordable, and quality

Retail/Wine Shops: Position boxed wine as being trendy and innovative.

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TACTICS

Tactic 1: Launch winemakers blog on website

Publics: Expert consumers, Novice consumers, Wine shop owners/retailers

Reasoning: Due to expert consumer’s interest in the production process of wine, Gilbert’s winemaker could maintain a blog on the wineries website. The blog could be primarily educational, and inform readers about the current trends and culture of wine, and how it affects Gilbert Cellars, in addition to the implications for Gilbert cellars and the Washington wine industry as a whole. The blog could also include personal stories and anecdotes which readers will find interesting, authentic, and relatable. As discussed, expert consumers take interest in the personal contributions winemakers incorporate into their creations. Topics could range from light hearted and humorous to more contemplative and cerebral. Posts could be related to the winemaker’s family, friends, travel experiences, and everyday interactions with customers and other Gilbert Cellars employees. Yakima being a small community, readers may recognize individuals and places mentioned in the blog. Sharing stories and unique insight will help strengthen the bond expert consumers share with Gilbert Cellars. We will promote this blog by posting links on the website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts held by Gilbert. Additionally, we will look for blogs, on both a local and a national level, related to wine to follow and comment on. This will drive traffic back to Gilbert’s Winemaker blog and eventually build a strong following. This will also be accomplished by commenting on other blogs and social network posts, which will present Gilbert Cellars as an informed opinion leader others who have made comments, will refer to the Gilbert website for more information on our products.

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Tactic 2: Host tasting event

Sub Tactics: Create press release Create take-home materials, educational brochure Create invitations Create promotional poster

Publics: Expert Consumers, Novice Consumers, Distributors, Restaurant/Bars, Wine shop owners/retailers

Reasoning: Hosting a tasting event for expert consumers (distributors, restaurant and bar owners, local wine journalists, and business owners) would allow this demographic to sample the wine, and ask questions about its creation. Information about the benefits of boxed wine could also be provided at the event. It is critical to the success of the launch of this new product that expert consumers are given the opportunity to sample the wine, and ask experts in the industry directly about the effects of the alternative packaging. This effort could help diminish the negative perception the public holds about boxed wine. A booth for a blind taste test will also be present at the event. The guests will be given the opportunity to taste Gilbert’s new wine that has been bottled, in comparison to the boxed wine. More than likely, guests will be surprised to find the difference in taste and quality, if any, is marginal.

The event could be held at Gilbert Cellar’s Tasting room. The atmosphere would also be a true representation of the organization. Chefs from Gilbert’s tasting room could serve some of the most popular plates from their menu that guests would be familiar with, such as their highly praised bacon-wrapped dates. Guests would include individuals from Gilbert Cellars database such as distributors; owners of restaurants; bars; and wine shops. Businesses that currently carry Gilbert wine, as well as potential customers, expert and novice wine consumers would also be included. This database also contains individuals who receive Gilbert’s newsletter and those who are members of the wine club. Hand written invitations could be sent to these individuals specifically, while notice of the event could be made public through promotion on Gilbert’s Facebook page, website, and through posters displayed at the tasting room downtown. A press release could also be sent to the Yakima Herald Republic—detailing the launch of the product. We will also reach out to the media through a media alert.

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Tactic 3: Create YouTube video about boxed wine benefits

Publics: Expert Consumers, Novice Consumers, Distributors, Restaurant/Bars, Wine shop owners/retailers

Reasoning: Creating a video about the environmental benefits of boxed wine packaging could be effective in reaching publics across the board, as audiences in general are becoming increasingly eco-conscious. Boxed wine is significantly better for the environment than bottled, which is a potential selling point for many consumers. The video would feature the local region, and display clips and footage of some of the most scenic and recognizable portraits of nature around the Yakima Valley—making the content very relatable to viewers. Facts and statistics about boxed wine benefits could be discussed by local individuals of influence such as the mayor, major business owners, local celebrities, and environmentalists. These influential would provide testimonials of the importance of protecting the natural beauty of the Valley, and how choosing boxed wine could support these efforts. Working with members significant in the community will give credibility to the campaign, and strengthen community relationships. We plan to recruit filmmakers from the Central Washington University Film and Video Studies program to help make the video. In addition to being available on YouTube, the video could be posted on the Gilbert Cellars website, shared on their Facebook page.

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Tactic 4: Host Training for Restaurant/Wine Shop Owners/Staff:

Sub Tactic: Create informational brochure tailored to provide information relevant to the service industry

Publics: Restaurant/Bars, Wine Shop/Retailers

Reasoning: Hosting a training event for individuals who serve Gilbert Cellars wine would be beneficial for various reasons. Customers, we have found through research, often seek the opinion of wait staff and other restaurant employees when selecting a beverage to pair with a meal—therefore it is important that this public is well-versed on Gilbert Cellars wine and are able to provide an accurate and favorable recommendations. Inviting this demographic to Gilbert Cellars may also help increase the organization’s reputation by allowing the restaurant staff and owners to feel less like customers of Gilbert Cellars, and more like partners in selling the wine. It is widely known that people who view a product favorably are more effective in promoting it. The training should be a fun experience, and focus on what differentiates Gilbert Cellars from other local wineries. Attendees should be treated as guests and provided with take-home materials such as brochures to help them retain what they learned at the training. These brochures can also be available for customers of the participating business for additional information not provided by the staff.

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Tactic 5: Box art contest:

Public: Novice wine drinkers, expert wine enthusiast

Gilbert Cellars will hold a month-long boxed art contest for general consumers, expert wine enthusiast, artists, and novice wine drinkers to design the label and art for the new boxed wine. Polaroid cameras and art supplies such as paper, crayons, pencils, pens, and markers will be placed at the tasting room for customers to design or capture the moment they are experiencing at Gilbert Cellars. The winner will be announced at the launch event where the new box will be revealed for the first time. This is a great opportunity for Gilbert Cellars to involve their consumers in the family oriented company.

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Tactic 6: Distributor Education Days

Sub Tactic: Create promotional material for distributors that can be given to their clients while selling the

product.

Publics: Distributors

Reasoning: Distributor Education days will be an on-going event where we will invite distributors to the tasting room to teach the process through which the new wine is made from growing the grapes, to making the wine, to tasting. The event will be free and on a weekend to avoid work time conflicts and distributors will be given a free specialty dinner for the Gilbert Cellars cooking staff and, of course, free tastings. The Gilbert Wine makers will also teach distributors about the benefits of boxing wine compared to bottling. They will explain the history of the winery to the distributors, so they are able to tell this story to restaurant owners and shop owners, should they choose to partner with Gilbert Cellars. The promotional material will contain background information on Gilbert Cellars including history and location, details about the wine, how it was made, grapes used, why it is priced so low, and why our new wine is a quality wine and why Gilbert Cellars is the leading innovator in wine in the valley. This material can also be used for fliers, newspaper inserts, and is saved as a PDF to send out in e-blasts for wine club members. The purpose of the event is to invoke a sense of passion and excitement about Gilbert Cellars when selling to restaurants, bars, and shop owners. This will hopefully give these proprietors more of an inclination to purchase our product, especially since many of them rely on the guidance of their distributors, according to our research.

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Tactic 7: Media Tour

Publics: Influential journalists and media members

Reasoning: Gilbert Cellars could identify top key journalists to invite them, on separate occasions, to the winery for a media tour. The attendees would be given an informational tour of the winery, provided with samples and educational materials. After the tour, attendees would be invited to the tasting room to sample the cuisine, and participate in a more enjoyable and social setting. Gilbert Cellars’ owners and winemaker would mingle with the journalists and be available to answer additional questions about the winery, the products, and future events.

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CALENDAR

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BUDGET

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BROCHURE OUTLINE

Key public: Distributors Customers Wine shops Restaurants

Action desired from public: Learn about the benefits of boxed wine Learn what the reviews say about Gilbert Cellars’ boxed wine Encourage others to purchase the boxed wine

Primary messages: About Gilbert Cellars New wine Benefits of boxed wine What the critics say Where you can buy it

Third-party individuals: Wine critics – We will use quotes from these individuals saying they like the new Gilbert Cellars

boxed wine. May include ratings if they positively reflect the wine. Opinion leaders – We will use quotes from these individuals saying they like the new Gilbert

Cellars boxed wine.

Method and timing: This brochure will be distributed during the tasting event as well as the training events and the

box art contests to promote the new boxed wine. The purpose is to provide literature for our publics to reference.

Brochure size and paper: Paper size: 8½” X 11” Glossy paper Tri-fold

Print quantity: Wine tasting event – will print 250 Box art contest – will print 150 Training event – will print 50 Distributer training – will print 50

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Number of colors to be used: Colors will include:

o Greeno Grape (purple)o Greyo Black

Timeline/deadline: Will distribute to customers and current retailers and distributors two weeks prior to the launch

of the new wine. Will distribute to new retailers and distributors upon contact. Will distribute with shipments to wine shops, restaurants and stores. Will distribute the boxed wine launch event.

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BROCHURE PRIMARY MESSAGES

About Gilbert CellarsGilbert Cellars is a family run winery located in Ahtanum Valley in Yakima, Washington. The Gilbert Cellars business began when Horace Mark Gilbert when the family moved to Yakima Valley from Geneseo Illinois in 1897. Since then, the company has been passed down from father to son and is currently owned and operated by Curtiss and Cragg Gilbert. We take pride in our reputation of being a family-oriented winery and thoroughly enjoy expanding the family experience to our customers.

New WineThe new Gilbert Cellars boxed one, H.M., is the first boxed wine available by Gilbert Cellars. This 2010 Chardonnay is crisp and refreshing with ripe apple and pear and a hint of citrus. The boxed wine is now available in a two-liter box for just seven dollars.

Benefits of Boxed WineWhy boxed wine you ask? Here are the TOP 5 benefits to boxed wine include:

Easy storage – The box design makes it easy to store in a cupboard or in the fridge. Extended freshness – Unlike bottled wine, boxed wine lasts longer than just two or three days. In

fact, boxed wine can last for up to two weeks! Environmentally friendly – The products used to create the boxed wine are biodegradable and

eco-friendly. More for your money – Boxed wine has a greater volume of wine than bottled wine and gives you

more bang for your buck. Easy to serve – With an easy-to-pour spout, you can easily and quickly fill up your glass.

What the Critics Say Boxed wine offers benefits and can last up to 6 to eight weeks after opening when stored in the

fridge (http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/boxed-wine-is-good/boxed-wine-faq/) Boxed wine stays fresher longer once opened, compared to bottled wine.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/dining/reviews/boxed-wines-review.html?pagewanted=all)

Boxed wine offers benefits and can last up to 6 to eight weeks after opening when stored in the fridge (http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/boxed-wine-is-good/boxed-wine-faq/)

Buy it Today!For easy ordering, call or place an order online today at www.gilbercellars.com. All of Gilbert Cellars wine can also be purchased in various grocery stores and wine shops in Washington State and is sold in various restaurants across the country.

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BLOG OUTLINE

Key Public: This blog will be primarily intended for influential individuals connected to the wine industry and other related fields, such as travel and food. The purpose of the blog is to communicate on a personal level with opinion leaders in the wine industry. This outreach will also strive to reach customers and wine consumers outside of the professional realm, who are opinion leaders among their pupils. Blogs create two-way symmetrical communication by providing constituents with the opportunity to engage in spontaneous conversation with an organization or an individual. Maintaining this open communication with constituents, particularly opinion leaders, is immensely important to the success of any business or organization, as it allows the company to gain direct feedback and make adjustments accordingly to better serve their publics and gain credibility. The blog will primarily target wine industry leaders and influentials for various reasons, though specifically due to the connection between the intended topics of the blog, and this public’s self-interest. Topics will not feature Gilbert Cellars, in effort to gain a following beyond the Yakima Valley. If Gilbert Cellars were to be the prominent topic in the blog, it is likely that followers would be limited to local opinion leaders within the valley. It will be important to maintain a broader scope beyond the area to be relatable to a varied audience in a much more substantial geographic region.

Secondary publics: The secondary audience will extend to media outlets, journalists, and Gilbert customers. These individuals have significantly different interests, though both are relevant to content discussed in the blog. Reaching expert and novice wine consumers through the blog will likely materialize as a mere consequence of successful outreach to opinion leaders. Individuals familiar with opinion leaders, the primary audience, who follow their blogs or publications, may be exposed to the Gilbert Guzzler blog as a result of their related interest. Media outlets and journalists may fall into the category of opinion leaders and be considered members of the key public if their publications specialize in the wine industry however, journalists outside the industry may also be interested in blog topics related to other interests such as the economy, or agriculture as a whole.

Action Desired from public(s): The ultimate purpose of the blog will be to position the blog author, Gilbert’s winemaker Justin Neufeld, as an industry expert. If opinion leaders view Neufled as a credible source of knowledge, the blog content will be perceived as a legitimate forum for wine discussion, and a place of accurate industry insight. Opinion leaders including other winemakers and journalists will likely obtain information from the blog, and seek out Neufeld’s opinion on various related issues. The blog will also likely inspire networking opportunities beneficial to Neufeld and inadvertently, the winery. An underlying objective that can be achieved through successfully positioning Neufeld as an expert, is promotion and participation in Gilbert Cellars events. These events will include music performances and Winemaker Wednesdays hosted by Neufeld at the tasting room. Additionally, the blog will aspire to inexplicitly encourage publics to visit the Gilbert Cellars website, engage in conversation with the company through both the blog, and by writing their own online reviews of Gilbert’s products to provide additional exposure on sites other than the wineries.

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Ties to key public’s self interest: This public’s self interests are significantly related to wine products, industry news, trends, and events. Opinion leaders are interested in information that is both subjective and objective. Opinion leaders seek personal opinions of other influentials, though also take interest in statistics and industry trends that are not readily available in regular publications, as they are industry and region specific. Neufeld, being from Yakima Valley, will provide information about the region that is not necessarily covered, or known to individuals unfamiliar with the agricultural and growing patterns of the Valley. This information will be received as particularly credible when coming from Gilbert’s blog due to Neufeld’s position at Gilbert Cellars and the wineries reputation. Many of expert and novice wine consumers are also interested in learning more about wine, and will be highly responsive to educational information provided in the blog.

Overriding message and tone: Gilbert’s winemaker, Justin Neufeld, will write the blog. Neufled will create the blog as somewhat of an extension of the weekly event he hosts at the tasting room—Winemaker Wednesdays, where Neufeld answers questions from the audience about the winemaking process. As a host of this weekly event, Neufeld has become a recognized individual in the community which will increase interest among publics familiar with the winemaker. The blog will provide followers with the opportunity to converse with the winemaker, submit their questions, and share their own Gilbert Cellar experiences. The blog content will differ from discussions held at this event however, by focusing more on a subjective view of wine, and incorporating more of the winemaker’s personal anecdotes, and wine experiences beyond the scope of Yakima and Gilbert Cellars. Neufled will discuss his opinions, stories, memories, and knowledge in a readable and authentic way. The blog will aspire to relate to all of Gilbert’s customers—from highly experienced drinkers, to the more immature audience. The purpose of the blog will be to both inform and entertain. To accomplish this, blog topics will range from intricate explanations about issues such as climatic implications on agriculture, to light-hearted discussions about wine related events and memories. Special care will be taken when discussing the more complex wine topics, to ensure that readers are able to comprehend the content and are not intimidated by the language used.

Proposed title: Gilbert Guzzler

Primary message: Wine enhances all aspects of life, from food and events, to building relationships.

Secondary- Personal stories narrated by Neufeld Recipes tried and true by Neufeld Extend invitations to different tastings, music performances, and other events in the

Valley and around the United States. Draw attention to national wine competitions, festivals, tasting/travel destinations and

unique lodging i.e. Bed and Breakfasts, Beach Cabin rentals, etc.

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Primary Message: Following wine industry trends keeps variety, interest, and passion present in your everyday life.

Secondary- Provide statistics related to wine consumption in the United States and Globally

(Example, 55% of people prefer wine while attending a wedding). Report results about wine drinking trends obtained from Gilbert’s Facebook polls

(Example, 67% of Gilbert customers admit to having drank wine straight from the bottle!)

Report trends in Sales at Gilbert Cellars and other wineries—both local and national (Example, This summer, Merlot sales have skyrocketed—increasing 40% in July alone)

Third party influentials and how they will be used: Following other blogs will be immensely important to not only remain updated on current events within the industry, but also to help drive traffic to Gilbert Guzzler, and gain additional exposure. Commenting on other wine-related blog posts will help achieve this outreach strategy, and gain a variety of desired audiences. Blogs that cover topics of interest addressed in Gilbert Guzzler will help generate exposure to audiences most likely to follow the blog. The following wine bloggers maintain a significant following—each with different perceptions, and wine insight due to their accompanying occupations and experience. The variety of bloggers will help attract readers with an array of interests shared by Justin Neufeld.

Joe Dressener.com- This blog is written by Joe Dressener, an American wine importer who likely appeals to a relatively elitists crowd, though maintains a sense humility.

Vinography.com- Written by a California based high-tech consultant, this blog discusses wine in a very relatable and understandable way. The blog also focuses on food pairing.

WineAnorak.com- Jamie Goode is a British wine journalist, whose blog incorporates many of the topics discussed in Gilbert Guzzler, including travel. The blog is highly intimate, in which Goode writes about wine in both a personal and professional light.

DrVino.com- Dr. Tyler Colman, a University professor, focuses on the business aspect of the industry. Colman explains and discusses various legislative and economic impacts on wine.

Alice Feiring.com- As a travel columnist for Time magazine, Alive Feiring focuses on engaging readers in conversation, and naturally—travel.

VinCibo.com- Originally from Italy, Craig Camp shares his knowledge of Italian wine, food, and art.

WineTerroirs.com- Bertrand Celce is a French photographer who chronicles his tasting experiences throughout France. Celce also profiles individuals he meets in his travels which expands the blog’s focus to include topics beyond Celce and France.

In addition to following these influentials, the blog will often refer to prominent community members in Yakima valley including local artists, restaurant and bar owners, chefs, and other winemakers and wine experts, as well as Neufeld’s friends and families’ travel, food, and wine recommendations. Local Yakima business will also be mentioned to help the blog gain credibility among those familiar with the businesses.

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Content Manager: Justin Neufeld

Comment Manager: Justin Neufeld

Blog software: WordPress

URL: www.gibertguzzler.com

Timeline/deadline: Blogs are most effective when frequently updated and maintained. That being said, it is important to limit posts to topics that followers will take interest in. Posting too frequently likely will result in boredom among readers, and redundant material.

The blog should be launched 2 months prior to the release of Gilbert’s new wine, to allow time for the site to gain a solid following and establish a credible foundation with its readers. If this is first accomplished, reviews and mention of the new wine in the blog will be more effective and better received by followers—as a relationship and sense of trust between Neufeld and followers will have already been established. The proposed launch of the blog is four months before the release of Gilbert’s new wine.

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BLOG SAMPLES

Gilbert Guzzler

About me:

Hello, I am Justin Neufeld, and I am a wine-o-holic. While I may be the one consuming the heavenly and earthly beverage, wine has come to undoubtedly consume me and my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is a rarity in life, to find something for which one is truly passionate about, which is why I have decided to celebrate my wine infatuation with you in a blog! With this blog, I plan to share with you my experiences, stories, triumphs, contemplations, and lessons-learned in wine. At times, I will inevitably make mention of Gilbert Cellars, as I am not only employed there, but happen to be incredibly passionate about their product. As Gilbert Cellar’s winemaker, however this praise may be biased. I must admit though, I am not exclusively loyal to Gilbert’s wine. Tasting different wine from around the globe, and sharing in other winemaker’s work is truly what makes me tick.

My passion for wine began after I graduated from the University in Washington with a B.S. in Molecular Biology. I know what you’re thinking—firstly, that sounds incredibly intimidating, and secondly, incredibly boring. I agree on both accounts, which is why I found myself straying from the lab and heading to Chateau Ste Michelle as an intern. My experience at Chateau Ste Michele enriched my life in so many ways, and introduced me to what is now a vital aspect to my everyday existence—not only on a professional, but a personal level as well. The winemaking process incorporates so many elements from science, to agriculture, to instinct—it’s hard not to be intrigued. After taking the position as an enologist at Silver Lake, and as a winemaker for Glen Finoa, I have found my home here in Yakima Valley at Gilbert Cellars, and am ever an invested member to this exceptional winery family. As a winemaker, I never work a day in my life. Over the years, wine has been part of my many celebrations, as well as my many of failures. We

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have all been comforted after a long day or during a holiday with the relatives by a glass of what I like to call, “Rehabilitating Riesling” or “Mournful Merlot”. It is these times of turmoil, as well as the times that call for a celebratory “another”, that demonstrate just how present wine is in my life. It is these times I look forward to sharing with you my readers, and I look forward to hearing about yours as well. Additionally, I hope to share my knowledge of so many of the topics I find people have questions about pertaining to the agricultural and production process, and also about one of my most favorite wine-related topics—food! Feel free to post any of your questions; be it an in-depth curiosity about bordeaux, or what pairs well with pigs in a blanket. I look forward to letting you in on mine and Gilbert Cellar’s family secrets, and getting to know yours.

Justin

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Widower Wednesday Wisdom

May 25th, 2012

It is Wednesday, and I have just come from Gilbert’s tasting room where I host “Winemaker Wednesdays” each week. Basically it’s an open forum where guests can ask me questions about anything wine related. Occasionally I get the wildly off-topic inquiry from someone who has had three too many glasses, and I enjoy those just as well. When Gilbert first approached me with this idea, I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to interact with customers on a personal level over what else, wine, good food, and good music. Not only was I excited about the potential of merely a good time, but also about the chance to share my knowledge about something for which I am most passionate. The more I host these events however, the more I realize that I learn just as much from the audience as they do from me—and tonight was no exception.

The night began like any other. I entered the tasting room, greeted a few customers I recognized from previous Wednesdays, helped myself to a glass of Gilbert’s 2009 Syrah, and took my seat in the front of the room. The crowd was slightly smaller than usual, and appeared less than merry, so I started out with a joke (laughter and wine pair as well as Gouda and merlot). This lightened up the audience, and everyone seemed to laugh, with the exception of a solitude gentleman sitting by the window. He appeared to be in his late sixties, well dressed, and was gazing into an empty glass. Realizing it’s rude to stare; I turned to the rest of the audience and began answering a question about fermentation. After the crowd began to trickle out, I noticed the man by the window was still sitting alone, empty glass in hand. I started toward him.

“Enjoy the talk?” I asked.

“Very much,” He responded, “I look forward to it all week.”

“That’s great to hear—people are coming back despite my bad jokes!”

“I started coming about four weeks ago, after my wife passed.” He replied.

“I am sorry for your loss,” I said. I offered him another glass of wine. He accepted, and offered me a seat. That’s when the story began.

He had met his wife in Portland, Oregon in 1946 when they were both working downtown, she at Powell’s bookstore, and he at a pizzeria across the way. He claimed it was love at first sight, and the whole nine yards. She had been the one to introduce him to wine. He explained that while he knew she loved him, he was never sure if it was more than she loved “her Chardonnay”. Working at Powell’s, she often skimmed books in the wine and travel section—learning about wines from Italy and Napa to come home and share what she had learned. Every Wednesday, pay day, she would stop by the drugstore on her way home and look for bottles similar to ones she would read about. She would bring home the wine, and he was in charge of dinner—usually left over Italian from the pizzeria where he worked. Over time, this became their tradition—wine and Italian every Wednesday. Over the forty years they were

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married, they never once missed a week. Of course the ritual became slightly more sophisticated as time went on, and financial resources allowed them to spend more than 7 dollars on a bottle, but the essence of their tradition stayed blissfully the same however until last summer, when his wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“She put up a mean fight” he said about his wife, “but life has its own plans”. It was the night after she passed that he happened to stumble upon Gilbert Cellar’s tasting room while taking a walk down town and decided to go in. He said he felt like it was a sign—that she was still with him. It was Wednesday, it was their day. It was at this moment that he realized that even though his wife was gone, Wednesdays would still come. She was gone, but there was still wine to be drank, and happy times to be had.

He comes every week now, still never missing a Wednesday.

“I love it here; it’s our kind of place. She would have too. I am still really struggling, but this helps. The people here remind me of what living is about. I see happy couples and friends, and I can’t stay away from the bacon-wrapped dates.” He said.

I hugged my wife tight when I got home. It got me thinking about all the great times we have shared over bottles of wine, how much these memories mean to me, and how one day this could all change, but I’ll always have the memories. You really can’t put a price on a great bottle of wine, or a great memory. Can you?

Justin

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Tried and True Tenderloin

June 3, 2012

Ever notice how some of the best recipes come from no recipe at all? The majority of my greatest concoctions first ingredient typically, is too much wine. What’s more is that wine is not generally included the dish. Recently, some buddies and I were having a great night playing poker out on my back patio. It was a gorgeous evening—still seventy five degrees at nine o clock with a slight breeze. Peter, my black lab was running around and Brian, an old friend from college, had brought a bottle of Faust 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was incredible, with soft tannins flavors and great aromatics of black currant, cherry, and licorice. We all agreed that a rare steak would bring this wine to its full flavor potential. It was then that I remembered my wife had just bought four beautiful cuts from Moses farms, here in Yakima. All of their cows are one hundred percent grass fed and certified organic. Some of the best steak I have ever had has come from Moses farms, and so what if the steaks were for dinner with the in-laws the following evening… with nothing but hunger and inspiration, I fired up the grill and came up with this marinade recipe which turned out to be a major success.

Keep in mind, these measurements are strictly estimates, alter portions as you please. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil1 clove minced garlic2 tbsp melted butter ¼ cup root beer¼ cup red wine (I used Gilbert Cellars of course)1 tsp paprikaSalt and pepper to taste

I marinated the steaks for about forty minutes in the refrigerator before throwing them on the grill. The results would likely be even better if left to marinate longer, though Brian was impatient and hungry! We also topped them off with blue cheese butter, after pulling them from the grill and letting them rest for about 10 minutes before serving. They were sensational—the perfect pairing for our Cabernet Sauvignon. Not too heavy, and the sweetness from the root beer and creaminess of the butter really stood up to the intensity of the full bodied cab. Hope you give it a try, and enjoy it as much as we did! Let me know of any recommendations or additions you have. I am always interested in new steak and grilling recipes, especially with summer around the corner!

Justin

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NEWSLETTER

Key publics Expert wine consumers Retail/wine shop owners Novice wine drinkers Gilbert Cellars visitors E-newsletter subscribers

Action Desired From Publics We want our key publics to understand the art of food and wine pairing to make the

experience of enjoying a glass of wine pleasurable for the large variety of pallets.

Third-Party Influentials Chefs are experts on food and wine pairings, so to get testimonials, quotes, recipes, and

wines that pair well with that recipe will be the focus of our e-newsletter. Justin Neufeld, winemaker of Gilbert Cellars, will add insight to the wine making

process. Testimonial from a regular Gilbert Cellars wine consumer on food they have successfully

paired with their wine.

Overall Tone: The tone of the e-newsletter will be lighthearted, conversational, and easy to read for

the average person.

Masthead Text and Art Text: Food and Wine pairing made easy. Art: A bottle of Gilbert Cellars wine and a table display done at the tasting room.

Proposed Lead Story The lead story of the e-newsletter will feature advice on food and wine pairings from

head Chef Alice Matthew of Café Melange in Yakima.

Proposed Art Head shot of head Chef Alice Matthew cooking.

Sections Justin Neufeld explaining the process of wine.

A. Introduction of Justin Neufeld and his role at Gilbert Cellars.B. Brief explanation of the process of wine making beginning with planting of the plants

to bottling the wine. Chart of wine varieties and what food pairs well with it. Testimonial from a Gilbert Cellars wine consumer.

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A. Quick testimonial from a regular Gilbert Cellars wine consumer and their experience with food and wine pairings.

Other Photos Photo of Doc Stewart Estate vineyard. Wine bottle and a nicely prepared dish of food (wine and dish that pair well together). Photo of Justin Neufeld at work in the winery.

Method and Timing of Distribution E-newsletter distributed over email to e-newsletter subscribers.

Finished Size, Number of Pages, and Paper 620 pixels to fit the average web browser/email, 2-3 pages.

Number of Colors Gilbert Cellars colors: light grey, dark grey, purple (boarder and header). Pictures will be in color. White background.

Timeline/deadline June 28 begin scheduling interview with Chef Alice Matthew and Justin Neufled. June 28 Contact regular Gilbert Cellars wine consumer for testimonial. June 29 begin layout sketch. July 13- Have interviews and testimonial from regular consumer completed. July 16 begin putting together e-newsletter. July 25 review, edit, correct e-newsletter. July 30 edit suggested corrections. August 6 finalize e-newsletter. August 7 distribute e-newsletter to key publics.

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SAMPLE NEWS STORIES

Lead story: Three easy tips to remember from Chef Alice Matthew

As lead chef at Cafe Melange in downtown Yakima, Chef Alice Matthew has had a tremendous amount of experience with dealing with the complexity of food and wine pairings. Matthew's experience with being head chef at an Italian restaurant for eight years and with her experience of working at other restaurants around the valley, has allowed her learn what wine drinkers are interested in and what wine pairs best with what dish.

Matthew has recognized that patrons have lost interest in the food and wine pairing process which she describes as devastating. The purpose of pairing wine and food together is to bring out a variety of taste that isn't brought out with enjoying a regular glass of water, milk, or soda. This process just isn't an art, it's a true science. If wine and food are paired perfectly, you will experience a trust burst of flavor that before was unrecognizable. "Once you have experienced a true wine a food pairing, it is hard to forget, and even harder to want to drink a glass of water with a Filet Mignon," states Matthew.

Like most people, Matthew understands how intimidating this process is, but she is willing to share her suggestions and tips on how to make planning a delicious meal even easier. There are three tips that Chef Matthew wants everyone to remember to achieve a perfect pairing:

1. What are the dominant features of the dish or meal? Are they:

mild or flavorful? Is it fatty or lean? Is it rich or acidic?

2. Once you have determined it characteristics the pairing process becomes simpler. A few examples to keep in mind is you always want to keep the flavors in balance, so pairing mild wines with mild foods and flavorful food with flavorful wines works great. For instance, pair a bold-flavored Pepper Steak with a spicy, bold red Zinfandel. You also want to keep in mind of the richness of the plate to pair it with a rich wine. Pairing a rich Chicken in Cream Sauce with a rich Chardonnay pairs excellent together. A rule of thumb in the wine world is remember that wine and strong spices don't mix together due to the dominant powers of both the spice and wine.

3. Pair wine that you most enjoy. The most common mistake that people make is pairing unfamiliar wines to dishes they enjoy. Of course it's in our nature to explore, and that's great, but don't ruin a dish with wine that is un-enjoyable to your palette. There's nothing worse than pairing food and wine that don't mesh because then the food and

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wine get ruined together. Always remember to pair your most favorite white or red wine to a dish and not to pair a dish to the wine.

Keep in mind that these are just a few rules and there are many more complex rules for the food and wine pairing process. Chef Matthew wishes she could tell you this was a simple process for beginners, but with her experience in the food and wine industry, it has taken her many years to perfect the process. "There is no reason to fear the process, it just takes practice and the ability to realize what you like," states Chef Matthew.

For more tips on the pairing process visit http://www.foodandwinepairing.org/.

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Sections: What pairs with what?

Here are some guidelines for pairing process. Remember, your palette is always the best determinate to what you truly enjoy.

For Reds

Red Wines

Red Varietal Appetizers Main Course Dessert

Cabernet Sauvignon

Carpacio, pungent (stinky) cheeses

Beef, duck, lamb, lentils Dark and bittersweet chocolate

Merlot Antipasto, aged cheesesVeal, sausage, salmon, tuna, eggplant

Raspberry, cherry or other dark berry desserts

Zinfandel Seared Ahi tuna, spicy chicken or beef satay

Barbeque, tomato sauce, spicy sausage, duck and beef

Dark berry desserts, carrot cake

Pinot Noir Creamy cheeses, pate's, roasted vegetables

Veal, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, lamb

Berry tart, flourless chocolate cake, crème brulee

Syrah Bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, tampenade

Ham, lamb, pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, barbeque

Cherry pie, chocolate mousse

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The Whites

White Wines

White Varietal

Appetizers Main Course Dessert

Chardonnay Scallops, crudite, hummus, mild cheeses

Chicken, cream based sauces, pork and seafood

Cheesecake, poached light fruit

Sauvignon Blanc

Oysters, crab cakes, wild mushroom and goat cheese bruschetta

Sea bass, lobster, langoustines, chicken, shrimp

Sorbet, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie

Pinot GrigioCeviche, ahi tuna tartare, antipasto

Risotto, grilled chicken, lobster, white sauces, crab

Petit fours, apple tart

Riesling Calamari, steamed clam creamy chesses

Roasted chicken, grilled pork, baked ham

Light cakes, cream based pie

(http://wine.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Food_Wine_Pairing_Chart)

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A Word From Our Winemaker

The art of wine has made its impact on history and not to mention on our everyday lives. Even though wine has been a staple in the European culture, and most recently the American culture, the wine-making process has not simplified over the years. It's a process that takes years of perfection and attention to detail that has made wine appeal to consumers from all around the world.

As winemaker at Gilbert Cellars, Justin Neufeld has perfected this art and wants to give insight to the winemaking process because it truly is process that not many understand due to its complexity.

In eight, not so easy steps, the wine making process will be explained. This chart makes the process seem easy, but until put into practice, the average person won't understand.

Step 1: After planting and picking the grapes, the grapes are sent to a crusher to de-stem and crush the grapes

Step 2: During the fermentation process, yeast is added to the grapes to being the process of making alcohol due to the combination of sugars

Step 3: During the press process, grape juice is separated from the skin

Step 4: Wine begins to settle in stain barrels or oak barrels

Step 5: Wines are put into oak barrels to begin the aging process

Step 6: Depending on the wine, some wines are filtered to help stabilize and clarify them

Step 7: Once wines have gone through the complex process, wines are bottled and

packaged

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Step 8: Depending on the wine, this step is optional, but this is when the aging process begins

I don't expect you to truly understand the winemaking process, because at times, I still make mistakes, but if you are interested in this, Gilbert Cellars and myself are more than happy to schedule a time to further educate you on this process and tour our facilities.

(http://www.softchalk.com/lessonchallenge09/lesson/wineTutorial/wineTutorial4.html)

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Trial and Error

As a regular Gilbert Cellars wine consumer, I like to enjoy my wines with a great dish! At first I was truly intimidated by the food and wine pairing process, but through trial and error, I learned what pairs excellent together and what doesn't. My favorite combination thus far is pairing a 2009 Malbec with steak and asparagus. Now I know what you're thinking, how typical to pair red meat and red wine, but with the different combinations and flavors that Malbec offers makes it a great duo. As for white wine, I've found the best combination in an unoaked Chardonnay and seafood pasta with a white sauce. Just writing about this combo makes my mouth water.

Now that I've got a hold of this process after months and months of bad pairs, I enjoy finding new combinations and experimenting. I still run into horrible duos, but it's always ideal to have extra wine around the house to quickly switch it out.

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Media Contact:Lindsey Sires509.910.7526lindsey.sires@gmail.com

Gilbert Cellars thinks “inside” the box with the launch of new seven-dollar wine.

YAKIMA, Wash. (May 18, 2012) — There can only be one winner in the squandering battle of the importance fine wine and inexpensive wine. At Gilbert Cellars, we believe that the two should never be compromised. That’s why they have released a new “edgy” wine for less than ten dollars, to be introduced in September.

The new wine, H.M., is the first boxed wine created by Gilbert Cellars. This light and refreshing 2010 Chardonnay with ripe apple, pear and a hint of citrus is available this season for seven dollars for two liters and is Gilbert Cellars' most inexpensive wine.

“We really wanted to think outside of the box with H.M,” said Gilbert Cellars co-founder Sean Gilbert. “You never see a high quality wine packaged like this. We thought the project would be challenging and by offering it at such a low price, the whole concept would seem enticing to our customers.”

To wine consumers, both expert and novice, boxed wine has a reputation of being of poorer quality or “cheap,” based on its history. Gilbert Cellars is known for making high quality, award-winning wine, they aim to prove that taste should not be lost because of low cost or packaging, and that the brand should speak for the product.

Despite the sometimes negative connotations regarding it, boxed-wine is becoming a popular trend not just because of the price and the storage convenience, but because it's better for the environment as well. Many natural resources are used to make wine bottles, contributes more greenhouse gas emissions and because of the weight of the bottles, transporting across the country generates more pollution than boxes that weigh much less. Gilbert Cellars wants to decrease its carbon footprint by using eco-friendly boxes and bags. They hope H.M. Will set the trend for environmentally-friendly packaging in the valley.

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“The idea for a boxed wine is ingenious,” said Jessica Moskwa, Gilbert Cellars general manager. “The packaging is less expensive to make and better for the environment, plus a box is easier to store and it doesn’t affect the taste of the wine.”

After opening a bottle of wine, the air that is let into the bottle causes the wine to lose its freshness. This is not a problem with boxed wine because the dispenser of the bag inside the box does not allow outside air to come in contact with the wine inside, making the lifespan of the wine greater than it would be if bottled.

The wine is held in a two-liter bag that occupies a 5-by-5-by-3 inch box, designed specifically for convenient shelf and refrigerator storage. There will be a contest for artists and others who are interested to create the new design for the box. The winning design will be used as the official look of the new wine.

H.M. will be officially launched this September at the Gilbert Cellars tasting room, located at Five North Front Street in historical downtown Yakima. For more information about H.M. and about Gilbert Cellars, visit www.gilbertcellars.com.

About Gilbert Cellars:The Gilbert Family has been in the Yakima Valley since 1897, when Horace Mark Gilbert moved his family from Geneseo, Illinois and started farming apples and other produce. H.M and his wife Marion's home place is owned by the Yakima Valley Museum. The family business has passed down from father to son since then and Gilbert Orchards is owned and operated by brothers Curtiss and Cragg Gilbert today. The family history is rich and extensive--for a glimpse into the past there are excerpts from old family letters that were gathered as content for the paintings in our Tasting Room by Barb Smith Gilbert.

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Karina Calderon, Account Executive

Karina Calderon is a senior at Central Washington University working towards finishing her Bachelor degree in Public Relations and a minor is Sociology in December 2012. Karina is currently the Senator of CWU’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) where she is an active liaison between the pre-professional club and CWU. Karina has had many internships throughout the past years where she has gained experience in the PR and professional sector. In her free time, she enjoys being active by hiking, working out, hanging out with friends and

family. She also enjoys doing arts and crafts to keep a collage of her past experiences throughout her life.

Kayse Dahl, Account Executive

Kayse Dahl is a Deans List student at Central Washington University, studying Public Relations, Business, and Nonprofit Management. While attending Central, she has been involved with the university’s Public Relations Student Society Association (PRSSA) chapter. Her involvement with this organization has led to participation in national competitions including Bateman, and as acting leader for the chapter’s National Organ Day Awareness competition team. Working with the Starbucks Corporation on the NODAC competition, Dahl has experience with constructing and implementing campaigns within the nonprofit sector. Additionally, Dahl has been a member of Central Washington University’s public relations agency—assisting in the reconstruction of a local private school’s website.

Dahl will continue to develop her public relation skills this summer as an intern at the Beaverton Chamber of Commerce in Oregon. Dahl hopes this venture will provide her with

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a well-rounded experience in both the nonprofit and business sector. Dahl will graduate in the winter of 2012, and aspires to work in the fashion, fitness, travel, or food industry.

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Heidi Merz, Account Executive

Heidi Merz is a senior at Central Washington University (CWU) majoring in Public Relations with minors in both Non Profit and Business. Heidi works for the Associated Students of Central Washington University Board of Directors (ASCWU-BOD) office where she is the Public Relations Director and the Elections Coordinator. Heidi is also the Public Relations Director for the CWU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and an Account Executive for Central Communications, the student-run public relations and marketing agency. Heidi’s previous clients have included JJ’s on Main, Sageland Properties, The Ellensburg Children’s Activity Museum and Gifts of the Vine. Heidi’s biggest accomplishments include successfully planning and executing the 2012 ASCWU-BOD Elections, assisting in the reorganization for the ASCWU-BOD website, and creating two attractive and effective websites for The Ellensburg Children’s Activity Museum and Gifts of the Vine.

Lindsey Sires, Account Executive

Lindsey Sires is a third-year student at Central Washington University (CWU). She is majoring in Public Relations, with minors in Nonprofit Organization Administration and French. Currently she works for the Campus Life Office of CWU as an office assistant, and as a board operator for 1240-AM KXLE radio in Ellensburg. Lindsey is involved in several extra-curricular activities. She is on the executive boards for the CWU chapter of PRSSA, and for the Pi Chi chapter of Lambda Pi Eta and, is an on-air personality on the campus radio station.

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