Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/155925
UNCORKING PR PAUL WAGNER 'Tis the Season for PR Planning A year-long program keeps everyone on track If there is one thing I can guarantee about the media as a whole, it is that it is unpredictable at best. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have a plan for dealing with the media. We love clients who work with us to develop a long-range plan for the year – one that gives us everything we need to do good work for the client over the next 12 months, and in which everyone has agreed on what we want to achieve. For some of our clients, particularly those representing growing regions in Europe, this kind of a plan is a critical part of the funding process. Without + Base your PR plan on solid marketing such a program in place, strategy. they cannot get funding from their members or + Clearly identify your target markets supporting government and audiences. programs. But there are + Develop the most cost-effective drawbacks to the Eurodelivery systems to achieve those pean system, and we'll goals. get into those later in + Provide an effective way to measure this column. the results of your efforts. So what goes into a successful year-long pub+ Adjust your plan as the game, and lic relations plan? Here the year, progress. are the most important points: Positioning and key messages: If you don't have these, you simply cannot do good marketing or public relations. You need to define who you are in terms of your competition, and you need to do it in a way that is easy for your customers to understand and repeat. If you don't know your messaging – the story that sets you apart from the crowd – there is no reason to contact anyone else. Audiences and key markets: You can't be all things to all people, so you have to focus. Most of us know that approximately SHORT COURSE 16 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Sept - Oct 2013 20% of Americans drink 90% of the wine sold in the country, but you should be much more specific in your approach. A solid plan will identify those markets that need extra support. Your audience goals should also clarify the roles that the onpremise and off-premise channels play in your business. Smaller wineries will want a tight geographic focus, so that they don't waste money trying to reach people who are not in a position to become customers. For every audience, you should have a message and a plan. And you should have a list of audiences for your plan; don't forget your own employees, local authorities and regulatory agencies, and the people who can make your life miserable … like your neighbors! Expected developments: Every winery has a projection for sales activities that includes new wine releases, vintage transitions, new label introductions and the like. These projections form the building blocks of an annual plan. You need to send wines out to the media when they are first released, not when they have been in market for 10 months. This is also where you need to list any plans for future expansion into new markets, and how you are going to support those with public relations efforts. TIMING AND DELIVERY Once you have all of these basics in line, you can start to work on the delivery systems. You will first want to map out when you will use press releases or media pitches to get the key messages to those audiences. The story on your new label should be sent to your entire distribution network, along with any marketing materials you have developed to support it. New wines need fact-sheet updates on the website, as do new vintages. All of this can be charted well in advance, so that you w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m