Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/369547
1 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m press kit is a critical part of any winery's public rela- tions program. It defines t h e c o m p a n y, p r o v i d e s reference materials to any journalist who is interested, and should serve as the primary source for all messaging and information that comes from the winery. So why are so many press kits so bad? The first reason is that the company doesn't want to define itself in terms that really matter. Out of fear and trepidation, many wineries fail to take important or significant positions. They won't make the necessary policy decisions to really stand out from the crowd or boldly go where no winery has gone before. A n d t h e i r p r e s s k i t s reflect this. This is why creating a press kit is such a vital element in the develop- ment of a PR strategy, and why it often takes an inordinate amount of time. The writing isn't difficult, but getting the winery management to agree on its direction is often almost impossible. So that is job No. 1. WHAT GOES IN A PRESS KIT? Once you have determined the key mes- sages – the significant points that make you different from the competition – you should then support these points with a series of reference articles about the winery. I have always divided these into two categories: core articles and peripheral articles. Core articles are the foundation of the kit. A background page should give a com- plete picture of the winery. It should explain the mission statement, trace the history from the beginning to now, and introduce the key characters who have influenced that history. This is not an opportunity to "sell" the winery as the greatest show on earth; just stick to the facts and let the jour- nalists add the local color. In terms of the text itself, it should be written in classic Associated Press style. If you don't know what this means, you shouldn't be writing the press kit; hire someone who understands AP style on grammar, spelling and punctuation, because that's the language most of the media reads and writes. The goal here is to provide the press with the kind of writing that can be adapted to any need. The copy should be able to be cut and pasted into an article seamlessly, without suddenly changing voice, style or perspective. Core articles should also include biogra- phies of each of the key people at the win- ery. If people are important enough that they might get interviewed, they should have a bio that provides a description of what they do at the winery, how and where they got their expertise, and what perspec- tive they bring to the winery. A quote that SHORT COURSE + A press kit is an essential item in a winery's PR toolbox, but many press kits are bad. + Know your story and why it makes you different from everyone else. + Give the media all the information needed to tell your story. + Make it easy for the media to get that information Pressing Matters If you don't have an expert media kit, create one now Printed press kits are out; electronic kits are in. UNCORKING PR PAUL WAGNER