6 Beverage Dynamics • March/April 2015
www.beveragedynamics.com
Editor's
NOTE
VP, Beverage Group
Amy Collins
Editor
Jeremy Nedelka
Tel: 203-855-8499 x213
email: jnedelka@specialtyim.com
Associate Editor
Kyle Swartz
Tel: 203-855-8499 x225
email: kswartz@specialtyim.com
Contributing Editors
Alia Akkam Melissa Niksic
Julie Johnson Jack Robertiello
Harriet Lembeck Brian Rosen
Maura Keller Thomas Henry Strenk
Senior Regional Sales Manager
Bruce Kostic
Tel: 203-855-8499, ext. 215
email: bkostic@specialtyim.com
Senior Regional Sales Manager
Mark Marcon
Tel: 248-761-6231
email: mmarcon@specialtyim.com
Senior Regional Sales Manager
Debbie Rittenberg
Tel: 215-860-0306
email: drittenberg@specialtyim.com
Art Director
Adam Lane
Production Director
Cherri Perschmann
Tel: 763-383-4400, ext. 2425
email: cperschmann@epgmediallc.com
Managing Art Director
Dodi Vessels
Senior Research Analyst
Adam Rogers
Tel: 203-855-8499 x212
email: arogers@specialtyim.com
LIST RENTAL
MeritDirect, Jim Scova
email: jscova@MeritDirect.com
Tel: 914-368-1012
REPRINTS
Circulation and Audience Development Manager
Robin Cooper
email: rcooper@specialtyim.com
Sr VP/Audience Development Joanne Juda-Prainito
Sr VP/Finance & Operations Gerald Winkel
CEO Marion Minor
RETAILER EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Charles Bailes III ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Orlando,FL
Ralph Bondon Berbiglia's, Kansas City, MO
David Breitstein Duke of Bourbon, Canoga Park, CA
Jim Shpall Applejack Liquors, Wheat Ridge, CO
Hal Gershman Happy Harry's Bottle Shop, Grand Forks, ND
Ron Junge Brown Derby Stores, Springfi eld, MO
Ted Farrell Haskell's, Minneapolis, MN
Charles Sonnenberg Frugal MacDoogal's, Nashville, TN
Beverage Dynamics is published by
EPG Media & Specialty Information
Editorial and executive offi ces at 17 High St.,
2nd Fl., Norwalk, CT 06851
Telephone: 203-855-8499
Fax: 203-855-9446
AWARDS SEASON ISN'T OVER YET
HOLLYWOOD'S RUN OF SELF-CONGRATULATING AWARD SHOWS
may have ended with Birdman receiving the Best Picture Oscar, but Beverage
Dynamics has just begun its awards season.
The beverage alcohol industry can't offer nominees as quirky as Birdman, a
fi lm with an ambiguous ending starring Michael Keaton as an actor looking to
shed his superhero-role past and be taken seriously. But we do have world-
renowned brands with centuries of history, alongside innovative upstarts taking
advantage of consumer trends.
This issue reveals the 2015 Growth Brand
Winners (page 28), a set of 163 wine and spirit
brands leading their respective categories. They
found the right mix of marketing, promotions and
customer engagement to increase sales in 2014,
earning special recognition.
I look forward to seeing representatives from
this year's winning Growth Brands at the WSWA
Convention in Orlando and presenting the awards
in person. In addition to celebrating this year's
winners, we have a few surprises planned for at-
tendees at the reception.
In other news, entries are now open for the
31st annual Advertising & Promotion Awards,
which honors the best beverage alcohol market-
ing, advertising, promotion and branding efforts.
This year's program features new award categories, including best interactive
social media campaign, best sports sponsorship and best product placement.
For more information about the Advertising & Promotion Awards, including
a full list of categories and entry instructions, visit www.beveragedynamics.com/
apawards. Brands and agency representatives are welcome to enter in any num-
ber of categories. Winners will be announced in the November/December issue
of Beverage Dynamics.
Congratulations to all of this year's Growth Brand winners, and good
luck to entrants in the Advertising & Promotion Awards. Celebrating sales
growth and innovation in the beverage alcohol industry is an important and
rewarding part of this job, even if it doesn't involve a red carpet, celebrities
and gold statues.
Jeremy Nedelka
Editor
Growth Brands Awards, page 28.
