
Laura Kittmer, Communications Director
Communications Director Report
Innovation and creativity reign supreme in this new reality
With the announcement detailing BC’s move into phase 3 of the restart plan, and BCWI’s industry-led Ready to Reopen guidelines in place for the safe reopening of wineries, the BCWI embraced the second quarter finding new opportunities to pivot, promote, collaborate, get creative, share information, research and secure access to financial resources to ensure our industry and member wineries remain at the forefront to rebound and recover as we continue to navigate this pandemic.
Getting back on track to achieving the strategic objectives set out in our F2021 Advocacy, Communications and Marketing Operational Plan under new provincial recommendations and restrictions required some adjusting of our budgets and targets. As a wine industry, we have proven our ability to be dynamic, resilient and compassionate through these challenging times. As the voice of the industry, our team supports you in our commitment to finding innovative and highly-targeted ways to communicate and stay engaged with our members, stakeholders, media and trade.
Brand BC: Build and promote a world-class brand
As we re-evaluated our usual ways of communicating and engaging with our stakeholders, and with travel restrictions still in place, BCWI communications team focused on creating highly-targeted sponsored content through strategic media partnerships to drive a strong “Support Local” message, while developing and pitching global interest stories in a continued effort to build awareness, image and relevance for BC wines in domestic and international markets.
The communications team kicked off the second quarter with a comprehensive communications and media plan in support of our Buy BC campaign, using an omni-channel approach to gain media coverage and raise awareness on the many ways to buy local and experience new and elevated wine touring offerings safely and responsibly. Strategic partnerships with local media, social media influencers and digital platforms resulted in 69 highly-targeted editorial pieces, 106 influencer posts and three blogs including IGTV and Zoom videos, for a total reach of 8.1 million generating $163,850 in advertising equivalency with a 8:1 return on unpaid media coverage. (See media section below for highlights)
In March, the BCWI hosted acclaimed British wine writer and columnist for Decanter, Andrew Jefford for his inaugural visit to BC wine country touring vineyards and wineries in the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley and Vancouver Island. His first article, an informative piece on the region was published in the Financial Times on August 14 for a total circulation of 13,313,656: Canada’s wild west: British Columbia wines
Complying with the provincial health order guidelines on large and in-person events, the BCWI postponed its media and trade tours and events planned for the fall, including Wine BC BootCamp, CAPS Nationals Competition and an in-region educational FAM with GuildSomm.
More importantly, a shift of focus away from large in-person events, allowed the BCWI to successfully research new formats and best practices that would allow us to engage and host key media and trade safely and effectively in our current environment through virtual and more intimate in-person events leading into the fall.
As part of this planning process, the BCWI enlisted the help of ConnectSeven Group, industry leaders in event management and members of the BC Meetings & Events Working Group responsible for creating the BC Meetings & Events COVID-19 Safe Restart Guidelines, to assist in the development of COVID-19 risk mitigation practices that would allow us to proceed with a fall program for media, trade and member wineries. A BCWI COVID-19 Safety Plan was developed including COVID-19 waivers, protocols, communications and an onsite plan for in-person events and tastings.
Through thoughtful planning, we were able to reimagine our Chef Meets BC Grape Somm Smackdown Competition engaging top sommeliers, chefs, key trade and wine media in a virtual dinner series promoting BC wines through sommelier-selected wine pairings. The first virtual event took place in Vancouver on September 22 through a live Zoom broadcast, where 22 of Vancouver’s top wine media and trade tuned in and participated.
“The event was a testament to creative marketing in the time of COVID as all judges were shipped wines and three-course meal ingredients to prep at home, to be sipped and enjoyed real time via Zoom as the three Vancouver sommelier semi-finalists explained their picks! It really highlighted the fun, creativity and diversity possible in pairing wine with food.”
– James Nevison, Wine Columnist of The Province (Link to Full article)
The BCWI engaged Wine Intelligence, an agency focused on wine consumer insights, research and strategy for wine businesses and associations, to conduct a quantitative online regional health tracking study to establish key performance benchmarks to measure trade and consumer perception and awareness for Wines of British Columbia. Trade and consumer surveys will be in field October through November 2020.
Despite export activities being placed on hold, the BCWI continued working with its BCWI Export Strategy Task Group in developing its three-year brand building strategy and route to market in identified priority export markets. Three virtual strategic planning meetings were conducted with the committee in the second quarter. The final 2021-2023 BCWI Wine Export Strategy is on target to be presented to government November 30, 2020.
COMMUNITY: BRINGING THE INDUSTRY TOGETHER
On August 24, BCWI hosted a virtual Town Hall with Wine Growers Canada and Hill + Knowlton Strategies to discuss the background research and rationale behind the recommended name change from British Columbia Wine Institute to Wine Growers British Columbia (WGBC). Following the unanimous membership vote on September 1, we look forward to launching the new name in 2021.
MEDIA REPORT | Q2 SUMMARY OF COVERAGE
Direct and indirect media coverage of the BC Wine Institute, its members and the Wines of British Columbia reached 84 million readers and viewers from July 1 through September 30. Value for media coverage totalled $777,251.
MEDIA-RELATED EVENTS
Chef Meets BC Grape Somm Smackdown Virtual Dinner Competition – Vancouver
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE NEWS
Highlights in the news from July 1 through September 30:
The Province | Proper Pairings Can Make the Meal
Financial Times | Canada’s wild west: British Columbia wines
Narcity | This New App Will Help You Organize The Most Personalized BC Wine Trip Ever
Vancouver Sun | Wine Guy: Sipping a new travel reality
Investor Ideas | BC Wine Institute Releases Survey Results Highlighting The Impacts of Covid-19 on The BC Wine Industry
Vancouver is Awesome | How B.C.’s wineries have risen to the challenges posed by COVID-19
Gismondi On Wine | BC’s Unique Wine Country Part 1
Gismondi On Wine | BC’s Unique Wine Country Part 2
For the full Q2 Media Report, click here.
PRESS RELEASE ROUND-UP
To ensure the Wines of British Columbia stay top-of-mind in key markets and to make sure consumers and industry remain informed on issues affecting the wine industry, the BC Wine Institute regularly issues press releases to a group of more than 300 national and international media.
You can find all press releases issued in Q2 in the Media section of WineBC.com.