WITH TOWN HALL
STORIES, NEWS, AND BEST PRACTICES
If you are hoping to gain earned media and get your name in the press, you are going to want to put together a “press kit”, as a supporting tool.
For digital creators, rate sheets combined with a creator’s information is called a media kit.
Let’s compare the two so you can develop the information package you need.
Singletree Winery Naramata, located in Naramata, BC
As British Columbia enters phase three, locals are beginning to wonder what this summer will hold. The weather is slowly starting to get better, which means more opportunities to go outside and explore this great province. With no other way to vacation, it looks like we’ll be travelling within BC for the next few months.
The only problem is…how do we do so safely?
To make sure we’re travelling responsibly this summer, Destination BC has issued 10 things to remember before heading out on your next BC adventure.
Reposted from Destination BC, June 15, 2020
Take extra time to research and plan your trip in advance, and make sure you have a Plan B if your activity is at capacity. Many businesses and services in BC have adopted new protocols, and changes to their schedules or policies to ensure your safety. You’ll want to become familiar with them ahead of time. For example, you may have to book in advance for attractions or experiences where you didn’t before, and transportation schedules, like BC Ferries, may be operating at reduced capacity. Some businesses or outdoor spaces may remain closed. See the HelloBC.com accommodations listings, transportation listings, and experience provider listings to start your research, and contact the local Visitor Centre for more information.
While many communities in BC will be welcoming people back this summer, some, such as many of BC’s Indigenous communities, can’t welcome you just yet. Please be respectful of these communities and know that they’ll welcome you when they are ready. See Know Before You Go to learn more about what’s open, or contact the local Visitor Centre.
If you normally travel with extended family or with several friends, consider travelling in a smaller group this summer. Travelling with fewer people makes it easier for you to practise physical distancing in public, and may have less of an impact on the destination.
Consider a slower travel pace this summer to help curb the spread. Instead of checking in and out of multiple destinations during one trip, choose one destination and one accommodation for your entire trip, and use that as a ‘home-base’ for exploring all the destinations nearby.
If you’re heading to a more rural area of the province, stock up with the essentials before you leave home (i.e. groceries). This helps lessen your impact on BC communities who may be experiencing supply issues, and reduces your touchpoints within communities who may have limited health care facilities. Even better: create a Clean Trip Kit, including hand sanitizer, soap, gloves, masks, and toilet paper. While some businesses and destinations may supply these for visitors, it’s not a guarantee.
Practise physical distancing and frequent handwashing hygiene to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Follow the recommendations from the BC Centre for Disease Control to learn about preventative activities, and talk to the tourism businesses you are visiting about the steps they are taking to keep you and their staff safe. WorkSafeBC now requires all businesses to post their new COVID-related health and safety protocols at their workplace for staff and visitors to see.
When exploring BC’s outdoors, always leave it in a better state than when you arrived. Respect local wildlife. Minimize campfire impacts and check BC Wildfire Service for fire bans and fire safety tips. Pack out what you pack in, and dispose of waste properly. These are just some of key principles of Leave No Trace, a set of seven guidelines for enjoying the outdoors responsibly while minimizing your impact on the landscape. Visit Leave No Trace and BC Wildfire to learn more.
No matter what outdoor activity you are planning, you must be prepared. Remember to follow the three Ts—trip planning, training, and taking the essentials. AdventureSmart is a great resource to get informed before heading outdoors.
Remember, activities may take longer than usual, or places may be at capacity when you arrive. Be calm, patient, and kind, and remember, we’re all in this together.
BC’s tourism businesses are eager to welcome you back this summer and your support is more crucial than ever. Remember, with the border closed, our businesses are relying on British Columbians. For now, you have the province all to yourself! Make the most of it. See What’s Open in BC by Community to learn where you can support local businesses.
More Helpful Links:
• HelloBC Know Before You Go
Destination BC is on Twitter and Instagram. Find them at @HelloBC
Many business owners are stuck with is just how to communicate at this time, and what to say. On one hand, with everyone at home and online, there has never been a better time to capture eyeballs, and on the other, people are filled with anxiety and stress and no one wants to be insensitive. So what is OK right now?
Does your winery have trouble keeping track of all the wines you’ve made, especially when it comes to flavor profiles and technical information? Technical sheets are a good solution to keep organized, but it’s also a great piece of marketing material for your sales team and consumers.
Technical sheets are often 8.5” x 11” loose leaf papers, however they can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The most standard information on these sheets include:
Additional information to bring your technical sheets to the next level could include:
The public and trade can tell when a graphic item is made in-house or done professionally. Having a professionally-made technical sheet can give your company polish, legitimacy, and make your brand more reliable. When speaking to a designer, consider typesetting and some basic principles of design.
For more information on technical sheets, how they can work to help you sell wine, or to get some created, contact us today at info@townhallbrands.com.
Everyone loves a great time, especially one that involves wine and a gorgeous destination. So why not host an event to attract people to your winery? People who have never heard of your winery before may explore it and taste the wines. Others who already know and love your wine will join you for a celebration and feel more closely aligned with your winery as they enjoy an entertaining experience. Objectives for holding an event are to attract newcomers, retain existing customers, and to ultimately make some sales.
We will start with the simplest idea, which is when people come to the winery and the kind of visitor experience that you give them. Do you offer tours of your production facility or the farm property? Are there opportunities for hands-on experience? Allowing people to get a peek at your production and what you do helps them understand that you are working hard for your finished product; and then they have a greater appreciation for your wine.
Another idea is to hold a fundraiser at your winery for your charity of choice. Fundraisers are a win-win situation for everyone: the people attending feel good about where they're putting their money, you get people into your winery to see what you have (and ideally become a customer), and the charity that you choose benefits from your support and donation.
Host an event at your winery. Pictured here: Event at Blue Grouse Estate Winery
Throughout the year, themed parties are a favourite. Every season offers some fun reason to get together and dress up. From the Academy Awards in the winter, to a cupid’s ball, or a picnic-themed social, to a harvest party or Halloween bash.
For a more informative event, you can invite outside experts to your winery to give a presentation. This is an age of celebrity, so a well-known expert can attract and engage customers.
Hold a seminar. This is a classic way to get people to taste your wine while educating them. You can have a formal, instructional / tutored or guided tasting led by your winemaking team, or maybe a guest sommelier.
The kind of skill set required to coordinate an event is organized, detail-oriented and able to coordinate things in a calm manner. They should know how to budget and understand how to make sure that the cost of the tickets covers the cost of any rentals, wine poured, and staff that is going to work the event.
These are just a few ideas - what are your thoughts? Have we missed any ideas that have been successful for you in getting audiences engaged and attracting them into the winery?
Now’s the time to start thinking about what you need to create memorable experiences for your winery visitors this summer! Below are some tips on giving your guests the best winery experience:
1. Highway signage: Don’t expect that a sign itself will lead customers to your door. Make sure the print is big enough, the directions are clear enough, and use symbols if necessary.
2. Winery signage: Entice customers to your door. Use clever design and marketing content to drive traffic to your winery. What sets your winery and vineyard apart from others?
3. Creative added-bonuses for non-wine drinkers: Is your winery dog-friendly? Perhaps you have a colouring table for kids while adults taste or you offer free non-alcoholic beverages for the designated driver. Make sure this is communicated clearly within your winery with signage or other marketing materials.
4. Tasting Bar: Speak intelligently about your wines. Do you have a tasting sheet, or do you offer free tastings? Do you have a wine club and supporting materials to convert your customers?
5. Wine Purchases: Marketing materials go beyond just paper and signage printing. Think about branded bags or something more that would enhance your customers’ experience. Maybe you offer free shipping. Make sure that is communicated in your materials. Or perhaps offer a promo card for their next visit.
There are many ways to both attract and retain customers. It’s imperative to think of a guest’s whole experience rather than just focusing on what’s happening in the tasting room. When it gets busy, not everything can be communicated verbally to every guest, so make sure you have the materials to support you. And don’t forget about your designers and printers! They need lead times to ensure you get your materials ready for the busy season.
Contact Town Hall Brands today for more great tasting room experience tips, or to start using the power of design to transform your visitor's experience.
Are you and your importer/distributor both eager to tell your story in a way that translates into sales? Consider equipping your sales team with consistent and professional materials (a sales tool kit) that tell your authentic story.
A sales tool kit is a toolbox, containing the items that make it easier for your customer to understand your wine, and make room for it on their shelves.
What’s in a sales tool kit? At the minimum it should include a portfolio sheet listing all of your wines, but a great sales tool kit will include several items that make it easier for the buyer to sell your wine to consumers.
Sales Tool Kit Checklist:
So, how can you create a sales tool kit? Here’s the process we go through to create one:
1. Strategy – The first step is to have a strategy and determine which pieces of information will be used where (such as what accolades or reviews you’ll want to use and if you want them on shelf talkers or neck tags). This will help inform which items you will need to make.
2. Gather – The next step is to gather the content you’ll need to create the tools: your brand story, wine technical info (pH, RS, TA, alc%), harvesting information, awards/reviews, and product photos (bottle shots).
3. Create – The last step is to create the materials. Portfolio sheets, tech sheets, and sell sheets, shelf talkers, business cards, and tasting cards.
Creating these materials in a professional, consistent and compelling way will help your brand stand out and make it easier on your sales reps and retailers to sell your wine.
Are you stuck in the steps to create your own kit? Maybe you don’t have all the content you need, like a compelling brand story, or you lack professional bottle shots. Or maybe you need help creating professional looking tech sheets and shelf talkers. Let us help un-stick you, and help you create a really successful sales tool kit.
We are Town Hall Brands, and have more than 21 years of industry experience, creating content and marketing materials for winery clients, successfully elevating their brands and helping their sales soar. We would love to do the same for you.
Ever feel so overwhelmed trying to plan for the year that you’re often getting things done last minute? Don’t stress, we’re here to help! We’ve put together a timeline to help you stay on track.
Remember that creating marketing materials takes time. Allow three to four months for a wine label design from start to finish (and don’t forget the bottle shots images!). Get ready for your wine shop opening for the season with signage and point-of-sale materials. And start thinking about your holiday needs at the end of summer.
Below is a graphic for a visual representation. Text to follow.
For questions and/or graphic design help, contact us at info@townhallbrands.com.
