On being named among those that lead and inspire

What a way to cap off the year!

I’m so flattered to be named among nine other dynamite women as one of 10 Women in PR That Lead, Inspire and Build Successful Brands, by Women in Public Relations North America

This has been an especially exciting year for me personally, because in January I celebrated my 20th “careeraversary”.

I started doing publicity in 1997 without any formal training (as I was hired as a marketing assistant, and marketing was my education). In those days we were faxing out press releases to a (small) curated list, creating paper press kits that went into folders and were mailed, couriered or handed out at events. (Email was just starting to become adopted and I remember trying to talk my then boss and mentor Christine Coletta into using email!) After continuing to do media relations with the wine cognoscenti as a function of my role as a marketing coordinator for the BC Wine Institute, I took college courses on weekends and evenings until I earned my PR certificate.

When we left the BC Wine Institute I remained working for Christine Coletta & we started doing marketing and PR for other wineries in Canada, and for wine regions beyond. My last name was still Clemens then, and I was among maybe three other people in the country who were doing wine-related publicity. (There were other publicists at the time but there were very few solopreneurs and primarily just agencies were doing PR.)

Over the 16 years of working for and then becoming business partners with Christine Coletta, I went from doing marketing and PR, to helping create and build brands from the ground up. In 2013 when Christine and our other business partner Julian Scholefield went to run her Okanagan Crush Pad winery full time, my husband Andrew von Rosen and I opened our agency. We hired talented people to do the PR, and I am now a director of PR activities rather than doing one-on-one publicity myself.

I’m super proud of the relationships I have created with the media, but I’m even MORE proud of my PR team, who day after day reach out to establish more contacts, and forge strong relationships. These relationships are with people and outlets who support us to help us tell our client stories, and we are so grateful.

Now as we are winding down to say goodbye to 2017 we see the increasing niche publications, the dominance of the influencer (and let’s see where that goes) and then the shrinking but strengthening of many mainstream media outlets. We are refining our team, and need to remain nimble in order to get stories out there.

It remains my perpetual aspiration to inspire. I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings.

Happy Holidays from Town Hall Brands

As we close off the year, we thank you for your continuing support of Town Hall Brands throughout 2017.

Our entire team wishes you all the timeless treasures of the holiday season: the warmth of home, the love of family, and the company of good friends. 

We look forward to working with you and seeing you in 2018. 

Warm regards from the team: Leeann, Andrew, Amy, Felicia, Genevieve, Grace, Laurisha, Maddie, Whitney, and Garnet (the office dog).

Town Hall Brands Holiday Hours:
Office closes on December 23, 2017
Office reopens on January 3, 2018

Happy New Year!

Victoria Pub Wins The Irish Pub of the Year in North America

Celebrating a Meeting Place of Friends at Irish Times in Victoria, BC

Photo Credit: Mister Pixel Photography

Winery owners Judy and Skip Stothert love celebrating their family traditions. When they started Coolshanagh Winery in the Okanagan, they didn’t hesitate to name it “Coolshanagh”, a Celtic word that belonged to Judy’s side of the family.

“Coolshanagh” means a “meeting place of friends.”

For generations, Judy’s family started using the word “Coolshanagh” under letterheads and soon enough, her cousins named their houses as Coolshanagh. This soon became a family tradition and carried through to multiple generations in celebration of the friendship between family and friends.

Although not entirely certain, the Stotherts share that the word “Coolshanagh” originated from Judy’s grandfather in Ireland and then eventually landed in Canada with his immigration to Newfoundland and Victoria.

When the Stotherts heard that Victoria’s Irish Times Pub won Irish Times' The Irish Pub of the Year in North America (chosen from 16,000 Irish pubs worldwide), they were ecstatic! This achievement follows Irish Times’ wins from previous years: Top 10 Irish Pubs Outside of Ireland in 2015; Best Pub in the City (8 out of last 12 years).

The Stotherts are fortunate that their Coolshanagh Chardonnay is listed by the bottle at Irish Times Pub. However, that wasn’t the celebratory aspect. It was how impressive and honourable this accolade is and the perfect fit between Coolshanagh and Irish Times Pub. It’s almost serendipitous.

Tracing back to family traditions, Coolshanagh originated from Irish roots then eventually arrived in Victoria, like Irish Times. Irish pubs are known for their unique, cozy and friendly ambiance. This, like Coolshanagh, makes a perfect place for the gathering of friends.

Join us in celebrating this beautiful friendship between Coolshanagh and Irish Times by visiting the pub the next time you’re in Victoria!

How Impressive Was This Award for Irish Times Pub?

16,000 Irish pubs worldwide were screened for this award, including UK, Ireland, Europe, North America and more.

• Irish Times Pub was shortlisted in six (6) competing categories:
• Best Irish Pub of the Year in North America
• Best Bar Person
• Best Marketing Campaign
• Best Chef
• Best Food Experience
• Best Craft Beer Experience

Congratulations to our friends!

- From Skip and Judy of Coolshanagh

Raise a Glass of Sparkles from Prosecco Superiore DOCG This Season

[Conegliano, Italy] Sparkling wine is synonymous with holiday gatherings and good cheer. Tiny bubbles dancing in your glass immediately create a sense of celebration.

This holiday season, pop open a bottle of Prosecco Superiore DOCG, and discover why this legendary Italian sparkling wine is the modern benchmark for affordable luxury.

Not all Proseccos are the same – while all Prosecco comes from Northern Italy, the name “Prosecco Superiore DOCG” on the bottle signifies the top quality and highest standards in the vineyard and winery, as well as concentrated flavour and balance within each festive sip.

While being immensely enjoyable on its own, Prosecco Superiore DOCG is versatile enough to pair with almost any cuisine. It is produced in fully sparkling (spumante) and lightly sparkling (frizzante) styles. The wines tend to be dry, but sweeter examples are available.

The very best Prosecco Superiore DOCG grapes are grown approximately 50 km from Venice, on the cool, steep hills in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene of Northeast Italy. This area is so precious that it is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The Glera grape is the most widely used, showing floral notes of citrus, apple and pear. The grape is perfectly-suited to Charmat sparkling wine production, the best for preserving the varietal aromas of the grapes, keeping their primary scents as unaltered as possible; translating into a wine that is fruity and floral.

Travelling to taste these wines in person?

Wine lovers, you will want to attend Vino In Villa, the most important annual event devoted to Prosecco Superiore DOCG. The 21st annual festival is set within the heart of the hilly Prosecco Superiore region, and celebrates the area’s wine, food, culture and terroir.

In the wine trade?

In 2018, ambassadors from the Consorzio Tutela Del Vino Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco will be pouring their wines at:

·       Prowein (Düsseldorf, Germany) – March 18-20, 2018 (Hall 15, F21)

·       Vinitaly (Verona, Italy) – April 15-18, 2018

Photo assets available here.

To find out where these wines are sold in Canada, please contact:

Amy Chen | amy@townhallbrands.com or Maddie Clerides | maddie@townhallbrands.com

Town Hall Brands 604-321-3295

Send Holiday E-Cards with Style

Hard to believe that it’s already December 4th!

If you’re like us, you’re busy doing many things.

If you haven’t yet organized your holiday card outreach, fear not, you are not too late for an e-card (.jpeg image or .gif).

Our team can help you, as long as you let us know what your needs are by December 18.

Call the office at 604-321-3295 or email info@townhallbrands.com and Whitney or Leeann will help you.

A few examples of e-cards:

Examples of still .jpeg e-cards to send to friends and family.

A unique and fun holiday .gif e-card that animates.