SEATTLE — January 30, 2015, — DrinkSpace announced today it has signed agreements with eight producers in its first sixty days of business. The new Washington-based agency for boutique alcohol beverage producers was founded by Thomas Vogele, formerly of Michael Mondavi’s FOLIO Fine Wine Partners, and marketing/advertising veteran Steve Reed. DrinkSpace provides much needed sales and marketing expertise to producers, helping them navigate the myriad hurdles small wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries encounter in the U.S. alcohol beverage industry.
“Our goal is to provide vital sales and marketing direction and a voice for the small to mid-sized producers that they just don’t have right now,” said Vogele, who believes this approach will resonate with small to medium sized producers. “This will give them the time and bandwidth they need to grow their brand in a strategic, methodical fashion.” A native of the Seattle area, Vogele is a 22-year industry veteran, having worked for titans E&J Gallo Winery, Trinchero Family Estates and Robert Mondavi Corporation. Most recently, he served as the National Accounts Director, Off- Premise & Duty Free, and a Partner at FOLIO.
Reed has 23 years of experience as a marketing executive. Thirteen years ago he founded Vision Media, a media buying and planning agency that partners with clients like Verizon, Supercuts, AOL and Guinness. “Our primary focus on the marketing side of DrinkSpace is to bring our vast background in social media, public relations and traditional advertising to our partners to drive brand relevance and sales growth,” said Reed. “Our relationships will allow our producers to take the daily marketing tasks off of their plates, allowing them the freedom to focus on brand strategy and growing their business.”
“When we launched DrinkSpace ninety days ago, we knew we were on to something big, but we had no idea the response and demand for our services would be so resounding,” Vogele said. “The phone just hasn’t stopped ringing, and we have already signed five wineries, two distilleries and one cidery.”
According to Reed, who is responsible for the marketing, social media and public relations for DrinkSpace, “It is a thrill to have so much validation so early in the company’s evolution. Because the DrinkSpace model is so ‘high touch’, we literally only have room for two or three more partners that are looking for proven and strategic ways to grow their brand. What we are finding is that we are the perfect solution for producers that have reached a critical mass, but are looking for a way to jump to the next level and simply don’t have the bandwidth to do it all anymore.”
Vogele elaborates, “The three-tiered distribution system in the U.S. is very difficult to navigate. The marketplace is a diverse collection of regions with variations in distribution and regulation from state to state. The wholesaler has emerged as a power-center, a gatekeeper to the marketplace. DrinkSpace is a full-service national agency with deep relationships at the wholesale level that will help give its partners a voice and much needed sales growth.”
Vogele and Reed are not alone in their thinking. Larger corporations, including industry giants Terlato Imports, Kobrand Corp, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and FOLIO are also partnering with independent producers to assist in the handling of sales, marketing and logistics. “Smaller, independent producers may not have realized the challenges they face in the marketplace and, despite having a successful brand image, require outside expertise at the delivery end. DrinkSpace is designed to provide just that,” said Reed.
To set up interviews with Reed and/or Vogele, contact Nicole Gerber (Nicole@drinkspaceusa.com, 425.952.3939) or Lee Keller (lee@thekellergroup.com, 206.799.3805). To learn more about the company, log onto www.drinkspaceusa.com.
DrinkSpace is an innovative full-service solution encompassing brand marketing, public relations and social media, national sales management, supply chain management and logistics management. DrinkSpace’s team provides its partners vital influence, direction and voice in the alcohol beverage industry.
Learn more at www.drinkspaceusa.com or contact us by phone at 425-952-3939.
Photo Credit: DrinkSpace
Thomas Vogele (right), formerly of Michael Mondavi’s FOLIO Fine Wine Partners, and marketing/advertising veteran Steve Reed (left) announced today DrinkSpace, a new Washington-based agency for boutique alcohol beverage producers, signed eight producers in its first ninety days. The new company will provide much needed sales and marketing expertise to producers on a regional and national level, helping them navigate the myriad hurdles small wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries encounter in the U.S. alcohol beverage industry.
