Visit California, the non-profit tourism organization for the state, has allocated $2 million for a campaign, #CaliforniaWineCountryNow, to urge visitors to come to California wine regions, particularly in Northern California, following the October wildfires. Through a variety of owned, earned and paid media activities, the campaign emphasizes that wineries in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties are open for business and welcoming visitors. A key element of the paid programming is a full-page ad in the New York Times that ran on Sunday, Nov.12, amplifying a message of gratitude for the outpouring of support and welcoming visitors to wineries, restaurants, hotels and resorts.
The six-month effort kicks off with a fundraising event, the Grateful Table, on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. at a location in Carneros straddling the Napa and Sonoma county border. Visit California is working with Wine Institute, Visit Sonoma, Visit Napa Valley, Visit Mendocino County and others on the lunch event hosted by Food Network Chef Tyler Florence and friends to raise funds for wildfire relief and generate significant awareness of the “open for business” message.
Wine Institute officers and chairs donated wine for the event and the best way for industry members to participate is to purchase tickets at: www.visitcalifornia.com/attraction/sip-savor-support. Tickets are $500 a seat or $4,000 for a table of eight. Share the love: tickets for a first responder or resident affected by the fires may also be purchased for $250 a seat. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to wildfire relief.
Other campaign activities include:
- Social Media ads
- Northern California Wine Country guide
- Online TV featuring chefs, winemakers, farmers and others
- National Geographic vignettes to reach international markets including Australia, Brazil, Germany, France, India, Mexico, Korea, UK, Japan, Canada
- Documentary film on the Grateful Table event, produced by Tyler Florence
- Visit California website with prominent placement of wine country content
- “California Now” Blog launch
- Visit California E-Newsletter
- Visit California Guide with road trip features on wine country
- Media pitching with field trips by media and influencers
- Collaboration with Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Wine Institute on messaging
See the Visit California website for more information.
