Happy National Publicist Day 2017

Today is apparently National Publicist Day. It seems you can choose any day of the week and there’ll be some reason to celebrate but for me I really DO want to celebrate this day.

I’ve been working in media relations for 20 years this year, and it has been a very interesting and wild ride so far. With a saturated market for content, and shrinking media outlets it’s more important than ever to have someone there to help you find your voice and then to have that voice be shared to the right audiences. That’s where we PR people come in.

We are thoughtful in finding ways to get your stories into the news, we're creative with budgets, and we're great connectors of people. It’s a unique skill set that makes a good PR person, and I am proud to employ a talented few, and know many more.

I never set out to be a PR person. I went to business school and studied marketing, but then when I landed my first marketing job with the BC Wine Institute, doing media relations and PR and sending press releases became part of what I had to do in my daily scope of work. (So I went back to school and got my PR certificate on evenings and weekends while I was working, and made sure that my education could meet the skill set for actual work I was doing.) Two decades later, I am so proud of the body of work I have produced.

Thanks to PR I have made numerous relationships across North America - some that I’ve turned into long-lasting friendships; and I have found myself among the cohort of other publicists in Vancouver that we love to collaborate with on an almost weekly basis. Here at Town Hall Brands I am lucky to have killer personalities working on our PR team: Amy Chen, Genevieve Dufresne, Maddie Clerides, and Mr. Sujinder Juneja, who each continually advocate on behalf of our clients to make sure their stories get told across different mediums each and every day.

To all my fellow PR people, and to my own team - Happy National Publicist Day; #gogetit!

What the Canadian Wine Industry has done for me

By Leeann Froese

Having been in the industry for 20 years, the Canadian Wine Industry has been instrumental in my career. Without the support of Canadian wineries hiring us to do what we do, our boutique marketing agency, Town Hall Brands, would not have started, and evolved to where we are now, (helping wineries and wine regions from all over, as well as all the other lifestyle work we do).

We are grateful. We know that our livelihood depends on the health of these businesses, and we have made a donation. I also challenge anyone who works in the industry to do the same.

So I am asking you to stand by me, my fellow wine friends, and the whole industry, to help.

Canadian wineries want to be able to ship directly to you, no matter where you live in Canada. If markets outside the wineries' home provinces (Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec anbd BC is where wine is made in canada) do not become available to premium Canadian wines, many predict the industry will struggle over the long term.

Here's how you can help:

1. GIVE to the fundraising page via GoFundMe. Funds will be used for legal costs the Supreme Court of Canada.

2. Download the I Love Canadian Wine toolkit for strategies on how to spread the word.

3. Share this post online. Ask your friends to share.

The Canadian wine industry has thrived over the last three decades with wineries and grape growers working to create quality wines and build a loyal following.

It employs 38 thousand people, contributes billions to the Canadian economy and is a cornerstone of tourism. Wineries add richness to the culinary scene and buy local movement, and are a shining example of value-added farming and what can be achieved when we work together.

Collectively, we are committed to moving the bar even higher and to leaving a strong wine community for the next generation.

Please give what you can.

Thank you!

R.v. Comeau Media Clippings

Below are some samples of the media attention this case has received.

there are more than 300 media mentions to date.

 

Wine advocate Sandra Oldfield shows how it’s easier to order a gun online from another province than it is a case of wine. - Global Okanagan Evening News

BC Business

Canadian Business Journal

CBC

Cision

Global News

Global News Okanagan

National Post

Penticton Business

The Globe and Mail

The Province

Vancouver Sun

Canadian Man Sues Airline for not Serving Champagne

By Leeann Froese

A lack of knowledge in the wine world has landed Sunwing Airlines into some trouble. As reported in dozens of news outlets, and also in the Drinks Business, the airline is being sued by a man from Quebec who was served sparkling wine instead of champagne, which was promised in the promotional materials for the flight, that listed 'Champagne Service'.

At the time of this news share this lawsuit was not certified yet, so it'll be interesting to see where this goes. Aside from the litigious nature of this action that is creating a big reaction in the wine world and also all over the web, it made me think.

The heart of this issue is mainly about truthful advertising, but the use of the word Champagne in the airline’s marketing materials also could just be a copy writer’s mistake.

Anyone educated in wine knows that only wines produced in the Champagne region in France can be called Champagne just like only fortified wines made in Portugal can be called Port, and there are other examples that go on, including the capitalization and one-word writing of Icewine here in Canada. (As a marketing agency with a specialization in packaging & marketing wine, we know these things and would never let something like that get to print or into promotional materials.)

The word Champagne has become generic over time for any bubbly wine, just like Band-Aid for bandages or Kleenex for facial tissues, but what we need to remember is that these are all registered names for brands.

But how would a marketing person outside the wine industry know about the legality of Champagne? I guess the lesson here is if you're going to be talking about wine in relationship to your business, make sure that you know what wording to use.

This is creating a reputation hit to Sunwing, who now must defend itself in controversy, instead of promoting holiday vacation packages. Never fun for a PR team.

After the lawsuit was filed, Sunwing's website has been updated and now states that the passengers instead of 'Champagne service' will receive 'a welcome glass of sparkling wine'.