Wines from Rioja

Wines from Rioja is a partnership between the governing body for wines from the region of Rioja, Spain, and Wines From Spain, under the auspices of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade. When Wines from Rioja turned to CRT/tanaka to introduce the prominent, “old world” wine region of Rioja, Spain, to a “new world” Internet generation of American consumers, the agency recommended a multi-pronged, multi-channel, integrated marketing and branding campaign. CRT/tanaka developed a series of bold, fashion-forward visuals to communicate the vibrancy of the Rioja brand. The agency has also honed in on the “digital lifestyle” of Gen-X and Gen-Y audiences by using online media elements including advertising, webzines, e-mailers, podcasts, blogs and a dedicated vibrantrioja.com Web site. To reach traditional media and maintain support from the wine industry, CRT/tanaka has taken a group of “Rising Star” sommeliers to tour the Rioja region, developed a Rioja Brand Ambassador Program and coordinated Rioja’s sponsorship of relevant programs and events.

After the first year of the campaign in 2006, the Rioja Exporters Association reported a 31.6 percent increase in Rioja wine exports. In 2008, CRT/tanaka helped Rioja reach an estimated 250,000 consumer and trade influentials. In the same year, 3,700 Rioja-related articles were published and 3,000 bottles of Rioja were tasted at more than 50 events in three target markets.

VIBRANT RIOJA CAMPAIGN

Challenge

Wines from Rioja (Spain) is a partnership between the governing body for wines from the region of Rioja, Spain, called the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja, and Wines From Spain, under the auspices of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade. Wines from Rioja turned to CRT/tanaka to introduce and contemporize the prominent, “old world” wine region of Rioja, Spain, to a “new world” Internet generation of U.S. consumers, specifically Gen-X and Gen-Y in urban, wine-consuming markets who are still forging brand loyalties and who represent the future volume of wine sales. CRT/tanaka’s recommendation was a multi-pronged, multichannel, integrated marketing and branding campaign.

Solution

To bring Vibrant Rioja to the Gen-X and Gen-Y audience, CRT/tanaka developed an integrated branding campaign using a bold, fashion-forward visual featuring different hues of red stripes (representing the various styles of red wines produced in Rioja) that communicated the “vibrancy” of these wines at each point of contact. The branding campaign focuses on the digital lifestyle of the target audience and uses online media elements supported by traditional marketing components, including online advertising and other online reach such as webzines, Web sites, e-mailers, podcasts and blogs; a dedicated vibrantrioja.com Web site; out-of-home and print advertising through sponsorships of influential art/cultural events; direct mail; and point-of-purchase and premium/collateral material.

Because of the need to reach traditional editorial media and maintain trade support from distributors, importers, restaurants, chefs and sommeliers, CRT/tanaka’s Vibrant Rioja marketing campaign involved: public relations (news bureau, press and trade familiarization (fam) trips – including taking a group of “Rising Star” Gen-X/Y sommeliers to Rioja, spokesperson media tours, media relations, controlled media vehicles, etc.); strategic sponsorships (Culinary Institute of America, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York – Rioja is the “official wine” of this event, etc.); trade and importer relations; an interactive Web site and database; online advertising and promotion; and a Rioja Brand Ambassador Program involving Gen- X/Y-targeted events, seminars and retail promotions in the three key markets of New York, Boston and Chicago.

Results

• The Rioja Exporters Association reported a 31.6 percent increase in Rioja wine exports after the first year of the campaign in 2006.
• In 2007, the Vibrant Rioja advertising campaign delivered more than 12.8 million media impressions with a 50 percent increase in click-throughs.
• The online, opt-in Rioja DirectLink database has grown to more than 34,000 members.
• In 2007, an estimated 138,000 consumers, influentials, media, trade and hospitality industry decision makers tasted more than 3,000 bottles of Rioja at 50 events in three target markets, including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Wine Rave in New York City; Chicago Summer Dance and Boston Wine Expo and via other campaign initiatives such as a Sommelier Fam Trip to Rioja.
• More than 50,000 pieces of Vibrant Rioja-branded collateral were disseminated to target trade and consumers in 2007.
• Positive editorial coverage about Rioja wines was generated in 2,430 print, online and broadcast media outlets, with these placements delivering 596 million impressions (50 percent increase over 2006) in 2007. Coverage included traditional print outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Wine Spectator, as well as Gen-X/Y-focused media such as Life & Style, Plenty, Yumsugar.com, The EDGE, Gothamist, metromix NYC, UR Chicago and Paper, among others.
• In early 2008, Wine Enthusiast magazine named Rioja “Wine Region of the Year.”