A sampling of projects I’ve been privileged to manage…
Video Storytelling—Charles Krug
Just one of a whole suite of videos that I developed to help tell the story of the iconic Charles Krug winery. In addition to this social teaser reel, a long-form documentary-style brand video, a video highlighting the visitor experience, and several vineyard-profiles were also created. The wealth of footage that we shot was showcased extensively throughout the new website. It has also been frequently edited and repurposed as engaging social channel content.
Brand Revamp-Charles Krug
I spearheaded a successful brand renaissance for Napa Valley’s oldest winery. This included a strategic elevation across ALL consumer-touch points—from brand identity and packaging to website and collateral—to elevate and ground its luxury positioning. Charles Krug was able to raise retail prices across the portfolio, while still growing sales velocity (+18%) and volume (+4%) for its main Napa Valley tier. See the full Case Study for an overview of this multi-layered positioning strategy.
Digital activation—Charles Heidsieck
I ideated and managed the development of a digital advertorial with the Wine Spectator for Charles Heidsieck Champagne’s Exploring Depth campaign. This helped to put the Maison’s artistic campaign into full context for an American audience. The article saw over 3,000+ visitors and 2,000 video views. The supporting Instagram post saw strong levels of engagement with 852 positive reactions. Finally, we also targeted brick & mortar holiday shoppers, by integrating a QR Code leading to the article, into our New York City window activations.
LUXURY offering—charles krug
Managed the creation of a luxury library release for Charles Krug’s flagship offering—Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. This actually proved to be quite the logistical challenge! The box design was intended to be used for several releases held over successive years. It needed to be both elegant and highly adaptable to securely accommodate the widely varying bottle formats used in the various decades. The final release included a hand-signed note from the Mondavi owners, as well as a custom engraved Durand, perfect for opening older-vintage wines. The initial release of 75 units was priced at $1000 each and sold out in short order.
New Website—Charles Krug
I provided creative direction, extensive copy and editorial oversight for a complete reimagining of this iconic Napa Valley winery’s online home. Richly-evocative, and video-driven, it encourages exploration and discovery of the many stories it has to tell. Traffic to the new site increased +121% with increased engagement and lower bounce rates. The award-winning site, was even featured in an WebPick article for Communication Arts showcasing the thought process behind the design.
Innovation-Spectrum Organics
Recognizing that olive oil was following a similar evolutionary continuum as wine, coffee, tea, and chocolate, I led a cross-funtional innovation team in the development of a new line showcasing the oils of single olive varieties. These premium, high-margin, offerings helped bolster Spectrum’s P&L, while the innovation further cemented our leadership position in the organic olive oil category.
New Brochure—Charles Krug
I provided the creative direction and copywriting for an all new range of sales assets for Charles Krug, including a new brand brochure. This piece was used to tell the story behind the winery, from its pioneering founder to the current Mondavi Family ownership, while also introducing the portfolio and vineyard sources. Printed on high-end, laid-paper stock, it was used extensively for both DTC and Wholesale activations. A flipbook version was also produced as a digital extension of the printed piece.
Brand Storytelling—EnRoute
I refined and tightened the positioning and storytelling for Far Niente’s stable of emerging sister brands: EnRoute, Bella Union, and Post Beam. Decks were created for each brand that could be used in whole, or in part, to introduce these brands to different audiences. These really helped to establish a consistent storyline for anyone representing the brands in the marketplace. Key for the EnRoute deck, was bringing in a new Sonoma-based photographer to visually differentiate this Russian River winery within a Napa-centric portfolio.
Strategic Partnerships—Spectrum Organics
In an effort to expand Spectrum’s consumer base and broaden its appeal to cooking enthusiasts, I forged a partnership with Master Chef Jacques Pépin, and KQED, the nation's largest Public Broadcasting Station. Spectrum became an underwriter of his new show, which included product integrations on set, and pre and post show ad spots. The brand gained immediate weekly exposure to a national audience of food-enthusiasts (100M impressions), along with the endorsement of a culinary legend.