What Companies Want From Wine Bloggers

“What Companies Want From Bloggers” was the highest-rated prospective content session in a vote by alumni of potential content at the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference. As such, we have put this on the agenda in a premium “all-session” spot, 3:30 – 4:30 PM on Friday, November 10th. Thank you to moderator Allison Levine for the post below.

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Whether you are just starting out or have been blogging for some time, you know the “perks” of writing. Sometimes samples are sent to you; sometimes you get invited to events; sometimes you are invited on a trip. How can you do more of this? And what is the cost?

If you want to reap the benefits and perks of being a writer, it is important to understand how to speak the language of public relations. From external companies to in-house dedicated positions, the public relations people are the gatekeepers to the invitations. So, what are public relations professionals looking for?

We are excited to bring you a panel of industry professionals who will share valuable insight from their various perspectives. Moderator Allison Levine, owner of Please The Palate, works with wine regions around the world to organize trade and media events around the U.S. The panel includes Lisa Mattson, Director of Marketing & Communications at Jordan Vineyard & Winery; Katie Calhoun, owner of Calhoun and Company; and Birgitt Vaughn, Public Relations Manager for Sonoma County Tourism. Everyone on the panel is responsible for interacting with media and qualifying them for invitations and requests.

Too often, as writers, you think about what you want and need. But are you thinking about what the company wants, needs, and expects? Learn the tools you need to develop and establish relationships with public relations professionals and the companies they represent – or the tools as a company of how to select and work with bloggers – in this panel at the 2017 Wine Bloggers Conference.

The Panel Bios

Allison Levine, Owner, Please The Palate

Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a boutique agency specializing in marketing and event planning for the wine and spirits industry. Allison holds a Master’s Degree in International Communications with a focus on cross-cultural training from the American University School of International Service. She also holds a WSET Level 3 Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), an Italian Wine Specialist Diploma from the North American Sommelier Association, a Certified Meeting Professional Certificate (CMP), and is BarSmarts Wired certified. As an industry expert, she works with wine regions around the world, organizing trade and media events around the United States. She is a columnist for the Napa Valley Register, as well as a regular contributor to California Winery Advisor. Her work has also appeared in WineTouristMagazine, ATOD Magazine, LAPALME Magazine, Thrillist, LA Weekly, Wine Industry Advisory, BIN (Beverage Industry News), FoodableTV, Drink Me Mag, WeSaidGoTravel.com, Wine Country This Week and The Tasting Panel.

Lisa Mattson, Director of Marketing & Communications, Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Lisa Mattson possesses nearly twenty years of experience in writing, event planning, public relations, marketing and digital media strategy in the wine industry. She is considered a thought leader in video storytelling, social media and digital brand strategy for luxury wines. As director of marketing & communications at Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Mattson is responsible for developing and executing brand strategy, social media strategy, the photography and videography program, email marketing and website, as well as managing traditional press relations. As an early adopter of social media and video storytelling, Mattson developed “The Journey of Jordan” blog, which was named Best Winery Blog (2013, 2012) and Best Photo/Video Blog (2014, 2013) by the Wine Blog Awards. She has been featured in Apple Inc.’s iPad at Work series, Sonoma Discoveries, Sonoma, and Tasting Panel and quoted in Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Business Monthly and Wines & Vines. She won Best Music Video at the 2016 International Wine Film Festival, Best Wine Themed Video at the 2015 Born Digital Wine Awards and 2015 Winery Chief Marketing Officer of the Year in the North Bay Business Journal Wine Industry Awards.

Katie Calhoun, Owner, Calhoun and Company

Katie (pronounced “Kah-tee”) has devoted her entire career to the wine and spirits industry, and today brings over 25 years of public relations expertise to Calhoun & Company Communications. Through her work with a wide variety of wine and spirits companies, Katie has developed a broad perspective on the industry and built strong relationships in the press. She travels frequently to meet with the media throughout the country and track emerging trends so that she and her staff can generate individualized and meaningful story ideas. Katie’s palate and tasting skills have earned her a place among top wine and spirits professionals as a national competition judge. She has judged at the Sunset International Wine Competition, San Francisco International Wine Competition, Monterey County Wine Competition, and San Francisco World Spirits Competition; she is also a frequent taster at Wine & Spirits magazine.

Birgitt Vaughn, Public Relations Manager, Sonoma County

Birgitt Vaughan grew up in Germany traveling all over Europe. That sparked a lifelong desire to seek out new adventures that have taken her to dozens of countries on five continents. Her 20-year career has included creating sales and marketing campaigns on the trade side, event and trade show management as well as working on the public relations side representing countries all over the world. Now in destination marketing, Birgitt has been the PR manager of Sonoma County Tourism for over five years working with journalists worldwide. She is living her California dream and says her #SonomaPassion is being on the search for the perfect Sonoma County red blend.