We’re in the business of blowing other people’s horns.  We’ve become so accustomed to this role we often forget to blow our own.  However, today we got this email from our client, The Wine Society, so we’re using it to blow our own horn:

“Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.  If people cannot see that Stellar* Concepts is the best PR agency in the known universe then there is something wrong with them.  I cannot wait to send around your PR update for the Young Winemaker of the Year because people will fall off their chairs” Eva Gero, Events Executive, The Wine Society

The finalists with MC, Jean Kittson

This is a big wrap.  It could be a slight exaggeration but who are we to disagree with a client.

What did we do to achieve such lavish praise?
For the second year we supported The Wine Society’s annual event, the Young Winemaker of the Year Award, with a publicity campaign.

What did we deliver?
This year to date we achieved 97 clippings nationwide and in NZ with a couple of big, juicy features still coming (see Sunday Magazine in Syd and Melb in Dec).  This equates to a circulation figure of 2,551,984.

Is this a lot of coverage?
Yes, yes indeed.  This is a veritable mountain of coverage.  If this coverage was a wine bottle it would be the size of a Melchizedek.

Why was this campaign so successful?
The story had national and international scope - so wide reaching appeal, while still being community centric (good for community press) + it allowed tailored, personal messages for specific media outlets.  Also, it was a newsworthy, topical event with a high number of participants which again, increased the appeal.

What was the business outcome?
Publicity helped drive a stronger field of entrants and attracted sommelier judges making the quality of the event greater.  It also helped to increase entrant numbers (up on 2007) and generated greater awareness around the awards program and The Wine Society itself.

I’ll drink to that!

Posted by Renee Creer

I once complained to friends about occupational food and wine fatigue brought on by Good Food Month.  The scorn that ensued was unparalleled.  I quickly learned that such talk about the struggle of eating and drinking one’s way through a month long parade of degustations, wine dinners, noodle markets, cheese tastings and the like, was best kept within industry circles with those who knew and could understand.

Indeed there are many conversations kept within industry circles.  This adds to the mystery of what we get up to here in the world of public relations.  This blog will hopefully expose some mysteries and open up some of those conversations to give you an insight into the industry at large and life at Stellar* Concepts.  Mostly we hope it will keep our clients, colleagues, friends and lurkers informed and entertained.

It seems fitting that we’ve launched our blog during Good Food Month; it’s by far our favourite time of year and we’ve been busy helping Brown Brothers, Citigroup, Brasserie Bread, Merivale, Café Sydney and The Trade Commission of Spain infect Sydney with their passion for food and wine.

Next year should be bigger and better with the recent announcement of the Sydney Morning Herald’s International Food Festival which will replace Good Food Month in 2009.

So, are we suffering from food and wine fatigue?  The question is, are you?

Posted by Renee Creer