From Actual to Virtual to Real Results: National Prosecco Week 2020 Succeeds Online

Tasked with continuing National Prosecco Week’s (NPW) annual momentum and growth for the third consecutive year on behalf of the Prosecco DOC Consortium, fine wine and spirits-focused PR agency Colangelo and Partners (C&P) organised a week-long national online campaign to safely expand awareness of Prosecco DOC in the US market, from 20-26 July 2020.

In the previous two years, National Prosecco Week focused on nationwide in-person events like masterclasses for trade and media, in-store and restaurant activations, consumer masterclasses and lifestyle events.

But the global COVID-19 pandemic, which started having serious implications in the US in March 2020, made it impossible for C&P to continue to expand the established programme.

The C&P team worked efficiently to shift activities towards meaningful digital experiences which would be of both interest and value to target trade, media and consumers. The activities included virtual seminars and Instagram Live Tastings and an unprecedented focus on e-commerce and retail promotion through strategic partnerships.

Connecting with Prosecco DOC Enthusiasts & Supporters Remotely

Through direct agency efforts and in partnership with 3×3 and City Hive, C&P recruited over 500 retailers with both e-commerce platforms and brick-and-mortar stores to participate in the third edition of National Prosecco Week – from independent, local retailers across the country to national partners like Wine.com and Vivino.

Retailers promoted NPW 2020 through provided assets like customised banners for websites, curated landing pages featuring the participating Prosecco brands, dedicated email blasts, social media posts, and were incentivised to participate and offer discounted prices. Retailers were also empowered to host their own virtual tastings featuring the National Prosecco Week producers, taking advantage to feature C&P talent and participating producers.

To build on the awareness created in previous years among trade, media and most importantly consumers, C&P partnered with media platforms Wine Enthusiast & Seven Fifty on strategic promotional activities including website presence, editorial articles, email promotion and sponsored social media content.

Resulting Sales & Awareness

National Prosecco Week 2020 was well received by consumers, trade and media alike, resulting in unprecedented sales and reach for the Prosecco DOC Consortium. Campaign highlights to date include:

274% increase in Prosecco DOC sales on Wine.com over the same period in 2019 with a substantial growth in the number of customers (+421%)

40% increase in Prosecco DOC orders through SevenFifty’s platform compared to the same week in 2019

24% increase in Prosecco DOC sales on Chicago wine store chain Binny’s online store compared to the same week in 2019

27% increase in Prosecco DOC sales on a sample of 60 of the participating stores over the same period in 2019

Media relation efforts garnered a reach of over 142,759,063 million and coverage on over 180 occasions

Influencer marketing initiatives reached 41 influencers for a total of 197 pieces of content

National Prosecco Week 2020 serves as a prime example on how impactul online activations can be when created with the end-consumer’s priorities in mind, and with messaging that can be adapted regardless of external circumstances.

Although upcoming iterations of NPW will undoubtedly revisit in-person events and activities when possible, 2020 has left a lasting impression on professional communicators about the engagement and sales potential of online programming to inform future campaigns.

Colangelo & Partners (www.colangelopr.com) is the leading fine wine and spirits-focused PR agency in the US offering five basic services: Press Relations, Social Media / Influencer Marketing, Event Marketing, Trade Relations and Content Marketing.  With main offices in New York and San Francisco, Colangelo & Partners has an international team of PR professionals who are technically trained and certified in wine and spirits as well as the disciplines of communications.