Archive for Announcements
People: Paul Mabray – Leading the Wine Industry into the Future
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There are people in the Wine Industry that don’t own vineyards or make wine, yet their impact on our business is indisputable. They are the people behind our winery associations, our media and our trade and they’re making a difference. “People” was created to acknowledge their role and celebrate their successes.
Writer: Jim Brumm
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Vintank’s Chief Strategy Officer Paul Mabray grew up in the heart of Napa Valley wine country. His mother was an assistant pathologist, and his father was an electronic engineer who would bring computers home and teach his eight-year-old son to program them. “That’s where I got my geek,” said Paul, “from my dad.”
Paul Mabray - Vintank Chief Strategy Officer
As a boy Paul wanted to write and direct movies. After high school he studied film and English at San Francisco State University. During college, at just 23-years old, Paul became vice president of Napa Ale Works, helping with marketing. Paul laughed as he said, “They’d never seen a college kid doing percentage costs on a spreadsheet.”
Later, Paul found work at Niebaum Coppola Winery where he “tried to marry his acumen with his sales skills.” It was there, he said, that he found his passion for what he called “the insanity that is the wine business.”
Later, Paul went into business development with wineshopper.com, which merged with wine.com. “I quickly found that not only did I speak wine, I spoke geek. I loved the challenge of working in a system that was completely broken,” he said. “The wine industry was challenged because they were unable to ‘touch’ their customers every day. This was true with the wineries, the retailers and the distributors. I thought I could solve that problem.”
Paul took a leap of faith and founded Inertia Beverage Group (IBG) in 2002. Surviving on Top Ramon, he worked diligently and managed through verve, passion, drive, and a great product, to attract the attention of investors. Eventually, he was able to raise 15.6 million dollars, and Inertia Beverage Group became the first successful ecommerce platform for the wine industry. For the first time a company had bridged the gap between wineries and Read More→
Wine Industry Network Launches WIN Media
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The Wine Industry Network (WIN), today announced that it would expand their current offering of marketing services to provide complete video marketing and production tailored to meeting the needs of wine industry suppliers, service providers, wineries and winery associations.
Since launching in 2009, WIN has earned a reputation for providing creative new direct marketing services to wine industry suppliers. “Over the past two years we have developed a wide range of marketing services for our members,” said WIN President/Founder George Christie. “Nearly every supplier we work with has expressed a desire for marketing videos to help promote their products. WIN Media is in direct response to these requests,” explained Christie.
The production team that is now WIN Media has produced more than 150 wine industry videos over the past four years and has garnered two prestigious Telly Awards. As video on the internet continues to grow at a tremendous rate, large and small businesses in every area of the wine industry are embracing this medium. It has proven to be one of the most effective ways to communicate a brand message, and more importantly, the personalities behind those brands.
“Providing video marketing & production is the natural evolution for the Wine Industry Network,” said Christie. “We are already in the business of creating first class marketing content for our clients and our video team is committed to producing top quality promotional videos as another way to execute on their strategic marketing goals.”
WIN’s extensive experience within the industry and ability to produce the highest quality videos at an affordable price offer an exceptional opportunity. WIN Media will offer a number of affordable video packages to industry suppliers, service professionals, wineries, industry trade associations, publications and other closely related businesses.
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Nick Young Joins Wine Industry Network as Membership Operations Manager
Posted by: | CommentsGeorge Christie, President of The Wine Industry Network (WIN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Young as their new Membership Operations Manager who will be key support for the rapidly expanding industry resource and marketing platform. “Nick has extensive experience with membership retention and customer management. His technical knowledge and proven track record in direct marketing, web design and management will add value to our organization and push our level of customer service over the top,” said George Christie.
Young brings with him a versatile background in marketing, database management and design. He has spent his past five years working as Information Services Director for the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has experienced tremendous growth and success in recent years. His contributions to the chamber have been numerous including the migration to digital communications, maintenance of database systems, and implementation and maintenance of social networking channels. Additionally, Young is a local Healdsburg native with a rich wine industry heritage as the grandson of Robert Young, renowned winegrower and industry icon.
Young’s ability to build and maintain customer relationships along with his versatility and resourcefulness were the deciding factors for Christie. “His entrepreneurial spirit was a big plus for me,” says Christie. “I’m looking forward to Nick bringing his strong interpersonal skills, fresh perspective, and energy to WIN.”
“The Wine Industry Network is breaking new ground in the industry,” said Nick Young. “Their model is extremely exciting and innovative and is a perfect fit for my interest and experience. I am eager to be a part of such a dedicated group of people.”
About the Wine Industry Network :
The Wine Industry Network (www.wineindustrynetwork.com) is a comprehensive business-to-business (B2B) Internet marketplace and resource site specifically created to help wine industry professionals more effectively and efficiently locate and connect with suppliers and service providers, regardless of region or category of interest.WIN is dedicated to the business of wine and to providing information crucial to the success of the entire wine industry.
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Online Network Unites Wine Industry Suppliers
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Thick, heavy directories were once a mainstay for B-to-B marketers trying to reach peers and prospects within their sector. They all had at least one such well-worn book on their desks.
The winery and vineyard business in the United States—going back well more than 100 years in many regions—is no exception. It’s a business organized around small, geographic pockets, which puts a heavy marketing burden on the suppliers who are trying to sell equipment and professional services to those firms.
The best way to reach such a diverse audience today, of course, isn’t with a tome that becomes outdated even before the ink dries but rather online.
The Wine Industry Network (WIN) is an online marketplace that launched last October to help foster a sense of community in the industry. “In the old print directories, there just wasn’t enough information to make an informed buying decision,” says George Christie, a long-time wine industry marketer who founded the site. “Now, they can have the whole market in front of them in one place.” … To read the entire article click here
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Wine Industry Network Interviewed By Northbay Biz
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June, 2010 Issue, Author: Ray Holley
George Christie - Founder & President of WIN
When New Jersey native George Christie came to California in 1991, he got into the wine industry right away. He spent the next 15 years wearing a lot of hats, from national marketing to general winery operations. He also honed his technological skills and, in 2006, launched a wine marketing consulting firm that offered video marketing and production. With his help, wineries and suppliers started posting informational videos on their websites.
Christie also noticed an unfilled niche in the industry. “When I started consulting full-time, I realized how difficult it is to get good, accurate information” about products and services, he says….to read the entire article by North Bay Biz click here
Welcome to the WIN Blog
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Welcome to the Wine Industry Network (WIN) Blog
Our new blog that will discuss the “business of wine”. We intend for this to be a conversation where we can learn from each other, gather new ideas, and help build new relationships.
We plan to give you relevant information about the newest products and services, share best practices, and provide you with some useful tools and solutions that you can apply to maximize your success in whatever area of the “business” you may be in. Click on the video below to understand what WIN is all about.
This platform will be about challenging the current way of doing things and exploring new ideas. We encourage you to weigh in on these discussions and we welcome your feedback.
If you’re not already familiar with WIN, we are the fastest growing B2B marketplace and on-line resource for the wine industry. Check out the site www.wineindustrynetwork.com where you’ll find comprehensive information on the industry’s top supplier and service professionals along with a robust resource center that contains tons of industry information to help improve your business.
Thanks for tuning in and we hope you’ll continue to follow our progress! Give us some feedback in the comments section of what you would like to see.
