Wines of Portugal

Euro Strategies was appointed in June 1996 to be the ‘Wines of Portugal PR Office’ in London. Our tasks were far ranging: to advise the Portuguese Government on how to organise a ‘generic’ PR campaign for their wine industry (among the top ten in the world); to raise awareness of Portuguese wines with UK consumers; and to organise promotions with wholesalers, multiple retailers, independent wine merchants and restaurants.

We started the campaign by developing a completely new image for Portuguese wines linked to the slogan ‘Discover the diversity’. This image was carried through onto literature, posters, advertising and exhibition stands at consumer events like the BBC Good Food Show and the Sunday Times Festival of Fine Wine & Food.

An intensive media relations campaign was set up via press tastings and through invitations to wine writers and TV & radio personalities (see below) to visit the vineyards in Portugal. This has resulted in a massive increase in coverage in the national press and on TV and radio:

‘Marooned on a desert island, I wouldn’t be disappointed if I found that the only grapes were Portuguese.’ - Joanna Simon, Sunday Times 21 June 1998.

‘This is further proof that 1999 should be Portugal’s year’ - Richard Neill, Wine writer of the year, Daily Telegraph, Dec 5th. 1998.

Results of the campaign:

• Massive increase in mentions of Portuguese wines on TV, radio; and in national and regional press;
• Greatly increased distribution of Portuguese wines (for example Oddbins has increased its range from 6 wines to over 20 in the last two years
• In-store tastings and promotions arranged for the first time in the following national retailers: Bottoms Up, Budgens, Oddbins, Safeway, Tesco, Waitrose, Wine Cellar, Wine Rack to name just a few!
• Portugal has won the Trophy for ‘Red wine of the Year’ in the International Wine Challenge three times in 4 years!