CBC Revenue Group

By Chris Powell   |   Marketing

Niagara region winemaker Peller Estates has launched the biggest consumer marketing program in its 50-year history with integration in CBC Television's daytime show Best Recipes Ever.

About six of Peller's Family Series wines-including its nationally sold Chardonnay and Cabernet Merlot varieties-will be featured on all 65 episodes of Best Recipes Ever through billboards and an on-set presence.

An additional 17 episodes will feature extensive product integration with host Kary Osmond describing one of the Peller wines and explaining why it pairs perfectly with the food being prepared. The partnership also includes six 15-second vignettes promoting the show that run throughout the day.

Adine Fabiani, Peller's brand manager for premium wine, Eastern Canada, said the idea was first brought to the company by its agency partner Capital C, but that the winery worked directly with CBC on implementing the program.

Peller has traditionally relied on in-store marketing promotions such as neck tags, tastings and limited time offers, along with ads in the LCBO's Food & Drink magazine, said Fabiani.

"This is certainly the biggest mainstream media thing that we've done," she said. "It's the largest spend on a single program that we've ever done."

Peller is supporting the program's on-air component with neck tags in LCBO outlets and posters within its Vineyards Estates Wines retail division.

According to Fabiani, year-over-year sales of Peller's Family Series are up 25% over last year. The series is sold nationally, including an estimated 25,000 cases a year in LCBO outlets, she said.

"The brand has been growing consistently and the growth has accelerated, but it's not like we were in a tough position when we started," said Fabiani. "You can either have that theory that you need to spend all your time and money supporting the brands that are lagging, or my theory that you support your strong brands and turn a strong growing brand into a really knock-it-out-of-the-park growing brand."