VaynerMedia Canada has been appointed social creative and production AOR by Canadian winemaker Andrew Peller Limited (APL). Previously, the brand’s social strategy was handled mostly in-house.
APL says the move comes as it’s looking to “modernize how it shows up in culture and build deeper consumer relevance” for its portfolio of products, which includes Peller Estates, Trius and Wayne Gretzky wines, along with spirits, craft beer, ciders, seltzers, and products for home winemaking enthusiasts.
VaynerMedia globally comes with something of a pedigree in the alcoholic beverage category, having worked with Diageo and E&J Gallo. CEO Gary Vaynerchuk also famously started out running his family’s wine business, Wine Library, and later co-founding Empathy Wines (acquired by Constellation Brands in 2020).
Kicking things off for APL is a new social handle called SiptheNorth, which lives on Instagram and TikTok and will roll out on additional platforms like Snapchat and Pinterest. It’s intentionally unbranded, meant as a digital destination that curates modern drink culture, where the agency can post “entertaining, educational and socially native” content, VaynerMedia Canada’s country manager Jessey Finizio tells Media in Canada.
“The advantage in creating a new brand entirely is opening up the brand funnel to reach new, often younger, customers who might not consider the individual brands, or perhaps even challenge an existing brand perception,” Finizio says.
A new brand channel also allows for more experimentation without risk to brand legacy.
The remit is for one year, and Finizio says the agency will be upstaffing to service the account because it’s planning a heavy schedule of posts – upwards of 10-15 times per week, with content tailored and tweaked to fit each channel rather than reposting the same assets across platforms.
“Our strategy requires a significant volume of content in order to break through and drive enough qualitative/quantitative insights to optimize week over week,” Finizio says.
The agency will actively mine for signals and evolve its approach accordingly by, for example, strategically using comments as creative “to build equity, infiltrate existing communities, and [create] 1:1 relationships with customers.”
The first work to debut under this new partnership is a campaign for Spicy Sauvy, a zero-sugar jalapeño Sauvignon Blanc, with the tagline “A little spice never hurt the soul (or the wine).”
“We were looking for a partner who truly understands how to build brands in today’s attention economy,” Patrick O Brien, president and chief commercial officer at APL, said in a news release. “VaynerMedia’s social-first approach and handle-level thinking stood out from the start. We’re excited to work together to bring fresh energy to our portfolio and connect with the next generation of wine lovers in more meaningful ways.”
