Agency Adds Senior Talent Across Management, Media Planning and Creative in Order to Better Serve Clients and Grow Digital Business
May 4, 2023, NY, NY — Colangelo & Partners (C&P), a leading full-service integrated communications agency focused on wine and spirits, announces the expansion of its digital team. “Social media, influencer marketing, direct marketing and online advertising are taking growing shares of our integrated communications programs,” explains Gino Colangelo, president, Colangelo & Partners. “We’ve made a big investment to improve and expand those services, which complement our press work, trade relations and event marketing.”
Under the leadership of Account Director Alisha Zaveri, C&P’s digital services now encompass three distinct teams: Social Media, with a focus on full funnel paid advertising strategy and media planning, Creative Content Creation, and Influencer Marketing. The social media team is led by Jessica DeBenedetto who joins C&P with 10+ years of experience in social media management, advertising strategy, and paid projects. Executing advertising campaigns is Devin Sanft who has 4+ years of experience in the beverage-alcohol industry and performance marketing. The Creative Content Creation team will be led by Natalie Yubas, who joins the agency with previous experience in digital publishing, content creation and visual storytelling at CNN Digital.
This restructure is designed to enhance agility and adaptability to the ever-changing digital landscape. Under the new structure, C&P is able to provide an integrated approach to services including social media platform management with paid and organic across all major platforms, visual strategy to produce on-brand creative content including in-studio and offsite photography and graphic design, and results-driven influencer awareness campaigns with key influencers in the beverage alcohol industry.
“Brands in the hyper-competitive beverage alcohol category need solid digital strategies to connect with consumers and drive demand,” comments COO & Partner Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon. “With the recent additions, our digital team unifies the skills, experience and determination necessary to take our clients to the next level by delivering creative campaign ideation and data-driven execution.”
In alignment with the agency’s growth, C&P senior team members, Michelle Erland and Alisha Zaveri will be participating in the Wine Industry Sales Symposium (WIN) held on May 11th at the Hyatt in Sonoma to offer their knowledge and insights in communications to fellow leaders of the wine industry. C&P opened an office in San Francisco in 2016 to support the establishment and growth of the California division. Since then, the division has grown to encompass over twenty accounts and a team of 15 employees.
Michelle Erland, Senior Account Supervisor, will host a session titled, “Adapting Your PR Strategy for an Evolving Media Landscape,” addressing how companies and brands can effectively navigate the shifting media landscape in order to reach their target audiences and goals.
Alisha Zaveri, Account Director of Integrated Digital Communications, will host a session titled “Strategies & Tactics for Engaging New Wine Enthusiasts.” In this session she will discuss innovative approaches and techniques to connect and captivate emerging wine connoisseurs alongside wine influencers Amanda McCrossin and Jermaine Stone as well as wine communications leaders Kristen Reitzell from Jackson Family Wines and AJ Resnick of Wine Access.
“We are proud of the growth of the California division and by extension, the opportunities we have had to share our expertise and knowledge with the industry,” comments Juliana Colangelo, Vice President of California. “Wine Industry Network has been a great partner to us and we are excited to be a part of next week’s event in two dynamic panels alongside other industry leaders and colleagues.”
New Clients
Lastly, Colangelo & Partners is thrilled to announce a number of new clients in 2023 including:
- Cultor, founded by Juan Felipe Alviz and mixologist Shauna O’Neil, offers sophisticated quality ready-to-drink tequila cocktails made from 100% blue agave, natural ingredients and premium tequila
- Eleven Eleven Winery, a boutique urban estate nestled in downtown Napa founded on the concept of fostering connections through immersive wine and hospitality experiences.
- ENGINE Gin, a half-liter tin can of gin inspired by the world of motors, combined of 100% organic Italian botanicals sourced from across the peninsula
- J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, a family owned and operated winery that grows, produces, and bottles a full line of internationally recognized wines from its more than 4,000 acres of Certified California Sustainable estate vineyards in Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, Paso Robles, and St. Helena in Napa Valley
- Loosen Brothers USA, the exclusive US importer of well-renowned Ernst Loosen wines
- PODERE SAPAIO, a Tuscan winery founded in 1999 that is renowned for its sustainable practices, innovative approach, and exceptional red wines crafted in collaboration with legendary Italian winemaker Carlo Ferrini
- Sorel, a bright red spiced hibiscus liquor from Brooklyn that pays homage to the Afro-Caribbean beverage sorrel, made from Moroccan hibiscus, Brazilian clove, Indonesian cassia, and Nigeria ginger
About Colangelo & Partners
Colangelo & Partners is the leading fine wine and spirits integrated communications agency in the United States, sought after by top brands and industry players for the quality of their results, creativity, and return on investment. The professionals at Colangelo & Partners work with integrity and passion to influence how US audiences perceive their clients: Earning consistent, high-quality positive media coverage; organizing signature events; strategizing and executing standout digital campaigns, and implementing trade programs that strengthen relationships within the industry. Colangelo & Partners’ clientele includes global, instantly-recognizable brands and passionate, up-and-coming vignerons and distillers; regional and national institutions; and technology and e-commerce companies innovating in the beverage alcohol sector.
