Want to Win a Trip to Wine Country?

Ok, this is the funniest thing. I actually fell for one of those blatant outright PR pitches I was griping about recently. Sent to me by a publicist at Wine Enthusiast Magazine, (does anyone see the irony in that??), I actually took time to open the email, click on the link and take action...and now I'm even blogging about it! That's because it's a contest that is effortless and simple. And, if you are a budding guitar player like me, or merely an old rocker with a hint of nostalgia for classic rock and roll, you can enter for a chance to win:

Ta Da.......

A trip to Wine Country AND a signed electric guitar by Sting!

This was one of the craziest incentive combinations I've seen to date. But, who wouldn't want a few free nights in Napa and a collector's edition guitar to gather dust in the corner of your home.  So I fell for it hook line and sinker. And, now I'm receiving even more useless emails!

Of course, none of this has anything to do with wine. And that's how a lot of wine marketing is becoming these days. As our industry gets more crowded and competitive, we are adopting advanced marketing practices long used in other industries. From special incentives, co op marketing deals, value added promos, holiday tie-ins, seasonal offerings, etc. etc. etc., just about anything goes these days. We are becoming experts in the tactics of guerrilla marketing and warfare, because quite simply, we have to. It's that competitive out there. What I find interesting, is even the mainstream wine magazines are doing it.

Back to the contest…

It is FREE to enter. Visit http://www.wineenthusiast.com/winesthatrock for more information and official contest rules. All entries must be received by
January 15th, 2011 11:59PM EST. But since it's so easy, I encourage you to enter now. I promise it is one of the simplest things you'll ever do online. Just be aware as you'll soon end up on the Wine Enthusiast email list.

P.S. If you win, I get the guitar!