Wine What?
Self-proclaimed wino Randy Watson stumbled upon a unique viral marketing method that leverages Twitter to spread buzz about wine at virtually no cost by encouraging consumers to Tweet specific messages posted on his blog, “The Wine Whore,” for a chance to win freebies.
Exchanging publicity for freebies is what The Wine Whore is all about. In exchange for free bottles, the blog features reviews of the wines Watson receives. Originally, this is where it ended. It was a way for Watson to get his hands on free wine. As the site’s popularity grew, however, viewers began to inquire how they could drink for free, too. So, Watson designed a contest in which his viewers have the chance to win free wine (sponsored by a winery) by tweeting specific “passphrases” on Twitter — phrases that have a link to a promotion for the wine. The more a user tweets this message, the greater his chances of winning.
The passphrase for June 7, for example, was: “Attraction, Romance, Seduction all in one box! Details: http://tr.im/now8 #wine #freebies #winewhoregiveaway”
And the prize is often no ordinary bottle of wine; this month’s contest, which runs until July 1, is sponsored by Napa Valley winery O’Brien Estate, and the winner will receive an O’Brien Estate Romantic Trio gift set — part of a 400-set, limited-edition run that normally sells for $250. Each set consists of three bottles of wine in an elegant lacquered wood box, with gold foil and branded lettering signed and numbered by the winemaker, Bart O’Brien.
Exchanging publicity for freebies is what The Wine Whore is all about. In exchange for free bottles, the blog features reviews of the wines Watson receives. Originally, this is where it ended. It was a way for Watson to get his hands on free wine. As the site’s popularity grew, however, viewers began to inquire how they could drink for free, too. So, Watson designed a contest in which his viewers have the chance to win free wine (sponsored by a winery) by tweeting specific “passphrases” on Twitter — phrases that have a link to a promotion for the wine. The more a user tweets this message, the greater his chances of winning.
The passphrase for June 7, for example, was: “Attraction, Romance, Seduction all in one box! Details: http://tr.im/now8 #wine #freebies #winewhoregiveaway”
And the prize is often no ordinary bottle of wine; this month’s contest, which runs until July 1, is sponsored by Napa Valley winery O’Brien Estate, and the winner will receive an O’Brien Estate Romantic Trio gift set — part of a 400-set, limited-edition run that normally sells for $250. Each set consists of three bottles of wine in an elegant lacquered wood box, with gold foil and branded lettering signed and numbered by the winemaker, Bart O’Brien.