Brand Manager, Grand River Valley Wine Region

Overview: The Lake County Visitors Bureau (LCVB), Tour Lake County, is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Lake County, Ohio. We are looking for an Independent Contractor to work in conjunction with the LCVB and Grand River Valley (GRV) wine region stakeholders to expand upon the growth of the Grand River Valley which has become one of the most popular wine regions for visitors in the country. The Grand River Valley features nearly 30 different wineries located within miles of Lake Erie and located across both Lake and Ashtabula Counties. Over 50% of the grapes grown in the state of Ohio are grown in the Grand River Valley and numerous, national award-winning wines are produced from wineries in this region annually. The primary responsibilities of this position include developing relationships with winery owners and management, implementation of a Grand River Valley website, growing and expanding upon the Grand River Valley social media accounts and other marketing and event-related duties throughout the year. This is a six-month (6) position with the opportunity to renew the contract at the conclusion of the first six months.Reports to: Executive Director of Lake County Visitors BureauDuties & Responsibilities:Develop Relationships and Database of GRV Wineries·        Develop a working relationship with winery owners and management at each of the GRV area wineries·        Create and maintain a database with contact information for each GRV wineryManage GRV Social Media·        Develop a plan for growing the number of followers of the GRV social media accounts·        Responsible for executing an engaging and impactful social media campaign to market the region·        Elevate awareness of partner experiences and events throughout the region·        Maintain consistent, timely posts with relevant content. Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling are critical to maintaining a high level of professionalism for the GRV·        Work with LCVB Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy to complement messagingDevelop GRV Website·        Work with CVBs to develop a new website for the Grand River Valley·        Help to determine appropriate website development company to contract with for design and development of the site·        Supply web developers with content and give direction·        Goal is to have a functional website by July 1, 2025Winery Guides·        Refresh the existing GRV Winery Guide two (2) times each year for a spring/summer release and a fall/winter release·        Confirm photo and editorial content with each member winery·        Work with local vendor to print quantities as needed·        Coordinate distribution to partners on a regular basis and come up with a plan for consistent replenishment of guides for each wineryOn-site Event Attendance·        Research local, regional and possibly national wine-related events that might be opportunities to highlight the Grand River Valley wine region·        If deemed appropriate, work with LCVB on attending wine-related events which may include some travel (cost to attend any event will be covered by LCVB)·        Travel to an event over 60 miles, round-trip will be reimbursed by the LCVB·        If overnight accommodation is required, that cost will be covered by the LCVBPhoto-Op Stations·        Work on a plan to provide individual wineries with the opportunity to create their own on-site photo-opportunity station·        Look into a cooperative cost-sharing program for wineries to erect photo stations on their property·        Determine parameters and educate winery owners on this opportunityMedia Campaign·        Alert media to newsworthy stories regarding the Grand River Valley·        Develop relationships with local media partners (television, print, radio, podcasts, influencers, etc.) and proactively provide stories and content·        Work with CVB teams to identify industry influencers or media personalities to magnify the GRV brand·        Work with media partners to ensure their on-site experience covering the Grand River Valley is seamless, enjoyable and provides high-quality contentRequirements:Minimum one to three years of experience in event management, digital marketing, sales, communications, social media management or a related fieldExcellent communication, organizational and writing skillsExperience managing social media for a business or organizationPositive, professional and diplomatic in all communicationsSkilled in creative content creation and managementAbility to work some evening and weekendsKnowledge of wine and wine regions is a benefitValid driver's license and auto insuranceThis is a remote position but applicant may be asked to come into the office by the Executive Director on an as-needed basisPlease submit resume and cover to Neil Stein at neil@The deadline to apply is Monday, March 10, 2025

Created: 2025-02-25