Wine marketing startup joins newly crowded field - San Francisco Business Times:

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Vivien Gay, a wine industry executive with more than 20 yearof experience, unveiled the formatiom of the Berkeley marketing firm early this month. Its goal is to give independenfwineries "the sales and marketingv infrastructure and resources availablee to larger brands, allowing them to effectivelt compete in the global marketplace," said Gay, the company'ss president and CEO. Marketing or consulting companies with a similar focux onassisting family-owned or smaller players included Napa-based , Napa marketing and shippinvg specialist New Vine and WineSpring, part of San Francisco startupo IVY Worldwide Inc.
, which is working with a numberf of Northern California wineried to sell their products in 20 to 30 majoe cities in China. Gay's firm also hopes to make a splashh inthe niche. It expects to completew a "friends and family" round of private funding by and is attempting toraise $5 millioj in early-stage funding, Gay said. Her experiencre includes work at wineries, distributorships and in her own marketing the . She most recently directed Europeanand U.S. sales and marketing for Carlos Blythe, vice president of sales, previousluy ' national sales director, and a former executive for luxury wine and spiritr brandsat .
Liz vice president of who most recently worked as an independent consultant and previously handlec public relations for andthe . Petef Nevin, vice president of information who has designed andrun sales, inventorty and operations systems for companiees such as and . Recruitment and hirin g of regional managers isunder way, compangy officials said. Vinum Global says it can help winery ownerzdevelop long-range brand building programz linking marketing, sales and public relations.