NICHOLAS J SOLGA
Credentialed wine professional with stamina for the long haul, intelligence to survive the gauntlet, and a general, all-around facility to make things happen.
Branding and Social Media Strategist. Certified Wine Educator by the Society of Wine Educators. Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers.
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project [fermented]
Project Fermented LLC is a multidisciplinary wine-consulting agency that I founded in 2010, specializing in brand marketing, social media strategy, wine education & ambassadorship.
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credentials
- Certified Sommelier - Court of Master Sommeliers
- Certified Wine Educator - Society of Wine Educators
- Certified Specialist of Wine - Society of Wine Educators
- 10+ Years Experience (educating, serving, and jumpstarting status brands from family-owned, publicly traded, boutique and corporate wineries)
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Info
- Brand Strategist | Wine Educator | SommelierWine and Spirits | San Francisco Bay Area, USSummaryPassionate, enterprising wine professional with expertise in jumpstarting brands and educating consumers/trade. Demonstrated executive experience developing and implementing strategic plans while managing successful programs in the marketplace. Recognized ability to identify growth opportunities while continually challenging the “status-quo” to develop fresh, creative approaches to accomplishing goals.
Driven by an intense passion for wine that often proves contagious as one of fewer than 100 professionals to hold both the title of Certified Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier.Specialties: Brand marketing/management, social media strategy, and wine education. Wine consulting: new product conceptualization, package design, market research, web/print communications, point-of-sale materials development, winery ambassadorship, and media personality.Experience- Oct 2010 - PresentDirector of Brand Strategy / project [fermented]Project Fermented LLC, is a multidisciplinary wine-consulting agency specializing in brand marketing, social media strategy, wine education & ambassadorship. Clients: Banfi Vintners (Castello Banfi-Banfi Tuscany, Bolla, Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Fontana Candida, Vigne Regali-Rosa Regale). Excelsior Wine Company (Concha y Toro, Trivento Bodegas y Vinedos, Viña Palo Alto). Williams Selyem Winery.
- Aug 2007 - Oct 2010Brand Manager | New World Wines / Banfi VintnersBrand Manager (February 2008 – October 2010) Oversee daily operations and brand planning for the New World Wine Portfolio, including one of the top five imported wine brands in the U.S. and three of the top five among the Chilean market segment. Responsible for growth and profitability across seven wineries, 21+ brands and 260+ SKUs (four million cases sold annually, between $7-145 per bottle, retail). Create and oversee all social media marketing initiatives. Advise in new product conceptualization and packaging design while continuing to direct and ensure success in the development and tactical execution of all processes listed below as Marketing Manager. • Wineries: Concha y Toro, Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Maycas del Limarí, Viña Palo Alto, Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos, Viña Maipo. • Instrumental in +17% portfolio growth - 18x faster than the total US wine market (2007-2009). • Managed key brand turn-around of Xplorador, a premium priced Chilean wine. Identified new Millennial consumer target. Repositioned packaging design, website, and POS materials. Initiated an innovative, feature-rich social media communications campaign. Sales grew +152% overall, +59% compound annual growth rate (2007-2009). Marketing Manager (August 2007 – February 2008) Manage the tactical development and final deployment of programs for both the European and New World Wine Portfolios. Responsible for all Marketing project management including sales analysis, creative direction, production follow-through and content proofing - requiring diligent management of agencies and superior teaming with Support, Production, and Sales teams. Key duties include copy-writing of all package labels, websites, and brochures; sell sheets, wine information sheets, and national account presentations.
- 2006 - 2007Account Executive / LaBov & Beyond Marketing CommuncationsAccount management responsible for client growth and profitability on annual billings exceeding $1.2MM. Key client projects include strategic brand planning, web and product literature creation, dealer and distributor training, sales and trade show support, event management, public relations, media planning, negotiation, placement and on-going brand standards compliance. Clients: Terex Corporation and Ferrari of North America.
- 2002 - 2006Media Supervisor & Account Executive / Marketshare+, Inc.Account Executive (October 2005 – November 2006) Manage client projects resulting in annual billings exceeding $600K. Act as the conduit between the agency and the client to ensure fluid communication and timely job completion. Participate in strategic planning. Conduct competitive analyses. Guide creative development according to product positioning. Continue dedicated stewardship of accounts and work to procure new business. Client industries: business banking, mechanical contracting, medical, real estate development/brokerage, and recreational boat manufacturing. Media Supervisor (September 2005 – November 2006) Oversee Media Department operations while leading a team of assistants. Approve allocation of client budgets by medium. Evaluate planning research for accuracy. Direct media plan authoring and confirm cost goals. Guide buying negotiations. Approve all media plans and conduct presentations to client executive management. Media Planner (October 2002 – September 2005) Develop and design media plans according to client strategy. Set campaign flight schedules and delivery goals. Target client’s demographic by researching segmenting socioeconomics, usage patterns, commitment levels and psychographics. Review multiple, complex research tools including: SRDS, SQAD, MMG, VoiceTrak, MRI, Simmons, ABC/BPA, Arbitron and Nielsen. Create and present media objectives, strategy, mediums chosen and buy recommendations for approval. Execute, manage, and post-analyze all plans. Media Buyer (June 2002 – October 2002) Implement media plans by intensely negotiating rates across multiple platforms including: cable/broadcast television, radio, newsprint, magazine, outdoor signage, Internet, database, and direct marketing. Monitor ad traffic, negotiate scheduled ad replacements, and reconcile all media vendor invoices. Establish and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with vendors and representatives.
Education- Indiana University BloomingtonBachelor of Arts
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