International and local
bloggers share Stellenbosch bounty with the world
Issued
by: on
behalf of:
Random Hat
Communications
Stellenbosch Experience
Liezel van Der Westhuizen (middle) with well
known Cape Town Jewellery designers, Philippa Green (left) and Ida Elsje LR
The experiential #Stellenblog blogger
campaign kicked off with a digital bang on Monday, 5 May, when the pioneering Stellenbosch
American Express® Wine Routes caused quite a stir on social media
networks with some of the most influential international and national bloggers
uncovering and digitally sharing the secrets and stories of South’s Africa’s
oldest and foremost wine route with the world.
The launch party was
held at Dornier Estate’s regal Homestead, an original Sir Herbert Baker design,
and saw a cool and connected crowd of more than 200 bloggers, online
influencers, Stellenbosch glitterati and local food and wine personalities
blogging, tweeting and Instagramming up a #Stellenblog storm. This all happened
during a homegrown feast of the finest Stellenbosch wines and food infused with
live music entertainment by local musicians such as Gerald Clark, Schalk Joubert,
Henry Steel, Schalk van der Merwe and Luna Paige.
This unrivalled
celebration of all things Stellenbosch saw celebrated icons such as Kleine
Zalze, The House of JC Le Roux, Stellenbosch Vineyards, Tokara, Spier,
Simonsig, Dornier, Majeka House, The Devon Valley Hotel, Oldenburg, Van Ryns,
Warwick Estate, Delheim, Middelvlei and Lanzerac pulling out all the stops.
The high-ranking
international bloggers for #Stellenblog were selected for the quality of their
content, ideal target audiences and social media reach, representing the wine
route’s core international markets: the USA, UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
They include the award-winning Matt Long of the luxury adventure travel site,
Landlopers (www.landlopers.com); Niamh Shields (www.eatlikeagirl.com)
who was recently recognised by The Times magazine as the most influential food
blogger in the UK; Norman Röhlig of I-REF (www.i-ref.de),
one of the most reputable lifestyle websites in Berlin, Germany, and Keith
Jenkins of the opulent Velvet Escape travel blog (www.velvetescape.com).
Prior to the party,
these international bloggers were joined by a trendy troop of local bloggers
and online influencers for an intriguing #Stellenblog Tweet-Up of discoveries
when they were let loose in the oak-lined streets for a see-sip-and-savour of
the Stellenbosch Way of Life. This sensory meander included stopovers at
Bartinney Wine & Champagne Bar, Brampton Wine Studio, the SMAC Art Gallery
and the 5-star Coopmanhuijs Boutique Hotel & Spa whilst Thrifty sponsored
all the transport on the day.
By
the 5th of May, the campaign’s launch day, it had already
generated a digital reach of 20 million opportunities to see (OTS) content
generated via Twitter with a reach of 2.1 million accounts. Over
550 pictures have been shared on Instagram. Hashtracking, a twitter
tracking tool, shows more than 23 million OTS and a reach of 2.7 million
Twitter accounts, whilst the global online tracking agency Brandseye, shows a
slightly higher OTS because they also monitor Facebook.
The rest of the
#Stellenblog week comprises an
itinerary of bucket-list activities hosted in and around Stellenbosch by locals
in the know, with the bloggers immersing themselves as digital ambassadors to peel away the layers of Stellenbosch and share their first
hand experiences with the world.
This week-long digital
exploration of the beauty and bounty of the region, forms part of the wine
route’s year-long Stellenbosch Experience wine tourism
marketing campaign, which was initiated in conjunction with Stellenbosch 360,
to showcase the region’s authentic, multifaceted and must-experience wine
tourism offerings on a global scale.
“The web and social
media have levelled the playing field somewhat, making it possible for
destinations like Stellenbosch to take advantage of new trends and use digital marketing
to inspire travellers to visit,” shares Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, former CEO
of Cape Town Tourism and owner of Destinate, an international tourism marketing
agency and the driving force behind the Stellenbosch Experience campaign.
“Word of mouth through social media is now the most powerful tool for any
destination marketer today and we are tapping into local pride using citizens
and bloggers to share Stellenbosch’s story with the world,” she added.
#Stellenblog is hosted
and digitally monitored in association with iAmbassador – renowned for
successful blogging campaigns like #Blogville in Emilia Romagna, Italy.
This online initiative is also supported
by South African Tourism and is aligned with its #MeetSouthAfrica and Indaba
2014 programmes, which will see a number of top international bloggers visit
South Africa, and especially Durban from 10-12 May.
The international
#Stellenblog bloggers were flown to South Africa courtesy of South African
Airways and connectivity was provided by Afrihost. Pick ‘n Pay, another
campaign partner, has stocked the Homestead, home to the bloggers for the week,
with typical South African food and snacks.
For more information on
the Stellenbosch Experience and #Stellenblog campaigns visit
StellenBlog at http://blog.wineroute.co.za/ or contact
Mariette du Toit-Helmbold at experience@wineroute.co.za or
phone 083 225 5955.