The New York office of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) has announced a partnership with KLG Public Relations to continue to educate American trade and consumers on Italian Spirits and keep the elevated perception of ‘Made in Italy’ top of mind in the press. This marks the Italian Trade Agency’s second-ever Public Relations campaign on Italian Spirits in the US, following their inaugural efforts in early 2020.
The ITA partnered with 20 Italian brands to take part in the overarching Spirits Promotion Project, which will include trade events with major industry players such as the United States Bartender’s Guild and Tales of the Cocktail. “We are honored to see familiar names get back on board with the project and excited to collaborate with smaller brands new to the US market,” says Antonino Laspina, Italian Trade Commissioner, Executive Director of the USA.
Throughout the duration of the campaign, the agencies will work together to increase awareness of Italian spirits and the various spirit categories through strategic press outreach and product seeding. In order to leverage the quality, versatility, and authenticity of Italian spirits, the key categories that will be amplified through this campaign are Amaro and Grappa, Italy’s national spirit, as well as Limoncello and Vermouth, among other small niche categories. Both the ITA and KLG PR will work to highlight all of these individual brands as it pertains to category, production methods, ingredients and of course, cocktails.
“The ITA is thrilled to continue the promotion of Italian Spirits in the United States after the 2020 campaign, which was very successful despite the implementation of the US tariffs from October 2019 to February 2021, on top of the impact of COVID-19,” states the Italian Trade Commissioner. He goes on to say, “The industry is slowly reopening its doors and we are excited to see the fascinating stories of Italian Liqueurs, Grappa, Amari, and Aperitifs transpire in the media, showcasing their palpable quality as the result of careful ingredient selection, strong passion, and centuries-old recipes. The ITA believes these public relations efforts will greatly benefit the industry by highlighting its deep connection to Italian territory and lifestyle which has undoubtedly been a major factor for its success internationally.”
The initiative will include a variety of experiential programming that will target media and trade who are eager to learn more about Italian spirits and culture. With the understanding that the current global pandemic has created obstacles around travel, the ITA and KLG Public Relations will curate and introduce unique tasting opportunities allowing guests to explore Italian libations and culture stateside. To further educate and welcome consumers and media to the wide portfolio of Italian spirits, KLG Public Relations will showcase Italy’s vast offering of Wine & Spirits to media and consumers, while highlighting a variety of upcoming occasions to enjoy Italian spirits.
