The Come Over October (COO) campaign spearheaded by leading US wine writer Karen MacNeil and wine PR specialist, Gino Colangelo to counter the anti-alcohol lobby, has attracted a significant following. The concept, which owes its name to ‘Sober October’ – the Dry January-linked initiative that supports periods of abstinence from alcohol – is centred around wine as a convivial beverage, and a possible way to reduce the ‘loneliness epidemic’.
COO participants are encouraged to invite friends to their homes for a glass of wine, or to meet up around a bottle in a café or restaurant. Among the companies that have got behind the campaign are Constellation Brands, which is running in-store radio in over 600 branches of Kroger's the biggest supermarket chain in the US and Jackson Family Wines which is running tasting events at all of its wineries.
Simple message
Colangelo attributes the success of the campaign to the fact that “The message is simple, consumer-oriented and highlights sociability, one of wine's great attributes” and that “The wine world is looking for a banner under which they can rally without fear of making claims [related to wine and health] that leave companies open to litigation.” He adds that almost $150,000 has been raised for the campaign in cash contributions and a value of around $75,000 in the form of media.
Come Over October is also supporting a separate European initiative called VitaeVino which invites wine professionals and drinkers to sign a ‘declaration’ to ‘protect the role of wine in society and its cultural heritage; value its socio-economic impact; and ’give voice to moderation’. By October 9th, just under 6,500 people had signed from across the world. While reactions to COO in the US have been almost exclusively positive, some have questioned linking an alcoholic beverage to a well-meaning effort to counter loneliness.
