On March 27, the Unione Italiana Vini (Italian Wine Union) will announce the winner of its first-ever prize for Social Activism at Palazzo Turati in Milan. According to a survey of journalists conducted by the UIV, the Italian wine industry is considered one of the country’s most effective communicators of social causes and is widely viewed as one of its foremost representatives abroad. The winner will be announced together with the presentation of the 2008 edition of Enotria, the UIV’s annual publication. The theme of this year’s UIV report is the marketing of Italian wine.

A preview of the report reveals that Italian wineries invest an average of 5.8% of their total revenue in marketing — a relatively low number, the publication notes, with respect to other sectors. The average Italian winery allocates 15% of its marketing budget for events, 14% for display advertising, 13% for trade shows, 12% for retail promotions, 12% for public relations, and 8% for packaging and branding. Italian wineries increasingly use social activism as a marketing tool, report the editors of Enotria, addressing a wide range of issues, including racism, organized crime, and world hunger.

For more information, email info@uiv.it

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