NAPA, CA--(Marketwire - November 11, 2010) - SCVNGR, the location-based game and game platform, today announced the wine industry's first location-based alliance between SCVNGR, Robert Mondavi Winery and Franciscan Estate. The announcement comes just weeks after SCVNGR announced its entry into the wine industry by teaming up with leading wine think tank, VinTank.
SCVNGR is a mobile app all about going places, checking-in, completing challenges, sharing on Facebook and Twitter, and earning real-world rewards. SCVNGR will help the two wineries leverage its innovative game dynamics and build on the SCVNGR platform to create meaningful interaction and engagement for legal drinking-aged wine lovers, wineries and wine brands alike.
Robert Mondavi Winery and Franciscan Estate -- two of Napa Valley's leading wineries -- will be building on the SCVNGR platform to bring a new element of fun into the world of wine, as well as their own mobile marketing strategies and winery experiences. Winery visitors and aficionados can now complete winery-specific challenges to unlock badges and earn rewards, which range from VIP vineyard tours and complimentary wine tastings, to a wine valley getaway for two. Wineries and wine brands can join the SCVNGR game layer with their own unique content and engage their visitors and fans like never before.
"This alliance is a game-changer for the wine industry. Robert Mondavi Winery and Franciscan Estate are innovative brands that provide the scale and influence to revolutionize an industry," said Ryan Neu, partnership executive at SCVNGR, who is leading the company's wine initiative. "Wine and location-based technology have finally converged to offer substantial and meaningful rewards to the consumer, while providing traceable social and mobile value to the winery and wine brands."
"We are excited to be the first in the wine industry, with our brands Robert Mondavi Winery & Franciscan Estate, to actively engage in the social-mobile-game space," said Angelica de Vere, Group Director, Direct Marketing & Retail Operations. "With these well-established brands, the fans of both the wineries and those of the mobile-gaming space represent a huge audience, and this has the capacity to reach and connect with so many more. This alliance gives us the opportunity to drive more qualified traffic to the wineries, create further consumer connections, increase sales, and drive deeper brand engagement."
For more information on Robert Mondavi Winery, please visit www.robertmondavi.com. To check out Franciscan Estate, please visit www.franciscan.com. And to learn more about SCVNGR and businesses, head to www.scvngr.com.
About SCVNGR
SCVNGR is a game. Playing is simple: Go places. Do challenges. Earn points! You'll unlock real-world rewards and share where you are and what you're up to with your friends on SCVNGR, Facebook and Twitter. SCVNGR is played via a free iPhone & Android app. But playing SCVNGR is only half of it. Individuals, enterprises, cities and small businesses build on SCVNGR by adding custom challenges and rewards at their locations. SCVNGR is funded by Google Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. Visit www.scvngr.com to learn more.
About Robert Mondavi Winery
Founded in 1966, Robert Mondavi Winery is the shining symbol of California's Napa Valley. The first major winery built in Napa Valley in the three decades since the repeal of Prohibition, Robert Mondavi Winery went on to establish the foundation for the modern-day California wine business. With the philosophy that great wines reflect their origins, Robert Mondavi Winery pursues the fullest expression of the terroir of its Napa Valley vineyards.
Robert Mondavi Winery wines are distributed by Constellation Wines U.S., the U.S. division of Constellation Brands, the world's leading wine company that achieves success through an unmatched knowledge of wine consumers, storied brands that suit varied lives and tastes, and talented employees worldwide.
For more information on Robert Mondavi Winery, please visit www.robertmondavi.com.
About Franciscan Estate
Located in the heart of Napa Valley, Franciscan Estate is one of California's most loved and respected wineries. Franciscan Estate's rich, 30-year history has been shaped by an artisanal approach to winemaking -- blending only the best from hundreds of lots to craft fine wines that fully express the classic varieties and their vineyard origins. The winery's prized vineyards include 240 acres within the renowned Oakville AVA.
Sourcing from Napa Valley's more cooler growing regions, and the time-honored tradition of small-lot winemaking, are the foundation of Franciscan Estate's style: rich, vibrant flavors and supple texture. Franciscan Estate's catalogue of wines includes Magnificat, a trail-blazing red wine blend of classic Bordeaux varietals, and Cuvee Sauvage, the first Napa Valley Chardonnay to revive the lost art of wild fermentation.
Franciscan Estate is marketed by Constellation Wines U.S., the largest wine company in the US based upon sales dollars value. For more information please visit www.franciscan.com.
Contact Information:
Media contacts:
Emilie Cole or Ryan Neu for SCVNGR
ryan [at] scvngr [dot] com
330.714.3356
scvngr [at] launchsquad [dot] com
Kim Ruiz for Robert Mondavi Winery & Franciscan Estate
kim [dot] ruiz [at] cwine [dot] com
707.251.4918