Where the Horizon Begins: Building Momentum for a New Ontario Wine Destination
A bold opening campaign designed to turn curiosity into momentum, visitors into advocates, and a new winery into one of Southwestern Ontario's most talked-about destinations.
When Skye Chase Estate Winery prepared to open its doors, the opportunity was about far more than announcing a new building. It was the moment a vision became tangible. Years of planning, investment, vineyard stewardship, and brand development culminated in a public debut designed to capture attention, build credibility, and inspire people to experience something entirely new.
This was a rare moment: the launch of a destination capable of reshaping perceptions of what Southwestern Ontario wine could be.
sagecomm partnered with Skye Chase to develop and execute The First Pour, a fully integrated opening campaign designed to introduce the winery to the market, build anticipation before opening, and create sustained momentum through the first months of operation.
The campaign invited audiences into the vision behind the winery. This included positioning Skye Chase as a place where ambition meets craftsmanship and where local talent and Ontario-grown wines could stand confidently alongside world-class experiences.
The strategy was designed to move audiences through three distinct phases: Dream, Plan, and Blaze, consistent with the Skye Chase brand philosophy. Early communications focused on intrigue and anticipation, introducing the idea that something extraordinary was taking shape in Southwestern Ontario. As opening day approached, the campaign shifted toward credibility, showcasing the wines, the team, the space, and the experience. Following opening, communications focused on momentum, encouraging visits, reservations, word-of-mouth advocacy, and repeat engagement.
Across the integrated campaign, every channel worked together to tell a consistent story while moving audiences from awareness to action, with the results exceeding expectations.
Along with high impression and click through rates, the winery’s subscriber database grew by 215%, creating an owned audience that could continue to be nurtured long after opening day. Website traffic increased more than fourfold during the campaign period and email communications consistently achieved open rates upwards of 66%, substantially outperforming industry averages and generating tangible audience engagement.
Just as importantly, the campaign generated the kind of response every destination hopes for: guests described the winery as beautiful, welcoming, memorable, and unlike anything else in the region. The space itself became one of the campaign's strongest assets, with imagery of the winery consistently outperforming product-focused creative and reinforcing Skye Chase's position as a destination worth experiencing firsthand.
The First Pour helped establish Skye Chase as more than a winery. It introduced a new regional destination, built a growing community of advocates, generated measurable demand, and created the foundation for future product launches, seasonal experiences, hospitality offerings, and long-term brand growth.
Most importantly, it transformed a grand opening into the beginning of something much larger: a winery with the ambition, audience, and momentum to help put Southwestern Ontario on the map as a destination for exceptional wine, food, and experience.
Services Delivered
- Research & Discovery
- Audience Strategy & Persona Development
- Narrative Positioning & Messaging
- Campaign Strategy & Implementation Plan
- Organic Social Media Strategy & Content
- Digital Advertising Strategy & Management
- Email Marketing Strategy & Execution
- Print Material Design
- Integrated Marketing Campaign Management, Optimization & Reporting
- Rollout Communications
Sector
Featured work samples
"Alongside their passion for Ontario winemakers and exceptional, human-centred experiences, sagecomm brought their extensive expertise in destination marketing to our first critically important campaign. Since then, they have played an instrumental role in shaping and elevating the Skye Chase brand experience, refining our story, and strengthening how we are presented to the market—and audiences are taking notice.
We are proud to have Skye Chase represented through sagecomm’s high-quality strategy, marketing and design. Their thoughtful approach and expertise have helped us build a stronger presence in the market, while delivering consistent and successful results."
