TowneBank sponsors a number of wine festivals throughout the year. In addition to their built-in promotional value, the bank’s marketing team wanted to maximize their involvement and exposure. That’s where Rubin Communications stepped in.

The TowneBank Top Cork Award, suggested by our Joel Rubin, is a program for all future TowneBank-sponsored wine festivals. It allows TowneBank members in attendance to taste and vote on their favorite wines from participating vineyards while further branding our client’s affiliation with these events.
Towne unveiled the Top Cork Award at the Yorktown Wine Festival, which drew more than 15,000 visitors. Presented on the event’s main stage, the honor went to Saudé Creek Vineyards from Lanexa, Virginia.

Three weeks later on October 27, TowneBank was presenting sponsor of the Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival at Chesapeake City Park. Suffolk wine sommelier, Brenda Gillihan, coordinated the collection of entries and facilitated a preliminary tasting, narrowing them down to the top five, which were featured in the TowneBank chalet. Hundreds of TowneBank members and guests voted on their favorite, and the Top Cork Award, presented as an etched crystal vase, went to Williamburg Winery for their Virginia Viognier.

TowneBank will present a Top Cork Award at all future sponsored wine festivals, including the 2nd Annual Outer Banks Red Nose Wine Festival in July 2013.