The newly-redesigned WOW (Women on Wine) website was presented to the media and friends at the first co-working space in Zagreb, the HUB385 at 6 Petračićeva Street, and its Incubator Bar. After seven years of existence, www.womenonwine.com.hr, which has so far primarily covered the association’s activities, now allows for advertising on its pages. The design of the popular website has been created by a small but propulsive company Svi na Web.
“We are authentic and we write about what we are doing, wine trips, socialising, wine promotions and education," said the journalist, founder and president of Women and Wine (WOW) association Sanja Muzaferija. "We are honest, so people trust us and we transmit our emotions towards wine to our site as well. Sometimes it seems to me that in Croatia many people are amateurs in what they are doing but know how to charge for their work very professionally. As members of the association, all we do we do with passion and more and more knowledge and in a professional manner: we promote winemakers, organise events for our members and the media, tourist wine tours and excursions, and the web – but we are amateurs when it comes to charging. Now it is time to change this, especially because digital marketing and native marketing are currently exponentially growing, especially in the niche markets, which our market certainly is. The website has served us for a long time just to publish our activities, of which there were so many that we did not have time to focus on the website itself. Given my professional journalistic background, as well as the reputation we have gained by organising the WOW Awards and the PINK DAY festival – we have decided to make our website more professional. We have the WOW FB page, the Pink Day FB site, the WOW Sympathizers FB group, the WOW and Pink Day Instagram profiles – but you cannot run a business on social networks. Some are on the rise, while others are falling behind; it is fine to use them, but the internet, meaning the web, remains,” Muzaferija explained.
The redesigned website was presented by WOW’s web coordinator Alis Marić and Davor Debrecin from Svi na Web, along with a new WOW member Lana Bukvić, who will take over part of the duties concerning the web and social networking. Alis Marić is the author of the "Čitaj Knjigu" (Read a Book) concept, a blogger and a powerful influencer who is followed by half a million of followers on social networks, which is important because the synergistic effect with her and the “Čitaj Knjigu” raises this partnership to a new level. "Although I am recognised as the ‘Čitaj Knjigu’ creator, I was initially and still am a WOW member," Marić said.
The main star of the evening was Paul Bradbury, the founder and the editor of the Total Croatia News portal – which includes a speciality website Total Croatia Wine. Since he has been working together with Sanja Muzaferija for four years, he liked her idea about a joint approach to the audience and potential advertisers. “I think that with Sanja and her team we can reach the target audience and offer shared advertising at affordable prices. You have beautiful wines in Croatia, but little is known about them abroad, and since Total Croatia News is the most read and the largest news, travel and lifestyle website about Croatia in English – I believe the future will be bright – or perhaps I should better say, due to the Pink Day – pink,” said Paul, who also presented the story of his life in Croatia, first on Hvar and now in Varaždin. Impressive figures and the reputation of the news site will undoubtedly help the redesigned WOW website undergo a commercial renaissance.
The hosts of the event also had an opportunity to present their achievements: the owner of the Incubator Bar Goran Vručinić and chef Zoran Gajić, while the guests tasted the wines produced by Kolar, Perak, Kolarić, Agris and Iločki Podrumi.
WOW (Women on Wine) is an association founded in Zagreb in 2011. Today, there are nearly 200 members from all over Croatia, with branches in Split and Rijeka. The WOW members are active in the field of the so-called culture of the table. They promote all wines, moderate enjoyment in good wines, and – in particular – women's strength in wine. They have organised over 150 events in eight years – including educations, travels, events, promotions, dinners, humanitarian drives – and each year they present WOW Awards in five categories. The winning winemakers, in the action they call "What Women Want", travel to various wine regions of the world. Gianfranco Kozlović went to Bordeaux, Saša Senjković to Champagne, Moreno Coronica to Penedes in Spain, Luka Krajančić to Burgundy, Frano Milina Bire to Austria, and the Meneghetti winery to Tuscany. The latest winner is Alen Bibić with his Amber prosecco, and it is still secret where he will travel. The most significant event organised by the association, with the help of the IMC agency, is the PINK DAY – a festival of the pink wines (and extra-virgin olive oils) whose seventh edition will be held on 30 March at the Mimara Museum.
More news about wines in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.
