American Wine Project

Creative strategy + content plan

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Discovery & Insights

Uncovering what makes American Wine Project unique — and what’s been missing.

American Wine Project is a boutique winery based in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, known for its cold-hardy grapes, grassroots energy, and unapologetically Midwestern identity. While their in-person presence felt authentic and magnetic, their digital presence lacked consistency, cohesion, and clarity.

Opportunity:

Build a sustainable strategy that elevates storytelling, strengthens brand voice, and makes it easier to create scroll-stopping content consistently.

What I did:

  • Audited existing social content across Instagram and Facebook

  • Researched regional competitors and content trends

  • Analyzed AWP’s audience behavior, engagement, and content gaps

  • Identified tone inconsistencies and underutilized features (e.g., Reels, UGC, Highlights)

Key insights:

  • High engagement around events and collaborations

  • Voice was playful and local, but lacked depth and polish in storytelling

  • Posts were visually casual, but didn’t establish a strong visual identity

  • Most UGC came from brand partnerships — minimal personal tagging or reshares

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Strategic Foundation

To bring AWP’s bold spirit online, I created a full social media strategy playbook — designed to be both flexible and actionable.

Brand Positioning:

American Wine Project is rewriting the rules of American winemaking — with raw, honest wines made from cold-hardy grapes in the heart of the Midwest. They’re Defiantly Midwest — curious, proud, and unapologetically different.

Tone & Voice:

  • Curious, candid, and bold

  • Never corporate or overly polished

  • Knowledgeable, but always approachable

core objectives:

  • Increase awareness beyond local audiences

  • Boost community engagement + user tagging

  • Tell the story behind the grapes, art, and people

  • Drive attendance to events and support product sales

platform focus:

  • Instagram (primary): 2–3x/week posting, Reels, Stories, Highlights

  • Facebook (secondary): Cross-post key content, events

  • TikTok & Email: Expansion channels for storytelling + retention

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Content System & Creative Direction

Turning strategy into action through clear pillars, visuals, and post ideas.

To keep content structured and repeatable, I created five content pillars — each designed to reflect AWP’s values, audience interests, and storytelling strengths.

Tools & Deliverables

  • Full social strategy playbook (PDF)

  • Branded post templates and content themes

  • Story Highlight suggestions

  • Monthly content calendar template

  • Copy prompts + caption ideas

  • Visual direction: colors, type, and image style

Content Pillars

  1. Unconventional Wine
    Midwest grapes, the winemaking process, and breaking expectations

  2. Events & Pop-Ups
    Teasers, recaps, countdowns, and community engagement

  3. Art & Identity
    Behind the bottle — label design, naming stories, creative inspo

  4. Faces of AWP
    Founder, staff, local collaborators, Q&As, behind-the-scenes

  5. Local Love & Community
    UGC, tagged photos, small business shoutouts, Midwest pride

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Whether you're refreshing your brand or launching something new, I bring strategic thinking and story-driven design to every project.

Let’s Talk

Like what you see?

I specialize in brand strategy, web design, and creative direction — blending big-picture thinking with hands-on execution. With experience across agency and in-house teams, I’ve partnered with Gen Z-led brands, DTC companies, and B2B/healthcare orgs to shape stories that connect and perform.

I bring a strategist’s mindset to every project — whether that means clarifying brand positioning, concepting campaigns, or crafting thoughtful design systems. If you’re looking for a creative partner who can flex across sectors and deliverables (with intention and good vibes), I’d love to connect.

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