Through the Grapevine with Brian Chase Olson

What's it like to be a young professional in the vibrant world of Australian wine? Our ‘Through the Grapevine’ interview series explores the diverse career paths, inspiring stories, and innovative ideas of the individuals shaping the industry's future. Together, we're growing the future of wine.

Meet Brian Chase Olson, Director and Owner of Blend Public Relations

“I started Blend PR from my dining room table one week before the first lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic. “

Q: What was the "aha!" moment that made you realise PR was the path for you, and what prompted you to take the leap and start your own agency, Blend PR?

The moment I realised PR, or more generally media and journalism, was the path for me happened while I was studying at university in Las Vegas, Nevada. I grew up working in hospitality from a young age and enjoyed the energy and social aspects of working in a restaurant.

So I moved to Vegas to study Food & Beverage Management, thinking I was going to become some big-shot hospitality director. This all changed for me when I was volunteering for Barack Obama during the 2008 Election. Social media was just becoming a big thing, and media was all-consuming for me. It made me take a massive interest in journalism, communications and even political lobbying, so I changed my major from F&B Management to PR & Journalism and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where I studied at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

I gained some incredible experience at ASU, getting stories published in local newspapers, learning how to develop PR campaigns, and getting a greater understanding of how a journalist works day-to-day. Since then, I’ve only worked in PR and haven’t looked back!

When the idea to start Blend PR came about, I had spent about six years working in a couple of PR agencies and was a few years into my role at Taylors Wines as its Communications Manager (one part of a very talented group of marketing pros). I learned so much in those roles and really developed my ‘niche’ in creative communications and PR for wine. I felt at the time I wanted to bring this passion to working with more producers, across a broader range of drinks categories, so set the plan in motion to start Blend PR. With the support of Taylors as our foundation client (whom I’m very grateful to still be working with to this day), I started Blend PR from my dining room table one week before the first lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you faced as a young professional starting your own business, and how did you overcome them? Any advice for other young people considering a similar path?

I don’t consider myself a ‘numbers’ person, so the logistics and financial aspects of setting up a business were completely foreign to me. Fortunately, I have a very smart business partner (and also my real-life partner), Damien, who managed all the requirements to set up the business, get our contracts in order, banks, Xero, payroll, and all the nitty gritty that can feel like a lot, but really set Blend up for success on day one. If the legal and technical aspects of setting up a business sound daunting to you, I highly recommend getting some professional assistance as it took a weight off my shoulders and gave me the space I needed to focus on developing the agency, networking for new clients, and nurturing new clients. In the midst of a nationwide lockdown, this was essential for me to ensure I was building a business that could survive a pandemic!

Q: How do you bring a fresh, modern approach to PR for these established brands?

Working in the drinks space, we consider almost everything we do an experience for those on the receiving end. So whether it's a media release, a wine send-out, a launch event, a tasting event in a bottle shop, or a large-scale consumer experiential event, our goal is to create an experience that inspires and engages people to want to know more about the producers we work with. 

Our approach is very collaborative, particularly with small to medium-sized businesses that have smaller marketing capabilities (or sometimes none at all!). We work directly with these producers to drill down to specific challenges or business opportunities and develop creative communications strategies to address these using various marketing tools and channels. What can often be delivered to us as a tactical PR campaign to get wine reviews or column inches can often evolve into a far more engaging brand event, social campaign, consumer offering, or collaborative brand partnership. When given the time and space, we try to explore a variety of avenues to help the producers we work with reach people who love a good quality drop! 

Q: What's the biggest lesson you've learned about running a business that you wish you'd known sooner?’

If you can’t do it yourself, find someone who can and fast. When I started the business, I stretched myself very thin by saying ‘yes’ to things that I probably shouldn’t have. This led to many long (and often sleepless) nights, spending hours doing something myself that would likely take someone else (or a small team that I didn’t have) a much shorter amount of time to do. In learning that, I’ve been fortunate enough to build an incredible network of other independent freelancers and small business owners who have supported Blend in many areas of our business (and I’m sleeping much better because of it!) 

Q: What advice would you give to other young professionals looking to make their mark in the wine industry, whether in PR, marketing, or another area?

If you can’t do it yourself, find someone who can and fast. When I started the business, I stretched myself very thin by saying ‘yes’ to things that I probably shouldn’t have.

Leave your ego at the door and always approach new experiences in your career and life as an opportunity to learn and grow. Some of my most memorable working experiences in my career, both in wine and in PR, have been those where the people I’ve worked with aren’t precious or acted as if they knew everything. These situations have led to long-lasting relationships, new skills and knowledge, memorable work, and as an added bonus - great referrals for my business.

For those just getting started, I recommend approaching all work situations with openness and optimism. It has sure helped me!

Q: Beyond the professional aspect, what is it about wine that captivates you? What are some of your favourite wine regions in Australia, and why?

Beyond it being my drink of choice for most social situations, it really is the people. There simply is no other industry that connects the people of semi-remote regions with the big city restaurants of Australia quite like the wine industry. I’m lucky in that I get to connect with not only the wine media that write about wines but also the sommeliers that talk about wine in venues, the distributor that sells it to bottle shops, the designer that crafts the labels, through all the way to the person who picks the grapes or blends the wine. I love the people behind the wine industry. 

I’m still on my little journey to visit all the regions of Australia, so my list of favourites grows with every trip. I love the wines and people I got to visit on a recent trip to Orange (I never knew how diverse the style of wines from this region were!), and there is nothing quite like drinking Margaret River chardonnay at a cellar door and then driving up the road to lay on the most beautiful beach you’ve ever seen.

Q: If you could only drink one type of wine for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Pass. How dare you ask such a silly question.
Jokes aside, if I had to pick one, I would choose sparkling wine. But ask me again in two months, and I will give a completely different answer.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

I’ll get a bit sappy, but a big thanks to everyone who has supported me and Blend over the last five years. It’s not the calmest of conditions in the world at the moment, but I put it mostly down to luck and the kindness of the Australian wine industry that I’ve been able to grow a business like Blend, so thank you!