Giving Dogs Their Day

WineGlass Marketing and Friends of Napa County Animal Shelter

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WINEGLASS MARKETING

When WineGlass Marketing founder and President Susan DeMatei adopted her first bulldog in 2002, it was love at first drool. “I instantly related to this short, stocky, awkward, but stubbornly smart puppy that was suddenly making demands of me,” said DeMatei. Fast forward 20 years, and DeMatei and her husband are on bulldog number nine.

They are well known in the rescue community for their willingness to drive anywhere at the drop of a hat to pick up wayward bulldogs for foster, hospice, or medical care. “We run the bulldog retirement home.” The DeMateis typically take in older, unhealthy, or untrained bulldogs for which people do not have patience. DeMatei's dogs now greet anyone involved in her company WineGlass Marketing, a digital marketing, support, and advertising firm on Jefferson Street in downtown Napa.

Susan DeMatei and the Wine Glass Marketing team

In 2019, WineGlass Marketing employee and Friends of Napa County Animal Shelter (FONCAS) board member Katrina O'Quinn invited DeMatei to a fundraising event for the newly developed non-profit, which was founded in 2017 by shelter volunteers who recognized a need to create, fund, and manage programs to assist with pet adoption and lifetime care. The FONCAS purpose struck a chord with DeMatei. So, with DeMatei's friend and President of FONCAS, Miryam Chae, the trio hatched a plan. Chae saw the non-profit's need for marketing assistance, and DeMatei agreed that FONCAS should be a pro-bono client for WineGlass Marketing. Chae explains, “All too frequently, we are faced with animals that require more than routine care or surgery. FONCAS steps in by providing the medical emergency funds necessary to ensure these animals have a chance at getting a loving home.”

DeMatei has put the full force of her company behind the charity. Her team has built a new website and now creates awareness for the charity on social media channels with postings several times a week and ongoing advertising. With several well-targeted fundraising campaigns, participation in local Napa programs like the Give!Guide campaign through Napa Valley CanDo, and with WineGlass Marketing matching contributions, the agency's digital marketing efforts have been instrumental in helping FONCAS meet its fundraising goals.

In addition, to its fundraising efforts, WineGlass Marketing with FONCAS promotes the Napa County Animal Shelter with varied messages - from highlighting hours of operation to providing tips on adoption and the care of animals. They also feature animals that are available at the shelter. “Agreeing to add an animal to your family is a lifetime commitment - the animal's lifetime,” says Chae. “Caring for a senior dog is the most rewarding experience anyone can have. Their love is unconditional, and ours should be as well.” DeMatei couldn't agree more.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.friendsofnapaanimals.org

Now in its 10th year, WineGlass Marketing offers domestic and international clients a valuable mix of support on digital marketing, wholesale support, and traditional brand advertising. As the founder and president, DeMatei serves all her passions within the agency - dogs, marketing, and wine, and she is proud of the agency's growth. “While many firms outsource to save money, we work hard in cooperation with our clients to keep Bay Area families employed and working.” www.wineglassmarketing.com