Problem: How do you get consumers to purchase champagne all year round when, traditionally, consumers have viewed champagne as a holiday season purchase?P-O-P Solution: Merchandise champagne throughout the year and highlight ways to turn everyday events into special celebrations."Champagne is much more of an impulse item than we ever thought," says Gary Heck, president/chairman and owner of Korbel Champagne Cellars in Sonoma, Calif. "We know this because when we display it 365 days a year, we sell it 365 days a year. It's just as important that we keep our displays up during non-traditional times for champagne sales as it is during traditional holiday periods."It's traditional that 70% of champagne sales occur in October, November and December," says Heck. "That's when most champagne marketers market very heavily, especially in store. With our '365 days of display' approach, we were able to shift that to 50% of our sales occurring in the last three months and 50% during the rest of the year. At the same time, Korbel sales increased over the previous year for both '98 and '99."Korbel spent $25 million in 1999 on its overall marketing campaign for its line of champagne products, which involved print, broadcast and P-O-P, and plans to equal that expenditure in 2000. "Point-of-purchase advertising in the store is by far the number one promotional vehicle for our brand," says Heck. "When a customer walks into the store and sees a champagne display, his thought is, 'Wow! That could make my dinner special.'"That line of thinking is further inspired by Korbel's promotional messages, which communicate Korbel as a product that can make the everyday special. This year's "Uncork" campaign has rotating taglines such as "Uncork the Night" in all the marketing mediums. For instance, a mass case display and a smaller merchandiser carry the "Uncork" theme and feature a set of four interchangeable lug-ons and an LED motion message display board in-store.A generic lug-on features a cork popping out of a Korbel bottle for everyday display. Three others can be rotated according to key selling seasons and holidays -- the May/June wedding season piece incorporates a bowed bouquet into the cork motif; the October through December piece showcases star graphics in the champagne spray; and the January/February lug-on includes a chocolate heart box. In addition, an LED motion message center displays verbiage designed to drive impulse sales. The message changes every 30 days.Cross-promotion is another vehicle Korbel is using to drive year-round champagne sales. The marketer promoted its products with a specially-produced Kenny G CD offer and sponsored the well-known musician's 25-date tour in support of its Valentine's Day promotion.The CD and tour dates gave the effort "legs" well beyond the Feb. 14 celebration, according to Heck. Another effort pairs Korbel Chardonnay Champagne with California Sun Dry sun-dried tomato products to sponsor the Food Network's "Cooking Across America" tour with celebrity chef Curtis Aikens.Case cards, danglers and bottle collars promote the tour and the brand, offering a brochure with tour dates and concert locations. The accompanying tagline "Looking for a Chardonnay? Choose the One that Sparkles!" positions Korbel Chardonnay Champagne as an appropriate substitute for traditional Chardonnay to accompany various meals.Korbel also joined with Food & Wine magazine this year on a mass case display that offers a $4 mail-in refund on the purchase of Korbel Chardonnay Champagne and Food & Wine magazine. Shelf talkers also promote the offer."Retailers are responding better and better every year to this idea of merchandising champagne on an everyday basis," says Heck. "Keeping our displays on the floor 365 days a year is good for their sales."