Stephanie Gallo ’99 didn’t know if she wanted to join the family business, but she was certain she wanted to pursue a career in marketing. While attending Kellogg, she had the opportunity to sit in on several company presentations, which quickly led to her realize that not only was her family’s business very entrepreneurial, but she probably wouldn’t find a more enjoyable industry.
“We say that we democratize wine for consumers in the United States and throughout the world, and I wanted to be a part of that,” says Gallo. That, specifically, is E. & J. Gallo Winery. Founded by Gallo’s grandfather Ernest and his brother Julio in 1933, E. & J. Gallo is now the largest exporter of California wines in the world. Since Gallo left Kellogg in 1999 and began climbing the rungs of the marketing department, she has gone beyond witnessing and driving the “democratization of wine” to participating in two of the most transformative decades in the history of marketing.
This doesn’t mean that E. & J. Gallo markets exclusively through digital channels. In fact, the company works harder than ever to bring its brands directly to consumers.
Gallo also adopted cause marketing methods to help her brands participate in the initiatives that consumers care about. Through events ranging from the Barefoot Beach Cleanup to the Gallo Family Vineyards Every Cork Counts program to a partnership between Liberty Creek and Homes for Our Troops, the brands are able to become more relevant in consumers’ lives.
Not only has the network been helpful for her, but Gallo hopes to inspire other Kellogg students to take up her quest.