Welcome to the WG&S Help Center on PINATA

• What is PINATA?

  PINATA is a technology platform built specifically for field marketing and trade promotions. With powerful, easy-to-use software and helpful service, we make offline campaigns easier to execute, more efficient, and more measurable by bringing all your work into one centralized command center. Our mission is to help you improve ROI in the field while simplifying your day-to-day work.

• Why does William Grant use PINATA?

  William Grant has been working with PINATA since 2017 in certain markets, powering both on-premise and retail activations. PINATA provides a consolidated command center to create, manage, and track all field activity and all associated budgets, in real time across all markets and staffing partners.

• How does it work?

  There’s lots of information, below, about the details. But here’s a quick summary:

  • You’ll find that the WG&S dashboard on PINATA is customized to support WG&S’ current programs.

  • Within a particular program, you’ll create individual activations, known on PINATA as gigs.

    • You’ll find that your dashboard is already populated with WG&S products, accounts, and standard activation requirements, making gig-creation easier and faster. It’s easy to create a gig yourself, or you can send us an excel format schedule for us to upload on your behalf.

  • When you create gigs they will be assigned to your selected WG&S agency partner for staffing. The chosen agency is responsible for assigning talent, whose profiles will be visible to you.

  • The assigned talent receives his or her assignment notification, with all the information needed to be successful.

  • The talent will use PINATA to learn about the activation, gig check in, and collect data.

  • Field-report data will be visible to you in real time, as the agency verifies each activation. You can review data for individual gigs and across full programs, to identify trends and opportunities for performance improvement.

  • At the end of each billing period, agency invoices are consolidated by PINATA for easy review and authorization.

  • Our white-glove support is available to you throughout. Please don’t hesitate to contact your account manager (emily@gopinata.com).

• I’m new to PINATA. Where do I begin?

  If you’ve already received an email invitation to the WG&S dashboard on PINATA, simply follow the sign-up link in your email and create an account. After doing so, you will have access to the WG&S dashboard.

  If you have not received an invitation, to ensure WG&S security you must be invited by your account manager, Emily Lever (emily@gopinata.com). Please reach out to her to get an invitation. She will also be happy to answer any questions you have and give you an overview of PINATA software.

• I have an account. Where do I log in?

  Access your PINATA Dashboard at dashboard.gopinata.com. Pro Tip: Bookmark this page in your web browser for easy access on any device!

• Can I work with staffing agencies on PINATA?

  Yes! All WG&S activity on PINATA is executed by external agencies. PINATA is a new way to collaborate with any agency you prefer, using real-time planning tools and powerful data analytics. You can continue to work with any agency, at their standard rates, once they are set up on PINATA. Many WG&S-approved agencies are already available to you!

• Will my agencies have to pay for this software?

  No. Because WG&S is a PINATA customer, all of your staffing partners can use PINATA for free to support WG&S business. Our software and services also support your partners, so we’re here to help them as well!

• Is my preferred agency on PINATA?

  Hundreds of agencies from coast to coast are already on PINATA. Many of those are already authorized to work with WG&S specifically. When you’re getting started on PINATA, please discuss your preferred partners with your account manager (emily@gopinata.com).

  If your preferred partner is already on PINATA, we’ll simply connect your organizations to enable real-time collaboration. If not, we’ll fill out this quick form and get started bringing them on board.

• I’d like a recommendation for a new agency. Can you help?

  Gladly! We have access to hundreds of agencies nationwide, all powered by PINATA. Tell us about your specific geographic and execution needs, and we’d be happy to suggest some options!

• How do I work with specific talent on PINATA?

  All talent that you enjoy working with are welcome on PINATA. However, WG&S stipulates that all talent must be affiliated with an approved agency partner in order to handle payroll, track expense spend, comply with legal regulations, etc.

  If you’d like to work with new talent that is not yet connected to any approved agency, he or she will need to be introduced to an agency you’re working with. We have ample experience getting WG&S preferred talent set up quickly on the appropriate agency roster. Please use this form to get that process started.

  Note: Please expect 1-2 weeks of processing (payroll-setup, etc.) before newly-introduced talent is ready to be assigned to activations.

• What is a program on PINATA?

  Simply put, a program can be any collection of activations (known as “gigs” on PINATA). Programs define what kinds of gigs you can execute, and which members of your team have access to them. WG&S uses programs to provide organize initiatives like Crack the Cap.

• How do I set up a new program on PINATA?

  We’re here to help! Your PINATA Account Manager (emily@gopinata.com) will work with you to set up a program that’s tailored to your budget, execution needs, and analytics requirements. When you’re getting started, we’ll discuss topics including:

  • PO Number and billing contact. (Note: See Invoicing and Payment section, below, for more information on PO numbers. Multiple programs can tie to the same PO, if appropriate).

  • Brands to be sampled

  • User access: Who from your team should have access to your program? Who requires regular notifications about gig status changes?

  • Logistical details, such as POS and expense policies (e.g. bar spend) (Note: These program-level standards are simply a template for most gigs. You’ll be able to adjust details when booking individual gigs.)

  • Talent role/requirements. For most activations, WG&S activations leverage three standard roles, though custom roles are also available.

    • Sampler (On, Off + Event)

    • ABA (On, Off, + Event)

    • Mixologist (On, Off + Event)

Please use this form to get started on a new program. Your PINATA Account Manager will follow up with any questions.

• Who can access my programs?

  You choose! We can give program access to anyone on the WG&S Team — as well as to the appropriate external staffing agencies — so they can book gigs, approve gigs, review data, etc. We’ll set sharing permissions when you create a new program, and you can update these settings at any time.

• What’s a PO number, and why do I need it?

  WG&S stipulates that every program created on PINATA must tie to a pre-existing PO number. A PO number is connected to a budget set and approved by the WG&S team. Your PINATA account manager to help you set up a new program while a new PO is being processed, but you will not be able to launch that program until an active PO has been provided.

• How are PO Numbers determined?

  National or Corporate programs such as Crack the Cap and Total Wine Grand Opening will be determined by WG Corporate and all necessary users will have access. To obtain a PO number, contact your WG finance team and request a PO by brand or budget.

• My program is live. What role does PINATA play in billing?

  At the end of each month, PINATA consolidates bills from all active agencies and shares streamlined invoices, for your review and authorization. All invoices will tie directly to the activations completed in that billing period on the PINATA platform, reflecting agreed-upon rates with each agency.

When in doubt, reach out! Your WG&S Account Manager, Emily (emily@gopinata.com) is here to answer any questions, provide a refresher on PINATA’s software, or help you navigate WG&S systems (such as generating a PO number).

If you’d like to explore more on your own, our Help Center has even more common FAQs, how-to’s, gifs, and screenshots. It is updated regularly as new features launch!

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