We take a customer-first approach to wine, beer, and spirits marketing
5forests was founded in 2015 with one goal: leverage deep industry expertise with cutting-edge technology to revolutionize how wine brands connect with their audiences. Today, our work has become the gold standard for excellence in alcohol marketing. Our approach is data-driven and human-centered, focusing on crafting bespoke marketing solutions that produce measurable results for our clients.
What matters most
At 5forests, our values are the foundation of our business. We believe in treating our clients and team members with respect and compassion, and we’re committed to using our skills and resources to make a positive impact in the world. If you share those values, we’d love to work with you and help your business grow.
Make space
Our commitment to accessibility, empathy, and human-centered design means we strive to make our experiences—both digital and physical—enjoyable for all.
Don’t just sustain, enrich
Beyond simple sustainability, we are dedicated to practices that not only preserve, but positively contribute to our planet and its people.
Come as you are
At our core is the belief that everyone has something valuable to offer. Gatekeeping or snobbery isn’t welcome here.
Be good
Our foundation is built on love and respect—for our team, our clients, and the world around us. We believe in nurturing a culture of kindness and support, where everyone feels part of something bigger.
Do good
We take zero-harm approach to everything we do. We recognize the significant impact our work can have on individuals and communities, and we commit to wielding this influence with the utmost care and integrity.
Screw “good enough”
Mediocrity has no place here. With a relentless drive for excellence and an insatiable curiosity, we approach each project as a chance to innovate, impress, and make a lasting impact.
Our leadership team
Like you, we enjoy the work that we do, and we don’t want to become managers and administrators with layers of employees between us and our clients. What that means for you is a direct line to the people who are making decisions and driving goals for your brand.
Polly Hammond
Polly is our Founder and CEO, which means every buck stops with her. As the public face of 5forests, she splits her time between Barcelona, Auckland, and Napa, consulting, writing, and speaking about the trends that impact today’s lifestyle businesses.
She’s host of over 100 podcasts on the subject of wine marketing, including the 2024 YouTube series Headtraining. She sits on the Board of the Areni Global think tank, and serves as advisor to regional bodies worldwide.
Polly is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned degrees in International Relations and French. Those studies led to a deep and abiding love affair with Behavioural Economics, and her work is based on insights into all the crazy and irrational reasons consumers engage with brands.
With over 25 years experience in growing successful companies, Polly knows first hand the challenges faced by independent businesses. She approaches each client experience with empathy and understanding for what it takes to adapt and thrive in the real world.
To engage Polly as a speaker at your next event, head to pollyhammond.com.
Michael Bourne
Michael is our VP of Engineering, which means he’s in charge of all things technology. He oversees new product development, digital data discovery and strategy, SEO, analytics, and anything else we throw at him.
Born and raised in the Okanagan Valley, Canada’s wine country, Michael is no stranger to the world of wine and the community that grows around it. With a background in web development going back 20+ years, he has worked with businesses of all sizes and varieties. He brings a unique appreciation and understanding of how to use technology to serve the interests of both business owners and their customers alike.
Alongside his work with 5forests, Michael is an organizer for his local WordPress Meetup group, a WordPress Contributor, a regular WordCamp speaker (where his talks will often center around web development, SEO, site speed optimization, and accessibility), and a published plugin developer, including the “Commerce7 for WordPress” plugin, the very first Commerce7 integration plugin released to the public.
Rarely do you find someone who is so up on trends in both tech and wine, who also has empathy for the consumer. 5forests’ professionalism, expertise, great listening, and marketing guidance will help me way beyond just my new site launch.
Elizabeth Schneider, Wine for Normal People
5forests exceeds my expectations every day. I feel like I’m their only client—even though I know I’m not.
Janie Brooks Heuck, Managing Director, Brooks Wine
5forests has exceeded our wildest expectations. Polly Hammond and her team are some of the sharpest minds in the business. They put their ideas and expertise to work for you instantly — and never stop.
Paula Redes Sidore & Valerie Kathawala, Founders, TRINK magazine
Their focus on tailoring the solution to fit the client is second to none. It comes down to this: they listen. They listened to what we needed then put their endless expertise and energy to work for us. They listened when we came back with questions and concerns. In a world of busy, we are continuously made to feel that we, and our concerns, matter.
From day one, we knew that 5forests was part of our team. That creative solutions and success were a shared goal. Best of all? Whether it’s a strategy meeting or a website build out, 5forests makes the toughest challenges feel easy and fun. There’s never any doubt that Polly and her team are as invested in our vision as we are.
5forests reminds us again and again to think big, take chances, talk honestly, and hold ourselves to high standards — theirs.
The website paid for itself in a month.
Avi Leibzon, Sweet Wine Club
Working with Polly and her team at 5forests has been a game changer for us. As an international think tank, Areni Global produces a lot of rich content, so much that we were a bit lost when it came to communicating and publishing. Because Polly has a broad global understanding of the fine wine and luxury world, combined with her sharp curiosity and big listening skills, she was able to help us create a real, powerful brand identity and gather all our ideas in one impactful marketing plan that has already proven successful to a new array of members. Our weekly meeting is one of my favourite moments of the week as I know it will be full of both creative ideas and progress on implementation.
Pauline Vicard, CEO, Areni Global
We look forward to continuing to grow and evolve with 5forests. We’re always looking for the next great thing we can do together.
Janie Brooks Heuck, Managing Director, Brooks Wine
Frankly, I could not have done it without Polly. Her skill set, experience and knowledge in this field are literally the most proficient I have ever come across. Polly has a unique analytical approach to a task. This combined with her natural high EQ enabled us to fast track our work, get things done and get them done right – first time. Polly’s leadership skills are second to none. She listens carefully and questions, absorbing the challenge/issue and working through best practice solutions every time.
Sue D., New Zealand
We needed a respected and knowledgeable third party to review, evaluate, and critique ACORN’s website, and you totally delivered. Your work helped us focus on key changes needed to improve the user experience quality, and to encourage more folks visit/buy. Your audit provided us exactly what we needed. You provided us with a comprehensive, informative, and valuable overview, that included actionable recommendations, and guidance. Your style, (both professional, and friendly), made the process painless, and we look forward, to continuing to work together.
Betsy & Bill Nachbaur, ACORN Winery
A strategy workshop with Polly was all about finding out who we are, who we say we are and what others say we are. We know now why customers will choose our brand over another and we have a clear brand statement which goes hand in hand with all our solid, engaging and social media savvy (very important nowadays) communications internally and externally. Polly won’t just boost your brand with the energy and passion to succeed but she is hands-on involved in the planning, strategy and execution of the brand discovery. She makes you discover who you are to realize who you want to be.
Jemma Grobbelaar, JG Wine & Drinks