Case Study:

Nexgrill

"

Grill. Grow. Get Noticed.

When Nexgrill partnered with Merlot Marketing as Agency of Record in November 2021, the goal wasn’t to refine an existing program. It was to build one from the ground up. The timing was complex. Nexgrill was navigating a major transformation, merging with Megamaster under a new global holding company, Global Leisure, while simultaneously launching three new product lines. The brand needed a PR infrastructure that could support a corporate announcement, sustain rapid product launches, and elevate its editorial presence in a category dominated by well-funded competitors. At the time, Nexgrill averaged 217 editorial mentions annually. A modest footprint for a brand with national distribution and strong product innovation. The opportunity was clear. So was the challenge.

Solutions

Public Relations – PR.0™

The team moved quickly on two fronts. At the brand level, Merlot led communications around the formation of Global Leisure, positioning the merger as a signal of category ambition. At the product level, three new lines, Daytona griddles, Oakford pellet grills, and Neevo smart grills, were launched with tailored media strategies and targeted outreach. The program centered on four pillars: integrated news releases, targeted journalist pitching, coordinated product testing, and ongoing media relationship development to drive repeat coverage. Supporting this, Merlot equipped executive spokespeople with clear, media-ready story angles across smart technology, retail trends, and outdoor cooking.

As momentum built, the program expanded to include video news releases, editorial amplification, seasonal pushes, broadcast coordination, and gift guide placements, compounding visibility across channels and key moments.

MAG

NEX Redesigned Burner Lifestyle

LS Px

DSC

Video News Releases

Results that left a mark.

Share of Voice told the competitive story most directly. Nexgrill entered the engagement as the #9 brand in its competitive set, with a 2% Share of Voice. By Year 3, the brand had climbed to #5 with a 150% increase in Share of Voice — meaningful movement in a category where Weber and Traeger command the top positions through affiliate marketing spend, financial news cycles, and decades of brand equity.

Marquee Placements

The New York Times (print + online) — 138M readership — following Merlot’s coordination of an executive interview with reporter Ben Casselman
People — Named the 4-Burner Gas Grill and Megamaster 3-Burner “Best Budget Grills” — 76M readership
CNET — Oakford Reverse Flow Offset Smoker featured in a personal competition article by CNET’s editor — 26M readership, syndicated by MSN to 129M
Good Housekeeping — Multiple coordinated product reviews and roundup features across Daytona, Neevo, and the 4-Burner Gas Grill
Business Insider, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Popular Science, Consumer Reports, The Wall Street Journal — all secured through coordinated product testing and relationship-driven pitching
New York News 12 — A televised segment across all 7 regional channels, coordinated through the Good Housekeeping testing relationship

Editorial Mentions (Year 1)

Editorial Mentions (Year 2)

Editorial Mentions (Year 3)

%

Advertising Value Equivalency (Year 1)

%

Advertising Value Equivalency (Year 2)

%

Advertising Value Equivalency (Year 3)

Aggregate Annual Readership (Year 1)

Aggregate Annual Readership (Year 2)

Aggregate Annual Readership (Year 3)

Awards