Most of us love Champagne. If not as something to drink on its own or with dinner, at least to toast to someone we know for their birthday, anniversary, graduation, new job, new home, new baby or any other celebratory occasion. And we all know what Champagne is. It’s that delicious wine with all those…
Several years ago, I wrote wine columns for a series of websites that sold wine. I would answer questions that the customers of these sites would send me. The California ABC ruled that sites that did not own wine could not resell them under someone else’s license, and the entire project was shut down. I…
Email does matter. Despite the rise of social media as a communications platform, email is still triumphant when it comes to marketing products, including (or especially) wines. While you don’t want to use social media as an advertising medium, email is ideally suited to that purpose. Your email list is supremely valuable to you. Unlike…
What are the ways a winery can market that a brand cannot? Both have value, and some people are loyal to brands and don’t care if that brand is made by a winery that owns vineyards, has a tasting room, and makes the wine in their own cellar. They may even be able to keep…
How important are wine apps? There’s Drync, Vivino, Delectable, Cellar Tracker, and many others. Should wineries pay attention to what’s on them? Encourage people to use them? What are the differences among all the apps? There are several kinds of wine apps. Some only offer reviews from established critics. Some allow you to add your…
When it comes to surveys, a winery has many options. One of the main advantages of surveys is that you can find out what customers are thinking about your wines, about the winery experience, and about the wines that they prefer. While you can glean this from simply having conversations with your customers in your…
In addition to wine I like tea. Well, coffee too, but this is about tea. And wine. In a moment when I felt like splurging (the trip to Paris was out, a new car was out, buying first-growth Bordeaux was out), I thought I would go to a very high end tea specialist to purchase…
It’s the goal of most, if not all, wineries to get onto a restaurant’s wine list. The reasons for this are fairly clear. It’s more prestigious to be on a list, especially if the restaurant is well regarded. Even if a winery can sell that particular wine “out the winery door,” being on a list…
The newest in social media interactivity. Live video. We’ll talk about ways to use it to promote your wines and wine events. A live video event no longer needs expensive cameras, expensive lighting and sound equipment, and expensive personnel. Your smartphone is your camera. Ambient light and sound is usually sufficient. And your customers and…
Nearly all wineries have wine clubs, at least 75% of them do. (And why are there any that don’t have a club or allocation list?) A small winery sells most of its wine directly to consumers rather than through distribution, and wine clubs are a significant part of their sales. Wine clubs contribute to cash…
Marketers keep coming up with reasons for wine lovers to enjoy a glass of wine. Does it help? Some people think that “National Drink Wine Day” does. People may choose a Cab on “National Drink Cabernet Day” but is this really a thing? http://www.mnn.com/food/beverages/blogs/marketers-think-we-need-reason-drink-wine
What’s ahead for wine marketing? DTC Wine Workshops is a sponsor of an event by The Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 from 9 am to 1 pm. Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2016-wineries-boot-camp-getting-ahead-of-the-curve-tickets-19825681146 For more information, go to http://dtcwineworkshops.com/
People have been buying wine for years. That will never change. But the times they are a changing, and it will be interesting to see how and when it changes and who will be hurt by it. Because if you don’t learn new ways to sell, the old ways may harm you in your old…
Built a mailing list? Great. Now you can actually create multiple lists from this one. Perhaps people only want to receive emails about your Cabernet or your Chardonnay. You can target these customers so they receive fewer emails, but more important ones. There’s nothing wrong with sending an email asking these questions. Among the things you…
“I’ve Got a Little List” (W.S. Gilbert in “The Mikado”) List Building. Good Idea or Bad Idea? Here’s a list to help you decide: Do you want to increase your business? If so, building a list is a good idea. Are you looking to go out of business and retire next week? If so, building…
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