Wine marketing
Does anyone have any experience introducing new wines (meaning wines from a country new to the US market)?
How do you get the media's attention and interest? How do you get the attention and interest of the distribution chain in a world deep in recession and awash in oceans of wine from all over the world.
How do you get the media's attention and interest? How do you get the attention and interest of the distribution chain in a world deep in recession and awash in oceans of wine from all over the world.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Pedroli on -
Hello Marc,
Those are the same questions everyone wants to know the answer to. My advice is: don't worry what everyone else in the wine industry is doing, or what is going on with the economy at large.
Focus on what makes your wines unique; what makes them special, and what qualities they have that none of the other wines vying for that buyers attention have. Identify and isolate those competitive advantages, and just keep hammering on that message. Buyers will give you no end of excuses why it doesn't work for them, because it's always easier for them to avoid making changes, but if you pick your targets carefully and don't let them distract you with excuses you will eventually find the right niche to place your wines in. Start with a small initial inventory and keep it tight until you find a market which is demanding at a price level you are comfortable with (do not give deep discounts for volume's sake expecting to increase prices later- the number one mistake most new wineries make). There will always be time to increase the scale of the project later.
Don't worry about who doesn't want your wines, focus on who does. Depending on where they originate, there may also be an opportunity to market specifically to expatriates and decendants of immigrants from that region. Ethnic identity is a big factor for many winebuyers.
Most importantly, do not allow the press or any other form of mass media to dictate your marketing strategies to you. Very few members of the media actually pay for the wines they drink or report on, and unless you are trying to sell your wines to millions of people (the least specific target, essentially to everybody) their opinions rarely make the differnce between a sucessful launch and an unsuccesful one.
One last point, don't underestimate the importance of hiring and training an expert salesforce. More often than not the passion and expertice they display will make the deciding difference.
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Permalink Reply by Geoff Danker on -
As a longtime Web developer my first reaction is "You're already doing it!" Right here on the Web is the perfect place to introduce a wine that hasn't been seen. To create a buzz in the internet wine literati (there's got to be a better name for us!) it takes repeated exposure on many different sites. But look at the bright side, It's pretty much free! You can make a "viral video" to put up on YouTube, start a group on facebook and MySpace and whatnot.
Also, I agree with the previous post. Get the "Story" of the wine down and go from there. Everything you do on the internet (and other outlets) should reflect the brand image.
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