Hello all
what’s the wine problem’s in communication? I read many blogs, receive news, press realease, email. If I’d erase logo or winery’s name I wouldn't be able to distinguish one from the other. So for many wine reviews. But can we write about wine as in the past century? Instagram posts are the same for every wine, every winery, every ‘influencer’.
I spoke with some winegrowers and I reached some conclusions. Tell me if you agree with me.
Winegrowers aren’t communicators
Winegrowers aren’t driven by media agencies
Winegrowers all produce the same thing: wine
Consumers recognizing difference about two wines are too little
Winegrowers aren’t communicators
First point is trivial: winegrowers make wine, don’t produce words. Little and big ones, artisans or great entrepreneurs, the do a different job. So it’s difficult for them understand that every channel has its language. It’s no a good idea write a post on Facebook as well as on the blog, or make a video for YouTube as they were speaking at a conference.
Winegrowers aren’t driven by media agencies
This is a consequence: no one teach them how to speak or write or play a video about wine. In these hard times many of them learned how to use video and communication platforms; their effort is to be admired. I did look at many online tasting, many webinars for wine events was closed. Hardly I saw interesting events or exciting videos. It seems that their communication managers or agencies have keep them alone to solve a great problem. Yes, it’s an hard job to listen the customer’s stories, but media agencies must do it much better than this. And then tell stories and tales in creative way. In short, dear winegrowers, the number of Like under your post or photo doesn’t matter.
Winegrowers all produce the same thing: wine
I woke up myself last night with this thought in my mind: winegrowers, all winegrowers, produce wine. So they must differentiate from competitors. Yes I know it, every wine is different because is different soil, sun, rain, production techniques. But also every wine fo the same winery is different. So, why they sell their wines in the same bottle with the same label for their different products? If you produce an important red wine, a still white and a sparkling rosé, why you have the same packaging? The moments when your customer drink these wines are different, and are different the customers, as well. Learn who your customers are, when they drink and where. Then study different Adv campaign, different way to communicate, different packaging also. Look at your customers where they are and speak their language.
Consumers knowing difference about two wines are too little
With the last one I mean that wine consumers are not a mass, but a niche’s mass (I think Seth Godin said it). You can’t find two of them with the same idea about the same wine. There is the great red wines lover, who likes orange wines (not Orange, pardon Australians readers) and who drinks only whites. Who likes Bordeaux and who Barolo. Who buys wine in a wine shop and who in the supermarket choosing the best price. As for every other product. Wine is a cultural product (I’m Italian, like many European people wine is embedded in our story more than in our economics or marketing), but times are a-changing so consumers too.
Take away
What I concluded with these points?
Media agencies have to create a new way to tell the wine: video, podcast, photos, as it was a smartphone, or a car, or a fashion dress.
Winegrowers have to tell their story not to their cusomers but to media manager; everyone their profession.
Put more budget in innovative communication, not in the old one.
Use data from e-commerce platforms to propose your customers the best bottle they can drink
The worst thing is to say: we have ever made it so.
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At the next glass. Ciao!