With the vast selection of quality wines in the United States, how can a small or lesser-known wine brand stand out from the pack, be visible and increase sales?

Let’s focus on a few key marketing points that could help this important industry.

• Understanding your ideal customer      
• A creative name
• Bottle design and story
• Web Strategy and Blogging

Understanding Your Ideal Customer

Today, consumers are more sophisticated and informed than ever before, hence their food choices are more dynamic and experimental. Consumers are looking for good wines to pair with food.

Wine producers need to decide what type of customer they want to appeal to, and who they don’t. Marketing and wine production is usually geared toward those who will buy expensive bottles such as party hostesses, but they don’t buy as often as the younger generation. Very few wines are marketed at younger drinkers who buy reasonably priced bottles, but buy often. So a strong market that is ready and looking to buy regularly is often overlooked.

Here’s a solution: When marketing wine, producers should look at their ideal drinkers through personas, then make sure they communicate to the needs and wants of this group.

A Creative Name

Choosing the right name is a delicate science similar to producing the wine. The wrong name on a bottle could completely turn off the targeted customer. Today’s customers tend to be more traveled and informed, yet less formal.

We want to be surprised, delighted and have our pallet tickled with a creative edge and freshness, so naming and labeling a wine is vital to its marketability. When naming the wine, make the name individual and unique and make sure it’s not too difficult to pronounce.

Bottle design and story

Imagine standing in front of a shop, with endless rows of wine bottles and having to pick a wine for dinner. This is a nerve-wracking experience for most people. One of two things happens. They pick up the same bottle they always do or they take a huge leap of faith and bet on something new.

Part of the goal in marketing a wine is seducing the customer. Since potential buyers can’t taste the wine, the bottle design and labeling needs to communicate cues of visual sensory to help attract a potential customer. If the bottle, branding and the label don’t seduce a customer, then the sale is lost, and only hope is personal recommendations.

As cost is always a factor, we recommend a simple bottle with a creative, clean and beautifully designed label. This doesn’t have to be expensive. For example, see how a successful Portuguese producer turned his children’s artwork into a wonderful wine label:

Key points to remember for bottle labeling & design:

Tell a story about the wine
Help solve the shopper’s problem by giving suggestions for food pairings
Don’t assume the customer knows how to pair wines with food
Label design should be fun, different and aimed at the ideal market group

Web Strategy and Blogging

Wine producers can turn the internet into their best friend and take advantage by quickly reaching millions of people who love to drink wine! It all starts with a dynamic website and visibility strategy. A smart producer has two options, become friendly with the wine blogging community, or start one himself. We recommend both. This is a fantastic way to get closer to customers first hand. A well-designed blog can be an invaluable marketing tool:

Help build a community around your wine
Higher search engine rankings
Better brand recognition
Low cost

If you’re unsure about blogging and would like to know how to start a blog, or would like us to set one up for you, contact us.

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