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Newsletter June 2010

INNOVATIVE MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY

The Trade Tasting

Dear Winemakers,

One of the key marketing initiatives of distributors or regional promotional groups is conducting trade and media tastings.

These tastings can be a great way to build relationships with the trade and showcase your wines. Following are five tips for making the most of these days.

Wines:   Ensure that you show your best wines. You need to put your best foot forward and be concise and focused.

Pricing:  Make sure that you have wholesale price lists available.  It's surprising how messy some are.  Keep it simple and have the following information:

• List of the wines, including vintage
• Bottle size, E.g., 750ml
• Number of bottles per case
• Wholesale price
• Landed unit cost (LUC)
• Contact information - email, phone, fax, facebook, twitter, website etc.

Media Kit: This will include a number of A4 pages in a folder that you can give the media (or trade if asked).

• History/background of the brand
• Information on the key people (owner / winemaker)
• The latest media release
• Retail price list
• CD of bottle shots
• Contact information

Again, keep it simple and concise.

Tell the story:  The trade and media will judge the wines for themselves, so make sure that you tell the story of the brand and build a relationship with them.  Ensure you know how you will service these trade customers - how will you deliver the wine, what are your terms, etc.

Be focussed:  Collect contact information and find out about each customer (what sort of restaurant they have or the type of customers they sell to) so you can ensure that they have a market for your wines - it's no use selling them a case and it sits in their shop for the next 12 months.  Follow up these contact and service them to help them sell the wines through with tastings, POS etc.

Remember, getting new listings is hard work, so ensure that you are getting the right ones.

Cheers, David & the Define Wine team.

60 years ago...

"Rutherglen: A wine growing district on the Murray River, at the border of New South Wales and Victoria, developed in the eighteen-fifties and now producing excellent sherries and sweet dessert wines. 

Unfortunately the yield per acre is often less than a ton and, with the rising costs, many of the old vineyards are being turned over to grazing."

Walter James, "A Word Book of Wine", 1959

Social Media

The whole social media thing continues to grow.  You need to join the conversation.

Join the NSW Winemaker on Facebook, or are you feeling in need of a glass of Victorian Wine?

The AWBC is encouraging winemakers to tell their story on their new site, Australia Plus.

The ways to engage your customer are only limited by imagination.