WHAT WINERIES MIGHT LEARN FROM THE OLYMPIC GAMES
For more than two weeks now people all over the world have carried a torch for the Winter Games. Not literally, of course, but as a little white hot flutter in our hearts as Bode Miller skied to Gold in Super Combined Slalom, Snowboarder Shaun White soared like a red-headed eagle and the USA Nordic Combined Ski Team glided into the history books. If there ever was a brand that screamed emotion, it’s the Olympic brand and it attracts fans and sponsors like moths to lights. Take away – pay attention who you’re hanging out with.
WHAT IS A BRAND
Simply defined, a brand tells us specific information about the subject whether it’s a company, an organization, a product or a service. It makes a promise that should set it apart from others in its category. Writing for the Canadian Press, reporter Steve Merti made this observation, “The Olympic rings, originally a symbol of young athletes from the five regions of the world interlocked in competition, have in the last three decades morphed into the world’s most recognizable brand.” I might argue Coca-Cola and Nike might take the gold and silver before the Olympic rings take bronze. Never-the-less companies can learn a lot from the Olympic example.
OFFICIAL WINE
Vincor Canada is a big time producer and marketer – the largest in Canada – and it’s a division of Constellation Brands. As official supplier of Vancouver 2010, Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Sumac Ridge, Nk’Mip and See Ya Later Ranch had the chance to shine. Jackson-Triggs Esprit varietals were co-branded with the Vancouver 2010 emblem and a portfolio of commemorative wines were released. Not one to just take the money and run, the company donated some money from the sales back to the Canadian Teams and to the Vancouver sponsorship. The lesson here is seize the moment and share.
Niven Family Wines’ Winemaker Christian Roguenant was selected to make the official sparkling wine for Korea for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. He talked about it on Wine Region News Radio recently. It’s still a standout on the bio and a great story more than two decades later.
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
Marketing people love to talk about branding. It’s the present continuous tense verb with a whole lot to offer – namely success. Wine consumers like quality and value and they’re looking for clues that will help them find the wine that delivers all that and more. Those with the urge to make wine – and sell it – need to think about it from the get go. Dan Fredman, whose PR firm specializes in promoting wineries and importers, says it should be near the top of the to-do list; “They should probably start thinking about it as soon as they decide to create the label. Of course, it’s all about the quality of the wine, but if the branding sucks, it decreases the chance that a consumer will take a chance on the new label. Facebook and Twitter programs commencing early in the process are of great help on getting a jumpstart on the whole thing.”
THE SELECTION PROCESS
You’ve never lived or died (a tortured business death) until you’ve watched a focus group rip something apart. Ideas and concepts that sound good in the winery can fall flat on the store shelf. As Fredman points out people buy for a variety of reasons; “The consumer can make their choice based on the label design, the shape/heft of the bottle, the grape variety the wine’s made from, the AVA it’s grown in, the reputation of the winery and/or the winemaker, etc. When faced with unknown wines, I’ll seek the advice of a salesperson who knows what they’re talking about. They’re usually so flabbergasted that someone actually wants their opinion that they’ll go out of their way to turn you on to the best bottles at the best prices, rather than stuff that either received high ratings or that is well advertised.” Think long and hard about the packaging cues and take the time to help the wine retailer know as much about your product as possible.
WHEN IS IT TIME TO START OVER
We have all been there personally and professionally – we used to call it a makeover. Get rid of the 80’s hairstyle, drop 20 pounds, change careers – start over. Now we call it re-branding. It’s easy to get caught up in the trends of the moment. Design a goofy label, choose a name that’s hard to figure out or try to sell a wine at a price point that is not going to work in today’s economy – let’s face it, it’s time to re-think it.
Brand managers agree on a few good points: don’t cling to the past, do real research, make a plan, and don’t let the ego get in the way of your success. Re-branding works. Despite being one of the most successful alpine skiers in American history, Bode Miller was branded the bad boy of the Turin Games. Vancouver 2010 and three medals later and he’s magazine cover material again.