Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/111102
WINE WISE MARKETING ELIZABETH SLATER KNOW THE MARKET, CUSTOMERS If you are looking for distribution in a specific market, it helps to understand that market and why you want to be in it. What are the demographics? Look at the types of restaurants and retailers that are in the area and the wines they stock, then dig deeper and find some that you would like to carry your brand. Vintners have told me that they sometimes choose particular states for personal reasons: They might have family or friends in that state, and it's a great place to go for a holiday. Having such reasons to visit those markets may be a bonus, yet you still need to be sure that it's an appropriate sales market for you. WOOING DISTRIBUTORS Choosing a distributor works both ways; a distributor must also choose you. Therefore, it's important for you to make your winery as interesting and different as possible to potential suitors. How do you do that? First, have a clear positioning statement that's well-defined. According to the Business Marketing Association, a positioning statement is "A written description of the position a company wishes itself, its product, or its brand to occupy in the minds of a defined target audience." That means identifying your target audience and the retailers and restaurants that serve that audience, as well as understanding the position your wine occupies in the larger world of wine. As Vineyard & Winery Management columnists have emphasized in previous issues, developing and telling an interesting story that is unique to your winery is imperative, particularly for new brands and those entering new markets. Prospective distributors need to hear what makes you different – and it can't just be that you are "a family owned winery using only the finest grapes to make handcrafted, award-winning wines." Pedroncelli St. John, vice president of marketing at Pedroncelli Winery in Sonoma County, empha- 22 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Julie Pedroncelli St. John of Pedroncelli Winery advises winery reps to tell different parts of their brand stories at different times. sized this in her panel comments. "KNOW your story, TELL your story and repeat if often, with a fresh perspective," she said. Tell different parts of your story at different times so that it always sounds fresh; alter the phrasing each time so you don't sound as if you're on auto pilot. You don't have to tell the whole story all at once; save some of it for the next time you're in the market. And learn from the sales reps what would be most interesting to each account you visit. BUYING IN People purchase from people – even distributors do. Let them get to know you and what's important to you. Also let them know that they are important to you and you are invested in learning what you can do to facilitate sales. Meet and get to know as many distributor owners and employees as you can – from the president, to purchasing and street managers, to the person who answers the phone. Develop cordial relationships with as many of them as you can. "Wineries need buy-in at the highest levels to support the brand," said PromoWorks' Varner, who is based in Northern California. If principals and vice presidents are interested in your brand and see Mar - Apr 2013 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m