Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/646485
1 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a r - A p r 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m match the benefits of each with what the customer wants to spend. "It lets wineries engage with customers based on their desires a n d f o c u s m o r e r e s o u r c e s o n people who are more valuable to them," he explains. As part of its services, Chatter- box works with winery clients to increase wine club loyalty, reten- tion and, thus, profitability. In doing so, the company has discovered that many wineries wrestle with the same questions and face simi- lar challenges in the pursuit of max- imizing wine club opportunities. COMMUNICATION FREQUENCY One of the most frequently asked questions is how often to reach out to wine club members. " F i r s t , r e m e m b e r t h a t w i n e clubs are about the customer, not the winery. If you have nothing rel- evant to say, then one time is too much. If you have something to wine. To share its expertise, the company sponsored a session at the recent DTC Wine Symposium on the topic of retaining wine club members. Scharman, who is also COO of VinoVisit.com and a faculty mem- ber at Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute, where he teaches advanced wine ecom- merce and direct-to-consumer mar- keting, says that, while wine clubs have evolved, many are sitting on untapped potential and profit. "Historically, wine clubs were considered cash flow for win- eries; they weren't focused on building loyalty. Instead, wineries were selecting wines for inclusion because they had extra inventory or they were at the right price point, and they weren't offering choices," he says. "That's started to change in the last five years," adds Scharman, who says the latest trend is to offer a menu of different clubs and say, you could send an e-mail every day — but I wouldn't advise that, either," Scharman cautions. Wineries also need to remem- ber that they're courting their club members. They liked you enough to join, but keeping them engaged once they're in the club — making them feel special — is the way to their hearts. "I call it fear marketing when wineries are too afraid to e-mail their wine club members more than one or two times per year. If you are only communicating once or twice each year, you may as well not com- municate at all," Scharman asserts. COMMUNICATION METHODS "It's a struggle for many winer- ies to understand that an encyclo- pedic e-mail of all of their products doesn't work," says Scharman, adding that 65% of people are now reading e-mails on a mobile device. E-mails should be personalized Carlsen & Associates 707-431-2000 "Abacela has purchased most of our equipment from Carlsen and Associates over the years. The grape conveyor, destemmer, membrane press and diaphragm pumps. They do service calls before harvest to insure all our equipment will run flawlessly as well as follow ups after crush to see how things performed" Andrew Wenzl Winemaker Abacela Winery & Vineyards " WINE WISE MARKETING JENNIFER STRAILEY