Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/764739
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J a n - F e b 2 017 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 5 DRILLING DOWN The media and wine buyers want to know more than, "Chateau Winery makes a great Zinfandel." They need to know what it is about Chateau Winery that will make it a unique and meaningful place in the minds of customers. "Drilling down" is an exercise that will help you get to a brand's points of difference. The exercise is somewhat like geology — digging deep to uncover layer after layer of what, ultimately and col- lectively, tells the story of a particular piece of earth. Consider these sample questions and answers: W h y i s y o u r Z i n f a n d e l so good? Because of its intense aromatics . Why is it aromatic? Because of the location. Why would the location affect the aro- matics? Because of the distinct soils. What is it about the soil that's con- ducive to producing highly aromatic Zins? here are tomes of articles and infor- mation about how to get a brand's message out: through press releas- es, social networking, websites and back labels. It's easy to find the ABCs on commu- nicating messages through advertising, too. But let's back up and look at exactly what a "message" is, why messages matter and how a brand goes about devel- oping them. First, brand messages serve to capture a brand's points of difference. Those are areas where a company can rightly claim the brand's specialties or the attributions that set it apart from the competition. You'll need those messages to be memorable, compelling and — first and foremost — authentic. The process of marketing can get bogged down with execution, such as the pressure to constantly be networking, showing off all the tools a brand has in its arsenal or spending large amounts of money sending a winemaker or represen- tative on the road. Without solid, mean- ingful and interesting messages based on the truth of your brand, however, those exercises are just that — exercises in spending money. Taking a close look at what makes your brand unique is key to making it stand out among the rest. + Uncovering your brand's message is time-consuming yet essential. + Asking yourself detailed questions will help tremendously. + Use the answers to promote your unique qualities. AT A GLANCE 3 Badge Beverage Corporation's Uncle Val's Botanical Gin celebrates August Sebastiani's Uncle Val with its packaging and personality. Drilling for Points of Difference WINE WISE MARKETING LEE HODO