Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/81015
tains to the wine business, was defined by Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank. It's comprised of all of the wine tech companies that focus on operationalizing or actualizing sales and marketing for the wine industry. These are companies that help with fulfillment, compliance, e-commerce, social media, or com- panies that actually sell the wine. V&WM: Where do you see wine PM: The 5th column, as it per- and technology going in 2013? PM: There are a lot of things happening. The last year or so have seen a lot of changes in the 5th col- umn. I foresee consolidation in this area; companies need to merge to produce a better value proposition. Otherwise, there just isn't enough revenue. There will be maturation in the wine e-commerce companies as these platforms develop and adapt. It's going to be an interest- ing time for the wine service com- panies. Either the industry matures this year, or it suffers from not sup- porting the wine tech companies and delay their own success. V&WM: If you could give a wine It's a digital world; if you don't have a digital presence, you will be left behind. V&WM: What's next for VinTank? PM: We're trying to lead the path business some words of wisdom on technology, what would you tell it? PM: Invest in the segment, with both people and dollars. Companies could succeed much more effec- tively if they just invested a few dollars in the right resources. We simply don't pay well in this indus- try; we don't pay well for technolo- gy, we don't pay well for our talent. Wine industry members, like consumers, are wired people. They know that the digital market exists, whether they understand it or not. Ignoring it is like putting your head in the sand like an ostrich, resulting in digital Darwinism. We live in a Google economy. It's evolve or die. in social media and we're 110% focused on it. We believe CRM is the ROI (return on investment) proof point for everything. If you can connect social to the customer, in the right context, you'll be able to demonstrate ROI successfully. We're trying to follow the psy- chology of the hospitality focus. If we can deliver social in a tasting room environment, wineries will start to see the ROI more immedi- ately. One of the main reasons our software platform is free, at the lowest level, is so we can show wineries the importance of social media until it gains momentum and they can understand it better. We have great things in store for Social Connect. We want to bring social context to commerce. This requires looking at the customer through a different lens, and we are constantly trying to impress this on our customers. Thea Dwelle is the creator and editor of the wine blog, "Luscious Lushes," which covers wine travel, wine business and technology. As a CRM implementation consultant, she recognizes the need to adapt solutions to business in an ever- changing digital environment. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwm-online.com. Advertise Now In Print 800.535.5670 x109 Online WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM SEPT - OCT 2012 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 85