Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/45785
MANAGEMENT UNCORKING PR PAUL WAGNER Technology Talks Live Twitter tastings reach an audience deaf to traditional communication Paul Wagner formed Balzac Communica- tions & Marketing and is an instructor for Napa Valley College's Viticulture and Enol- ogy Department. e've all heard about social media – mainly from our chil- dren. They rave about Face- book and Twitter, My Space and YouTube, and suggest that we really ought to be active on those sites. Meanwhile, they don't have time to talk to us at any length because they are too busy tex- ting, tweeting and chatting with their social media friends on the cell phones that we parents fund. It's easy to understand how there might be a fair amount of skepti- cism toward these new-fangled ideas. After all, as one client wrote to me recently, "I'll have a website as soon as the Internet is proven technology!" On the other hand, marketing communications is all about get- ting your message into the hands of your customers at every level; if your customers are using social media "apps" (shorthand for appli- cations), then you should be paying attention to them, too. Remember: The key to communication is not what is said, but what is heard. In previous columns, I've writ- ten about some elements of social media and how they can (and should) be used to enhance and supplement your existing consum- er and media relations programs. These elements are a great way to build community around your brand and bring it closer together. Yet at the same time, it's difficult to judge social media against some of the more traditional forms of marketing. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM Michael Wangbickler, who provided a lot of expertise for this column. There are few wine regions more steeped in tradition than Bordeaux. The stories of clas- sic chateaux, elegance and heritage have often made the wines intimidating to the average consumer, particularly younger ones, because the region It's difficult to measure social media campaigns against traditional marketing efforts. Companies are accustomed to using certain metrics to measure advertising, promotions and public relations efforts, and the numbers don't always correlate to similar campaigns using social media. However, this shouldn't really be an issue in the wine industry, because very few wineries, unfortunately, use metrics to measure their mar- keting. I have written about that problem in the past as well. BREAKING DOWN BORDEAUX BARRIERS My company recently managed two Twitter-based projects that really moved the needle. They took advantage of the huge reach of social media and focused specifi- cally on taking a rather traditional message to the market via this media. The challenge of the two campaigns was straightforward: You can't get people excited about wines they cannot taste. So we overcame that – and kudos to my Balzac Communications colleague, SHORT COURSE The key to communication is not what is said, but what is heard. Speak the language and use the media your audience uses. Preparation is the key for live online tastings. It takes a courageous client to pull the trigger on an online tasting. NOV - DEC 2011 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 17 has typically leaned on very tradi- tional kinds of marketing that does not reach all consumer levels. But as it looked at the evolving U.S. market, the Syndicat des Bor- deaux et Bordeaux Supérieur want- ed to reach new wine consumers and increase their reach in the American market. The wines the syndicate represents are not the grands crus of Bordeaux, and they don't carry their lofty prices, either, with bottle prices ranging from $10 to $30. This is a price category that matches up well with younger wine consumers – exactly those who might participate in social media campaigns. Bordeaux can be complicat- ed, so we wanted to simplify the message and encourage people