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Stealing Wine Marketing Ideas

Ohio conference covers generational advertising, wine trails, regional branding and more

by Jim Gordon Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio -- Winery owners and marketing directors from 13 central and eastern states gathered April 1-3 on the chilly shore of Lake Erie for a "License to Steal"-to steal marketing ideas, that is-from each other and from experts on the subject. One-hundred-seventeen people participated in the conference in the comfortably secluded environment of The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in northeastern Ohio's Grand River Valley AVA. They found that organizer Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, was not kidding around when she named the conference.


For example, Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, openly offered up much of his group's marketing material to literally be copied and rebranded by organizations in other states. His program on "Regional Identity in Today's Wine Industry" recapped New York state's success with its now-25-year-old Uncork New York branding program, thanks to a public-private partnership with state government.

He particularly stressed the importance of obtaining an economic impact report for one's state to use as leverage with state legislators and bureaus. Knowing that New York's wine industry contributes $3.4 billion annually to the state economy, he said, made the otherwise big "ask" of $3 million annually in state support seem like pennies. He told the state powers-that-be that his organization only wanted one one-thousandth of the amount that its members created in economic benefit.

Mark Winchell, who heads the local Ashtabula County Convention & Visitors Bureau, laid out in detail his co-op advertising program for wineries. He said wineries gain $20 worth of bang for each buck they spend on local and regional media. Wineries that buy the entire seasonal program for $8,305 each reach an audience of 3.6 million potential visitors.

Marketing consultant Bill Geist of Madison, Wis., amusingly dissected the American population by generation, to help wineries understand how to best reach different demographics. Despite the differences between Matures, Boomers, Generation X and the Millennials, they all want a status lifestyle, he said. "They want to be able to say, 'I've been someplace you haven't been.'"

Geist suggested these marketing approaches by generation:

• Matures (62 and over): Use the approach, "You've earned this." They lived through the Depression and World War II.
• Baby Boomers: "They want to feel special." Give them an upgrade; call them by name.
• Generation X: "They take nothing for granted. They've lived through tough times but now have kids and power. But their BS radar is high." Testimonials from their peers can work.
• Millennials (teens and 20s): Two-thirds aren't in the wine market yet. "They're smart, and they're going to save the world. They're also the most brand-loyal generation. Find out what they want, and make it."

Geist identified several trends on which wineries can jump: immersion travel, like expensive rock and roll camps for adults; drinking locally and eating locally; 90% of women say they plan to go on girlfriend getaways; weddings average more than $30,000 now, and 20% of them are held away from the bride and groom's home location; and, 25% of the U.S. population has tattoos.

Missouri made a big contribution to the conference, partly through talks by Danene Beedle, marketing specialist for the Missouri Wine & Grape Board. She briefed participants on the state's ambitious and off-beat "Norton Says" marketing campaign, which seeks to put the underappreciated and robust native red varietal into the mainstream.

Missouri follows the lead of New York, which spotlights Riesling, and Napa Valley, which boasts Cabernet Sauvignon, as their signature grapes. Indiana is now focusing on the aromatic white Traminette, said Jeannette Merritt, marketing director of the Indiana Wine Grape Council.

Beedle from Missouri also guided the group through Missouri's ambitious sponsorship of the Tour of Missouri professional cycling event, alongside big-time national brands like Budweiser. Her tips ran the gamut from how much exposure and exclusivity to ask for from the sporting event owner-think big-to what your staff should wear and even where to park your graphics-wrapped vehicles.


Speakers from four states hit wine trails as a topic in a panel, including Patti Held-Uthlaut of Stone Hill Winery in Missouri, Ken Hlavek of the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake, Trezise of New York, and Stephanie Rhodes of the Shawnee Wine Trail in southern Illinois.

Regional and national media representatives advised on marketing approaches and advertising costs on the one hand and on the other, how wineries can best approach the media with story ideas. Tim Moriarty, the managing editor of Wine Enthusiast magazine also delivered a keynote during the event's banquet, giving his view of what wine consumers want.

How to establish a wine school, and how to use it to promote loyalty for regions and brands, were covered by Patrick Fegan of the Chicago Wine School and Lori Lee of Kent State University in Ohio.

I spoke about the "Power of Blogs and Bloggers" and presented the results of Wines & Vines' latest survey of "Winery Attitudes Toward Direct Sales."

Event sponsors included The Ashtabula CVB, Long-weekends.com, Ohio Magazine and The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake. For more information about the conference, visit nationalwinemarketing.com.

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