In search of substance
Why small to medium-size wineries need to decide who their audience is, and then tell stories that demonstrate real substance
Seth Godin’s work is very popular right now. His ideas stand out from the crowd because they ring true, because they advocate creating work of value and substance. In a world of digital marketing noise and fly-by-night brands, Seth’s work is a must read for wineries seeking to do better.
Even if you’re not keen on Seth Godin’s ‘do the hard miles’ approach, there is still a compelling note of common sense in the messages he projects. His concise, insightful, and digestible reflections on marketing quietly but impressively demonstrate his mastery of the subject. While telling us how to do marketing, he’s marketing.
We’ve long known that key emotional drivers influence what we like, what we spend our time on, and what we buy. Yet so many businesses, and the marketing around them, fail to put these drivers at the forefront of their work. “People don’t want what you make. They want what it will do for them”, he says.
Reading Seth makes me feel like I’m going to get better at marketing. It fits in with my worldview of improving my craft so that I can earn more money and provide a better life for my family. Great. Sale. “They want the way it will make them feel. And there aren’t that many feelings to choose from”.
In J. Kaufman’s ‘The Personal MBA’ he lists the core emotions on which consumers make purchases. They are; efficacy, how well does it work?; speed, how quickly does it work?; ease of use, how much effort does it require?; flexibility, how many things does it do?; status, how does this affect the way others perceive me?; aesthetic appeal, how attractive or otherwise aesthetically pleasing is it?; emotion, how does it make me feel?; cost, how much do I have to give up to get this?
Decision-making related to efficacy, speed, ease of use, and flexibility resides in the territory of the bulk wine purchase. These factors are measured alongside considerations of price and aesthetic appeal - “is this bottle cheap enough and do I like the label”? On a personal level I’m not particularly interested in this angle, but if a winery is unable or willing to clarify where it lives in terms of aesthetics and status, then they’ll inevitably find themselves doing battle on this uninspiring and often unrewarding terrain.
Status though makes for complex discussion indeed. By purchasing a bottle of $100 Napa Cabernet, I’ll almost certainly think about how I will be perceived. And how such an acquisition will make me feel. Will I feel successful? Elite? Or embarrassed about the indulgence? What about when I pay £45 for a bottle of deliberately oxidised Chinuri, made in a clay pot in an obscure region of central Georgia? Do I feel intellectually superior? Cooler? Do I feel pride in supporting environmentally conscious viticulture? Or will I feel indifferent? Is it just that all my hipster friends are drinking Chinuri and I want to fit in?
The purchase of a wine is wrapped up in a thousand different elements of an individual’s world view, and more importantly, how and where they perceive themselves within that. Generally these factors do not occupy our conscious mind, but live out of sight, guiding our actions and influencing decision making - for better, or worse. In his book ‘This is Marketing’, Godin synthesises this entire discussion by reminding us that, “people like us, do things like this”.
People like us drink Lafite at a business lunch. People like us don’t get ripped off. People like us code all day and then chill with a bottle of biodynamic Beaujolais cru. People like us like a little glass of sweet Sherry. People like us party on Prosecco. People like us drink Champagne at gallery openings. People like us search out unknown grapes. People like us drink red Burgundy with 15 years of age to it. People like us drink certified organic. People like us don’t drink rosé.
The presence of these world views is why throw-away lines such as ‘target millennials’ often fail to yield any tangible, actionable advice. While these groups inevitably share some generalised similarities, the amount of diversity across the demographic is too broad to work with. Millennials are not all the same. Nor are women, African Americans, or senior citizens.
For Seth, three things matter. Clearly identifying an audience, creating stories that promise change in line with your audience’s world view, and delivering on these promises through the constant delivery of value.
Fine wine brokerages have done exceptionally well over the last few decades, precisely because of the way they tell stories that “enable change”. Invest in these wines and get richer. It’s hardly gambling - there’s an exchange, and a secondary market. It’s run by people like us, professionals, people who understand and respect money and wealth. Besides, it’s very civilised, like collecting art; we could always drink a bottle or two. People like us have a wine collection.
Likewise, a growing community of producers have gained a huge following and achieved success through their commitment to sustainable viticulture and low intervention winemaking. Results have materialised because the stories they tell speak to a segment of people that care deeply about the values that sit behind natural wine’s production. This story is about authenticity and integrity, about the grower’s connection with his land, and by implication, about the rejection of superficiality. To some it’s a tale about rebellion, to others, one of culture. Regardless, the niche is clear enough to make it a trend. People like us are clever enough to understand the significance of their offering.
Some wineries are very good at articulating who their wines are made for. Their marketing and communications send out signals that let us know whether or not their product is for us. When I see ‘very good red’ on a bottle of wine at £4.50, I know it’s not for me. Conversely, when I see the golden casing of a double magnum of Ace of Spades I also know it’s not for me.
Lots of brands struggle to get potential customers on a journey however. Not only are their stories frequently lazy, they’re all the same. Godin states that “the relentless pursuit of mass will make you boring, because mass means average, it means the center of the curve, it requires you to offend no one and satisfy everyone.”
Telling stories is the hot topic in wine marketing at the moment however. Felicity Carter wrote a great piece for Tim Atkin’s site - “We’ve all been at those gatherings where some moist-eyed, sentimental person will exhort everyone to ‘start telling our stories!’ And everyone applauds and agrees that, yes, we need to start telling wine stories”. This might be aimed at would-be wine writers, but wineries can still learn a great deal.
Delving into some of the craft of how to tell a story, she observes that the missing ingredient having “something at stake”, and points to an endless pool of wineries presenting their perfect trajectory. “The featured winemaker is typically the proud owner of an excellent piece of terroir that allows him or her to create excellent wines. If there were any difficulties along the path to success, they’re all safely in the past. The trajectory is ever upwards, into the sunlight”.
The bad news, as we know very well, is that it’s difficult to get ahead of the curve in the wine trade. Vineyards are already planted, varieties are, for now, decided. Turning the ship takes time and you certainly can’t keep doing it. Wine isn’t coca-cola. Its recipe is not a secret. And of course, there are thousands of very similar products already on the market - on every market.
One of the great industry platitudes is that ‘people buy wine from people they know and like’ and that, relationships and sales are made ‘one handshake at a time’. My experience in wine retail and hospitality supports this, but for a winery, the challenge surely transcends this. The aim must be to create ambassadors - “people like us”. What is it about your winery and your wines that will speak my kind of truth, put something at stake, and promise change? What will I tell people like me?
Success can be found in standing for something in this world. The quality of your wine and its appealing taste is considered a minimum requirement; your winery’s involvement and engagement with the wider world isn’t though. Which brings us back to who you are making your wines for. Do your customers demand that you contribute more to your community? Or do they find connection and belonging in the glitzy gala dinner you host for them. Or do they insist on both?
Only when you make this call can you tell stories that resonate, and needless to say, you can’t fake standing for something; you can’t fake substance. Not for long.