Wineries plug into Internet social networks
By JEFF QUACKENBUSH 2009-3-31 16:25:05
ST. HELENA – Wineries, which make one of the world’s oldest beverages, are discovering that one of the world’s newest forms of interpersonal communication – social-networking
sites such as Facebook and Twitter – is also a good way to bond with consumers.
An increasing number of computer users of various generations are learning to communicate at the speed of typing or “texting” with their circles of friends, family members, business associates, acquaintances and “friends” of “friends.” At the same time, businesses also are learning the value and challenges of becoming top of mind in such a realm of interactivity.
The following “tweets,” as the 144-character-limited posts on Twitter are called, from X Winery Marketing Director Christine Adams last week to 152 “followers” of the Napa winery’s presence on the Twitter site are part of the new language of wine marketing:
“Thinking some yummy Thai food and a couple glasses of X Sauv B. tonight,” she wrote. Less than a minute later she added, “Have a great Tuesday evening and hope you enjoy it with a glass of vino.”
X Winery was started by Reed Renaudin in 2001 and produces 15,000 cases a year for sale in fine-wine shops, restaurants and a downtown Napa tasting room. Cutting-edge communication fits well with the brand’s image as an innovator and with the company’s small staff and marketing budget, according to Ms. Adams.
“It is a whole new level of communicating with consumers that was not really there before,” she said.
The winery joined Twitter at the beginning of this year and established a page on Facebook five months ago. Per company policy, Ms. Adams tweets at least three times a day and spends 20 to 40 minutes in social-network interaction – posting links to interesting stories, responding to posts by Twitter “followers” or Facebook “fans” and uploading content on Facebook.
Bill Tancer, general manager of the global research group at Hitwise, told about 350 wine industry professionals that they should take notice of social-networking sites.
His firm tracks 4 million Internet search terms from a sample of 10 million U.S. residents for 1,600 companies worldwide. Variations of wine-related terms account for 4,000-plus. Thirty-six percent of those wine terms are entered on search sites; 8.4 percent are in e-mail, likely from mass campaigns; 6.6 percent are on social networks; and 2 percent are in wine-specific portal sites.
He told the audience at the Direct to Consumer Symposium in Napa on Feb. 24 that Web users increasingly are starting and ending their “Internet days” on popular social networks.
“There is a whole new paradigm out there where we can insert ourselves,” he said.
The Benziger family in Sonoma Valley established Facebook pages for their Benziger Family and Imagery Estate brands and set up an Imagery account on Twitter, at first for the younger generation of workers at the wineries, according to Jessica LaBounty, senior marketing manager. Social networking fits with the Biodynamic practices of interconnected-ness the company employs in the vineyards.
At press time, the Benziger page had 518 fans, and the nearly 10,000-case Imagery brand’s page had 431. Other than the employees, most are existing winery customers who joined after learning of the page from e-mails or printed newsletters, according to Ms. LaBounty. On the Facebook pages, winery visitors have been posting their own pictures of their visits to the property.
She and three others at the wineries authorized to tweet or post on behalf of the brands employ viral marketing on Twitter and last-minute notices of upcoming events to Facebook fans.
Social networking isn’t just for small wineries or relatively new ones. Napa Valley’s oldest winery, Beringer Vineyards, established a Facebook page six months ago and had 733 fans as of last week. Kenwood-based Chateau St. Jean, another North Coast winery owned by Napa-based Foster’s Wine Estates, started its page eight months ago and had 868 fans.
“It’s a great way to promote our events, where our winemakers are and where we’re doing tastings,” said spokeswoman Allison Simpson.
Along with the technology involved, wineries have been learning Interneti-quette, the rules of social interaction online, which include transparency, authenticity and credibility, in other words being “real.”
“In this media, you can be unmasked as a marketer and after the dollar,” Ms. LaBounty said.
Foster’s doesn’t have a set policy, but the club and e-commerce team has been informed all who post must identify themselves as winery employees, according to Ms. Simpson.
Yet wineries are not so unanimous on whether to monetize while they socialize online. Foster’s occasionally offers media-specific promotions in its posts, and others started doing so or plan to soon.
“We try not to do that too much because our whole Facebook strategy is building relationships,” Ms. Simpson said.
sites such as Facebook and Twitter – is also a good way to bond with consumers.
An increasing number of computer users of various generations are learning to communicate at the speed of typing or “texting” with their circles of friends, family members, business associates, acquaintances and “friends” of “friends.” At the same time, businesses also are learning the value and challenges of becoming top of mind in such a realm of interactivity.
The following “tweets,” as the 144-character-limited posts on Twitter are called, from X Winery Marketing Director Christine Adams last week to 152 “followers” of the Napa winery’s presence on the Twitter site are part of the new language of wine marketing:
“Thinking some yummy Thai food and a couple glasses of X Sauv B. tonight,” she wrote. Less than a minute later she added, “Have a great Tuesday evening and hope you enjoy it with a glass of vino.”
X Winery was started by Reed Renaudin in 2001 and produces 15,000 cases a year for sale in fine-wine shops, restaurants and a downtown Napa tasting room. Cutting-edge communication fits well with the brand’s image as an innovator and with the company’s small staff and marketing budget, according to Ms. Adams.
“It is a whole new level of communicating with consumers that was not really there before,” she said.
The winery joined Twitter at the beginning of this year and established a page on Facebook five months ago. Per company policy, Ms. Adams tweets at least three times a day and spends 20 to 40 minutes in social-network interaction – posting links to interesting stories, responding to posts by Twitter “followers” or Facebook “fans” and uploading content on Facebook.
Bill Tancer, general manager of the global research group at Hitwise, told about 350 wine industry professionals that they should take notice of social-networking sites.
His firm tracks 4 million Internet search terms from a sample of 10 million U.S. residents for 1,600 companies worldwide. Variations of wine-related terms account for 4,000-plus. Thirty-six percent of those wine terms are entered on search sites; 8.4 percent are in e-mail, likely from mass campaigns; 6.6 percent are on social networks; and 2 percent are in wine-specific portal sites.
He told the audience at the Direct to Consumer Symposium in Napa on Feb. 24 that Web users increasingly are starting and ending their “Internet days” on popular social networks.
“There is a whole new paradigm out there where we can insert ourselves,” he said.
The Benziger family in Sonoma Valley established Facebook pages for their Benziger Family and Imagery Estate brands and set up an Imagery account on Twitter, at first for the younger generation of workers at the wineries, according to Jessica LaBounty, senior marketing manager. Social networking fits with the Biodynamic practices of interconnected-ness the company employs in the vineyards.
At press time, the Benziger page had 518 fans, and the nearly 10,000-case Imagery brand’s page had 431. Other than the employees, most are existing winery customers who joined after learning of the page from e-mails or printed newsletters, according to Ms. LaBounty. On the Facebook pages, winery visitors have been posting their own pictures of their visits to the property.
She and three others at the wineries authorized to tweet or post on behalf of the brands employ viral marketing on Twitter and last-minute notices of upcoming events to Facebook fans.
Social networking isn’t just for small wineries or relatively new ones. Napa Valley’s oldest winery, Beringer Vineyards, established a Facebook page six months ago and had 733 fans as of last week. Kenwood-based Chateau St. Jean, another North Coast winery owned by Napa-based Foster’s Wine Estates, started its page eight months ago and had 868 fans.
“It’s a great way to promote our events, where our winemakers are and where we’re doing tastings,” said spokeswoman Allison Simpson.
Along with the technology involved, wineries have been learning Interneti-quette, the rules of social interaction online, which include transparency, authenticity and credibility, in other words being “real.”
“In this media, you can be unmasked as a marketer and after the dollar,” Ms. LaBounty said.
Foster’s doesn’t have a set policy, but the club and e-commerce team has been informed all who post must identify themselves as winery employees, according to Ms. Simpson.
Yet wineries are not so unanimous on whether to monetize while they socialize online. Foster’s occasionally offers media-specific promotions in its posts, and others started doing so or plan to soon.
“We try not to do that too much because our whole Facebook strategy is building relationships,” Ms. Simpson said.
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