An Integrated Marketing Success Story in an 8,000yearold Industry Denise Stillman
Wine: Ancient Nectar of the Elite Earliest written account of viniculture in
Bible’s “Old Testament”
◦Noah planted a vineyard and made wine ◦Honey and grain older fermented crops than grapes, but nowhere near the social impact of wine
Grape cultivation and wine drinking
started possibly as early as 6000 BC
◦Caspian Sea and in Mesopotamia, near presentday Iran ◦Priests and royalty were using wine, while beer was drunk by the workers
source: http://www.winepros.org/wine101/history.htm
WineStyles Brings Elite Nectar to the Masses Founded in 2002
Inspired by a backyard barbeque with
friends Guests blindtasted wines
◦Winners not necessarily the most expensive or best marketed; but ones that simply tasted best WineStyles® was created to make it
easier for consumers to buy and understand wine
WineStyles Simplifies, Educates Organized by eight different taste profiles vs varietal or region
◦ Demystifies the selection of the right bottle of wine through taste profiles :
Provides a description listing the wine's characteristics, flavors
and suggested food pairings with each bottle Each of the more than 100 WineStyles ® retailers in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico carries
◦ Regional and local wines ◦ Unique, hardtofind wines from small and large vineyards all over the world ◦ Up to 150 revolving worldclass wines and most are priced between $10 USD and $25USD per bottle (7.02 – 17.54 EUR)
U.S. Wine Market is 2nd Only To France
Sources: Recession Proof Remodel: The Wine Room,” www.prlog.com, February 20, 2009; 2008 Wine Handbook
WineStyles Capitalizes on Trends, Boosts Interest Amidst Recession People still drink in an economic downturn
◦ Alcohol tends to outperform compared to other parts of the economy in a recession ◦ Wine market has grown 20% from 200409 despite recession ◦ U.S. sales of wine and beer meant to be consumed at home were expected to rise 4.8 percent in 2009 to $79 billion Not drinking less ◦ Spending during the recession is just shifting to stores ◦ Already in the 12 months ending in February, Americans spent 7.2 percent more on wine at food, drug and massmerchandise stores than they did in the same period a year earlier Young, franchised company needs to support
franchisees, build brand image
◦ Grow sales volume amidst recession ◦ Continue franchisee growth interest Sources: www.mintel.com, Nielsen Research
Online, Local Marketing Helped Company Grow PreMay 2009 Marketing Mix
◦www.winestyles.net ◦www.winestyles.com.mx ◦www.winefranchise.net ◦Onpremise marketing (100+ franchise stores) ◦Weekly email marketing by each franchisee ◦Social media marketing (Facebook) ◦Franchisee local event marketing with celebrity chefs, winemakers
Franchisor Consumer Site
Franchisee Local Store Website
Site to Market Franchising
Franchisee Facebook Site
Integrated Marketing Adds Mass Media, Event Marketing In May 2009, added mass media and event
marketing to the mix
◦ Used consistent visuals, messaging ◦ U.S. launch of first TV commercial
Tested with cable TV spots to support 17 stores in Chicago area Franchisees could optin with media purchases zoned to drive traffic specifically to them 14 participated Ran May – July 2009
◦ Hosted Australian wine ambassadors at Chicago Jazz Festival to cross promote their wines at area WineStyles ® stores ◦ Target HHI $100K USD, female, collegeeducated
Integrated Marketing Approach Boosts Sales, Web Traffic Store Sales
◦21% more transactions ◦3% increase in dollar amount of avg transaction ◦Those stores not supported by TV saw 16% fewer transactions Web Visits to Franchisor Site
◦23% increase in new traffic ◦13% more overall visitors ◦49% increased usage of store locator page ◦Spent 23 more seconds on site
DANKË • MERCI • DANKE VELL • GRACIAS • TACK • GRAZIA • DANK U • HVALA • DÊKUJI • ACHIU • KIITOKSIA • DZIEKUJE • MULTUMESC • THANK YOU