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2020 A Year in Review
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COVID-19
• Beginning in March of 2020, the staff were asked to work from home • IT made the move seamless as we all transitioned to online meetings and work platforms • When it became apparent the situation would be long-term, staff were reimbursed to outfit their home offices as they saw fit
TALK & TASTE AND CELLAR IN A SNAP
• Virtual tastings have connected
Members with our winemaking partners globally • The online events continue to increase in popularity and are available on our YouTube Channel for anytime viewing
CANADIAN WINES ARE BACK!
• After an absence of five years, Opimian offered its first Canadian wine to select provinces • Pearl Morissette, an iconic
Niagara wine producer, was a fitting beginning. Known for his unconventional ethos and his products not offered through
Liquor Boards, Francois
Morissette is an industry trailblazer
FALL OFFERING (CWEB20)
• This pivoted to reflect the global pandemic • Our supplier network helped us source over 50 new wines. Many never before seen in Canada from winemakers affected by COVID • Opimian provided safe harbour to many small wineries around the world who normally sold to the restaurant and bar channel • CWEB20 sales proved essential to their survival • Opimian Members purchased over 55,000 bottles worth more than $1,500,000 in sales
2020 has been an extraordinary year and our main priority from the onset was our staff, Members and the community of wineries that are part of the Opimian family.
THE MASTERS CASE
• We launched The Masters Case and received an overwhelming response with a record number of new subscribers • Every month we continue to see increased demand for this mixed case, curated by Opimian’s Master of Wine. • In the first four weeks after launch almost 25% of Members had signed up for this new subscription program • This is Canada’s #1 selling wine subscription program!
WEB EXCLUSIVE WINES
• We introduced additional wines available only on the website • This increases the number of exclusive wines available without the additional cost of printing and postage • Members are increasingly web-savvy and prefer to make their selections online
CELLAR REDESIGN
• Opimian’s cornerstone, the printed
Cellar, was completely refreshed • It can now inform, educate, and entertain in one concise publication
EDUCATION
• Articles are designed to expand
Members’ knowledge of wine and the world of wine • It’s now all in one place with the lifestyle magazine, Vino
Etcetera, integrated
SUSTAINABILITY
• Less paper is used and it’s all post-consumer • Removing the outer plastic wrap has helped reduce our carbon footprint and saved money
WINEMAKER STORIES
• Stories about our winemaker partners further connect
Members to the makers • The winemakers are providing recipes to pair with their wines • Producer engagement is at an all-time high
CELLAR UP!
• Another way to expand the palates of our readers • Assists in order selection along with Directors’ Cut and Jane’s
Coups de Coeur
COLLECTOR’S CORNER
• Out-of-the-ordinary, niche wines and spirits in limited quantities • Various pack sizes to make collecting more accessible One of the founding pillars of Opimian in 1973 was wine education. When we sat down as a team to review the Cellar Offering, we made the decision to roll both Vino Etcetera and the Wine offering into one document. We listened to Members and added more one-on-one winemaker stories, along with wines and recipes, and we increased the educational part of the Opimian wine experience. This new format has allowed Opimian to increase the number of wines and spirits offered and provide a more environmentally sustainable product (removed the plastic outer wrap and lowered the amount of paper used monthly), all the while delivering a better Member experience that trims business costs.
DIRECTORS’ CUT
• Opimian’s Managing Directors share their favourites
TOP VALUE WINES
• A centre spread of everyday drinkers • Always popular with the Members
ONLINE EVENTS
• Eighteen events in 2020 despite
COVID-19 • Seventeen producers participated and it is growing
• Page likes and engagement showing consistent growth • Fastest growing segment is women aged 45 - 54 • Greatest engagement from posts by our MW winemakers like Richard Kershaw & Sam Harrop • Home-grown content from Members themselves as well as staff is also popular
+19%
FANS
+430%
ENGAGEMENT
+506%
CONSUMPTION
+703%
IMPRESSIONS
+8685%
VIDEO VIEWS
If you spent more time on social media in 2020, then you probably bumped into us and noticed we were busier than ever with content creation. Many of us have been Members for years —some of us for decades— and this sets our online community apart. We gravitate to Facebook, where many of you share the Opimian experience with each other. Others are flocking to Instagram to post pictures and watch our winemakers take over the Opimian account and share the joy of their wineries with us. Still other Members watched a record number of videos and tastings, or else accessed our videos on the Opimian YouTube channel. Wherever you met us online, one thing is for sure, social media is fast becoming one of the primary ways for many of us to interact with each other here at Opimian.
• Insta Stories and takeovers by our winemakers have proven consistently popular • Bringing a younger demographic to the Club
