The Wine Merchant magazine media pack 2021

The Wine Merchant magazine Media pack 2021

A magazine that’s as independent as its readers

‘Specialist independent wine merchant’ definition

The Wine Merchant is the only magazine that is devoted exclusively to the UK’s independent wine and spirits specialists.

• The business must not have more than 15

branches • It must sell to the public • It must have at least one bricks-and-mortar shop • It must have a genuine specialism in wine and/or spirits

Established in 2012, it has become the most widelydistributed and most enthusiastically read trade title among its target audience: small and mediumsized businesses that sell great wine.

It’s the only magazine that aims for 100% coverage of this trade sector and every month our circulation grows to keep pace with store openings – both from new entrants and established wine merchants.

The magazine is published by Graham Holter Ltd, a small independent business whose owners consider themselves kindred spirits to the merchants they serve.

These definitions have become generally accepted within the UK wine trade. They exclude chains such as Majestic and Oddbins. Generalist offlicences and convenience stores are also excluded, as are merchants that only sell online.

Independents who meet these criteria qualify for a free copy of The Wine Merchant. This is the case even if their wholesale trade is bigger than their retail business, or if most of their turnover occurs outside of wine.

948

700

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SPECIALIST INDEPENDENT WINE SHOPS IN THE UK

SPECIALIST INDEPENDENT WINE BUSINESSES IN THE UK

NET INCREASE IN STORE NUMBERS (NOV 2019-2020)

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The best database in the business We base our circulation on a database of independents that is updated on an ongoing basis.

Every week of the year we’re changing and expanding the list to take account of new openings, changes of ownership and any closures.

So we’re pretty sure we’ve got the most reliable database of independents that exists. You can take advantage of this with inserts – from small flyers and invitations right the way up to fully-fledged catalogues and price lists.

Your mailing can be tailored: for example, you might want to exclude Scottish stores, or to target shops in the north west. Not only do we work out cheaper than Royal Mail, but we minimise wasted mailings thanks to the quality of our list.

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Working together in print: a tried and tested model Supplier Bulletin This is the section of the magazine in which agents and importers share their latest news. Special promotions; winemaker tours; agency changes; range additions; tasting dates … it’s all perfect material for your Supplier Bulletin entry.

Change the copy as often or infrequently as you like. Some suppliers like to pack in as much information as possible; others try to be more visual in their approach. Whatever option you choose, we take care of all artwork within the fee, though you’re welcome to supply your own, as some clients do.

Rates start at £225 per month.

Display advertising Ads will generally be assigned the earliest available slot although the client may prefer to place the ad within a particular editorial feature. Back page slots are available at a premium rate.

Artwork for full page ads should be A4 with a 3mm bleed. Please supply in PDF format with crop marks. Half-page ads should be supplied as PDFs or JPEGs, measuring 190mm x 133mm (landscape). No crop marks are required.

Full page, £600; half page, £350; back page, £750.

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Testimonials from our independent readers The Wine Merchant has attracted some very complimentary comments since its launch in 2012.

But we would say that, wouldn’t we?

Rather than quote such comments in a media pack, and expect you to take them at face value, we would encourage anyone interested in working with us to do their own research.

• Contact a small number of specialist wine and spirits retailers and ask them which trade magazines they receive – and which ones they find most relevant and useful.

• Then ask them specifically about The Wine Merchant. Do they find the articles interesting?

Is it a magazine that staff also like to read? Is it a good source of business ideas? Does it give them a clearer idea of what suppliers can offer them?

If you’re happy with the answers you receive – and we’re fairly confident that you will be – we’d be delighted to discuss how we can work together.

We never try to “upsell” or to talk clients into a programme of activity that is disproportionate to their needs. We appreciate that marketing budgets need to be spent very carefully. Our rates are, we believe, the best value in the business and represent the most cost-effective way of maximising your exposure among independents.

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Getting your message across journalistically Sponsored editorial We pride ourselves on the quality of our sponsored editorials. We don’t like, or use, the term “advertorial”. The work we produce in partnership wth clients needs to be of a high editorial standard if merchants are going to read these articles and digest their messages.

Typically a single page will be priced at £650 and a double page spread at £1,200. This covers all interview and design work and as many changes to the draft as the client requires.

Zoom events Our readers are enthusiastic about Zoom tastings and masterclasses and we have worked with a variety of clients to help put winemakers, and wines, in front of prospective customers in the independent sector.

We can arrange webinars for larger groups of indies, or smaller Zoom events where merchants and suppliers can interact face to face.

For up to 12 guests, we charge a £300 admin fee and then £650 per page of sponsored editorial. For larger numbers, we charge £200 for every extra 12 Zoom attendees. There is no extra cost for hosting the event, though of course you are welcome to do this yourself if you prefer.

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Above: Our Winemaker Files series is based on an interview with the subject, allowing them to talk about their journey, their philosophy, and their wines. Like other sponsored editorial, the rate is ÂŁ650 per page.

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Other ways we work with our clients

Bright Ideas

Rising Stars

Critic’s Choice

A monthly feature highlighting an inspired concept dreamt up by an independent wine merchant.

This page celebrates the contribution that many young and newly-arrived staff members are making to independent businesses of all sizes.

A new addition to the magazine, Critic’s Choice invites a wine writer to nominate their favourite independent wine shop and tell us why they made their choice.

Partner: WBC

We interview them, explain how the idea came together and how it works.

The winner receives a gift box from WBC, whose branding also appears on the feature.

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Partner: Pol Roger Portfolio

We talk to the nominated person as well as the business owner. The winner receives a bottle of something special from Pol Roger Portfolio.

Partner: Bancroft Wines

Bancroft Wines is rewarding each month’s winner with a bottle of premium wine from its portfolio.

Digital Masterclass

The Burning Question

Enomatic Stories

This five-part series in 2020 was a way of drawing attention to a competition rewarding indies for their online activity.

Now a firmly established fixture in the magazine, our Burning Question vox pop gives a mouthpiece to independents of all kinds.

Here, independents who have invested in Enomatic devices tell us how the machines have made a difference to their businesses.

The features were based on case studies from imaginative drinks retailers both in the UK and around the world.

From 2021, one of our participants will be selected at random each month and will win a bottle of Champagne Gosset Grande RĂŠserve.

It’s probably the best publicity you can get: honest customer endorsement that can be read and trusted by prospective clients.

Partner: Armit Wines

Partner: Louis Latour Agencies

Partner: Enomatic

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Our digital presence: an important part of the mix In 2020, partly as a result of lockdown, we upgraded our www.winemerchantmag.com website.

It’s always been a place to find the online version of the print magazine, but now we also ensure that the site contains easy-to-navigate versions of all the main articles that we carry, including sponsored content. Everything is free to view.

By mid November 2020, we’d doubled the number of views that the site had registered in the whole of 2019, to more than 21,000.

We have limited opportunities for advertising on the site; please contact us for details.

Twitter In mid November 2020 we had 5,331 followers on our @WineMerchantMag account, more than five times the number of accounts that we follow.

We primarily use social media as a means of connecting and sharing news with independents and can build such activity into client marketing programmes where appropriate.

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A new and efficient way to run a trade tasting Our Independent Virtual Trade Tasting, run in partnership with Condor Wines, attracted just under 200 registrations from independent merchants.

Nine suppliers showcased 15 of their wines on a website. Visitors were allocated 24 “sample credits” which could be used to order sample bottles of the wines from a mixture of importers, which they received in a single delivery.

Around 1,000 samples were sent out, resulting in valuable new business for suppliers at a time when conventional tasting events are problematic.

Staying in touch by email We keep in contact with our readers in between publications by sending a variety of emails.

Our Wine Merchant Bulletin is an e-newsletter that alerts readers to the arrival of the print edition, and provides links to the online version – which can be viewed online as a flippable PDF, or downloaded.

We can include messages from advertisers within the bulletin, with a link, for £250. Or we can send a bespoke email to our readership base (or a section of it, if that’s more helpful) for £390.

Our open rates for emails are comfortably above the industry average. Talk to us for details.

This bulletin also contains a selection of Supplier Bulletin entries, and some brief editorial content.

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The Wine Merchant Top 100 competition The Wine Merchant Top 100 is the only competition devoted entirely to wines exclusive to indies. It’s also the only competition in which indies are the judges.

In 2020, we welcomed 36 of them to the judging panel – tasting remotely (but still blind) while we took a Covid-enforced break from our usual

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judging event in London. The wines were assessed on their value for money as well as their flavour, and the results appeared as always in a special supplement.

In 2021 a new consumer-focused website, featuring all the winners, will give entrants even more value for their £70 entry fee.

We’ll be calling for entries in early 2021. We’ll be publicising this widely, so keep an eye on Twitter as well as our website and of course the magazine itself.

Spirits and beer: central to the specialist indie offer

overviews as well as reporting on new launches. We even feature an original monthly cocktail recipe.

Independents are increasingly enthusiastic about selling quality spirits and beers, and we’ve adapated our editorial offer to reflect this.

Our beer column, The Drayman, looks at all aspects of the category from an independent’s perspective. This section of the magazine has proved so popular that it’s now tripled in size and we’re keen to carry even more beer content in 2021.

We write about premium spirits in every issue of The Wine Merchant, in the form of category

We’re also focusing more on no and low-alcohol drinks, as well as the emerging CBD category.

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Supplements We publish a variety of supplements throughout the year. Here are some recent examples – we are always keen to discuss new ideas.

California Collection

New Zealand supplement

Breakthrough Wines

In an annual partnership with the Wine Institute of California, we assemble a judging panel of independent merchants and put some indie-focused wines through their paces. The winners are featured in the supplement.

This project, organised with new Zealand Winegrowers, is also based on judging wines submitted by UK-based importers. We change the panel every year, but each time it’s a combination of independent merchants.

New for 2020, this project is designed to help smaller producers, without UK representation, team up with indies. All wines are assessed by our panel of retailers and feedback is provided. The best wines are featured in the supplement.

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Scheduled features 2021 January 15

Australian wine; Natural wine. Copy deadline: December 10.

February 15

New Zealand wine; Malbec. Copy deadline: January 22.

March 15

English wine; Vermouth; EPoS; California Collection supplement.

Copy deadline: February 19.

April 15

South Africa wine; Portuguese wine; Glassware. Copy deadline: March 22.

May 15

Languedoc wine; German Riesling. Copy deadline: April 21.

June 15

Italian wine; Pinot Noir. Copy deadline: May 21.

July 15

South American wine; Gin. Copy deadline: June 21.

August 15

Champagne; Pre-mixed cocktails; Christmas gifting. Copy deadline: July 21.

September 15 Fortified wine; Cabernet Franc; Beaujolais / Beaujolais Nouveau.

Copy deadline: August 20.

October 15

Scotch whisky; Low and no-alcohol drinks. Copy deadline: September 21.

November 15 Features to be confirmed. Copy deadline: October 22.

Please bear in mind that this schedule is subject to change and is not exhaustive. We like to introduce topical features at short notice and to respond to themes and trends in the market throughout the year.

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www.winemerchantmag.com 01323 871836 Twitter: @WineMerchantMag Advertising (Sarah Hunnisett) sarah@winemerchantmag.com Editor (Graham Holter) graham@winemerchantmag.com Mobile 07736 740107 Assistant Editor (Claire Harries) claire@winemerchantmag.com Accounts and invoicing (Naomi Young) winemerchantinvoices@gmail.com

The Wine Merchant is published by Graham Holter Ltd Registered in England: No 6441762 VAT 943 8771 82