COVID-19 has obviously introduced a lot of uncertainty for wineries, and everyone is understandably stumbling while learning to walk through each phase of the situation.
In this article, we highlight 3 wineries who have done an outstanding job of communicating during crisis, so you can learn from their example ensure the continued loyalty and support of your customers.
How To NOT Stand-Out
Chances are, when the news had just started blowing up about the coronavirus, you sent out an email with any of the following phrases:
“The health and safety of our guests is our highest concern”
“We are increasing our sanitation practices”
“Employees who are sick are asked to stay home”
“Now if you’ll please buy some wine…”
But so did every other winery, restaurant, gym, bank, church, and even SaaS company in existence.
As a result, you blend in with the noise; your message gets lost in the static; you lose trust; you miss opportunities; you appear average.
If you hope to increase your customer loyalty, your wine sales, and the longevity of your business itself, your communication needs to be outstanding.
Zig-Zag Emails
In marketing, it’s critical to zig when everyone is zagging.
This is why we were talking about Messenger Marketing and Live Chat years before our peers began implementing these services in their own businesses.
(Incidentally, seeing too many subpar iterations of these is why we haven’t been sharing our latest secrets.)
When it comes to email, almost every winery out there has zagged their customers to death.
“These are strange times. The impact of this pandemic cannot be understated. So we’re offering 30% off cases and free shipping!”
This kind of messaging is tone-deaf, and is yet another zag in a series of zags.
Yes, you need to make money. But you also need to protect your brand. Consumers are less inclined to purchase from a brand who appears out of touch.
3 Wineries Setting Positive Examples For Communication
Enough of what you shouldn’t do — let’s honor three wineries who are absolutely crushing it.
Key takeaways of what they’re doing right:
- Embracing the human connection, thanking their audience for support
- Sharing stories, updates, and even personal contact info
- Spreading love, fun, and high vibration energy
- Following up virtual tastings to inspire further participation
- Clearly stating how to purchase wines, without using the subject of the pandemic to sneak in more sales spam
Brooks Wine
Brooks Wine was the first winery that caught my attention, because they interrupted the pattern of monotony that had flooded my promotions tab.
When every winery out there was saying the generic message of “we’re washing hands, we care about your safety, please buy our wine,” Janie Brooks Heuck sent out an email that got to the heart of the matter, and talked to me like a friend who was being real with me.
Since sending out this email, Janie has continued to send emails that speak directly to the reader, wish them good health and joy, tell the Brooks Wine brand story, and more.
Component Wine
Component gets it right by spreading the love, focusing on the human connection, and helping people have fun — Netflix and wine pairing, anyone? Michael Kennedy has truly gone above and beyond by offering his calendar for his subscribers to schedule one-on-one chats with him. Oh and look, a little green button to give you the option to purchase. See? You can have your cake and eat it!
Belden Barns
The Beldens have been doing an awesome job at following up their virtual tastings with informative emails that make us go full FOMO. Seriously, how fun do their tastings sound? Certainly not your typical Facebook Live, one-sided boring conversation “tasting” experience. Clear instructions on availability and how to purchase as well.
Email Marketing Services For Wineries
In general, we believe it’s best if a winery writes their own emails, for authenticity and voice.
But for those who are growth-minded business owners, we are available on a consulting basis to assist in:
- Multiplying the number of subscribers to your email list
- Fine-tuning your messaging and branding
- Getting your emails out of the damn Promotions tab, and
- Implementing high-performance strategies to increase your DTC sales.
If you’d like help with any of that, send us an email.