The Wine Direct Blog

For the latest in Direct-to-Consumer sales.  Featuring posts on compliance, direct sales tips and trends in the wine industry.

  Subscribe to our Blog

WineDirect Admin
 
October 7, 2009 | WineDirect Admin

Animal Wine Labels

If you think you’ve been noticing more and more animals on wine labels over the past several years, it’s not just your imagination. According to a study by market research firm ACNielsen, approximately one out of every five table wine brands introduced features an animal on the label. Traditionally, a logo or label with direct relevance to the product it represents has been emphasized as a key to success. For wineries, this would generally be grapes or a vineyard. In spite of this established practice, wine labels with animals have been warmly received, and even demonstrate an increase in sales. Danny Brager, VP of ACNielsen’s Beverage Alcohol Team, states that the sales generated by new brands featuring a ‘critter’ outperform other new table wines by more than double.

One theory suggests that an animal label has a unique presentation that differentiates it from more traditional label styles. This may help to distinguish it on retail shelves drawing the attention of new consumers.

A second theory of this trend explains that consumers have an easier time relating to images which they have already been primed to. The imagery is already familiar to the consumer and may have other meaning in their personal lives as well.

Earlier this year Peter Renton, founder of Lightning Labels, further explored this idea noting a study by Professor Aparna Labro (University of Chicago Booth School of Business), Ravi Dhar (Yale University) and Norbert Schwartz (University of Michigan). According to their research, consumers tend to purchase products which reflect themselves rather than the product.

Below are a few examples showcasing labels which have interesting and unique animal designs.

Nebraska Table Wine
A partnership between Lincoln Children’s Zoo and James Arthur Vineyard, these clever labels highlight animals within the zoo and include catchy names such as Pokey Red and Snappy White (shown above). Nebraska Table Wine was awarded in Commart’s 2008 Design Annual for its crisp packaging design.

www.jamesarthurvineyards.com
www.commarts.com

Mutt Lynch Winery
Supporting a long list of nonprofit animal rescue shelters and organizations, Mutt Lynch Winery stands out for both its community leadership and award winning wines. Each bottle design has its own unique, individual flair. Featured above are Merlot Over and Play Dead, Unleashed Chardonnay and Portrait of a Mutt Zinfandel.

www.muttlynchwinery.com

PengWine
Offering delectable wines sourced from Chile’s Maipo Valley, PengWine dedicates its brand and label designs to Chile’s regional bird - the penguin. Each bottle illustrates a specific type of of penguin and is even tied to a PengWine persona which provides a brief summary of the bird and wine characteristics. Shown above are Humboldt, Royal and Rockhopper.
www.pengwine.com

Time Posted: Oct 7, 2009 at 10:29 AM
WineDirect Admin
 
October 6, 2009 | WineDirect Admin

Showing Thanks: Inexpensive Differentiator or Missed Opportunity

I’ve noticed lately that one of the easiest, most important (and relatively inexpensive) customer service techniques often goes over-looked. In our ever-evolving world of technology, it’s easy to increase automation for improved efficiency. However, one unintended result is that we sometimes end up forgetting our manners.

Just as important in today’s economy as it was when we first learned proper etiquette, is taking the time to properly thank your customers. I think every business owner can remember their first sale. The excitement, the enticement of endless possibility and most importantly - the gratitude. Why should subsequent sales be any less important?

Properly thanking your customers can mean many different things. Do you have an automated email thank you for online orders? What does it say? Does it sound automated? Consider adding a personal touch to your automated responses so that customers know you are paying attention. Add an invitation to an upcoming event since they purchased from you this month. Let them know of next month’s annual cellar sale. Keep it updated often and don’t let it get stale. Good customer service is a key differentiator between you and your competition. Automated “thank you’s” like “Your transaction has been processed.” or “Thank You.” don’t help your customers remember you. Going the extra mile will. What else do you do to say thanks? In addition to a warm and friendly thank you email, also consider calling customers at random to personally thank them, or slipping a hand-written thank you note into some out-going shipments. Even if you don’t have the budget or man-power to do this for every single customer, doing it sporadically will make a difference for that one individual - it’s like winning the customer service lottery for the day.

A proper thank you goes a long way – it is common courtesy and makes a customer more likely to return once you’ve shown you truly appreciate their business. Positive brand recognition and word of mouth referrals are the strongest advertisement you can get. Set the bar high for customer service and you can’t go wrong. Your customers will take note, and your competition will too.