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September 2018 WINES&VINES 27 VIEWPOINT You know how good your Zinfandel is... Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. JoinUs! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. Vineyard Tools Battery Powered Pruning Shears • 1.25-inch and 1.5-inch cutting capacity models • 15,000 pruning cuts per battery charge • Includes lithium battery, harness, holster and carrying case www.zenportindustries.com | 503-524-7289 Gra ing Tools w zenportindustri Tying Tools & Supplies Harvest Shears ineyard T ols Pruning | Gra ing | Tying | Harvest Your lender of choice for agricultural capital • Agricultural real estate since 1917 • Long-term fixed or adjustable rate mortgage financing • Real estate secured revolving line of credit • Competitive interest rates • Flexible terms and structuring Rates are attractive —contact us today. www.metlife.com/ag 559.435.0206 Agricultural Finance © 2016 METLIFE, INC. Being literal Designs that imply are often more effective than those that bludgeon with literal messages. Imagine if Yellow Tail featured an illustration of a map of Australia. Yes, it would be crystal-clear that Yellow Tail was a proud product of Australia, but the use of an Aboriginal-styled kangaroo connects to Australia and forces consumers to think about the connec- tion. Having to go through this thinking process will help lodge the brand into their memory bank. Listening too much Deep down, everyone's a designer at heart. If you ask 20 people, you'll get 20 views. Every man and his dog have an opinion. But the one that matters the most is yours; you have to love your label design. It is something you should feel proud of and passionate about every time you pour a glass for a consumer or show a retailer. You might not fit the profile of your target audience, but that's not the point – you should still love the design. Skimping on cost Don't underestimate the importance of how a label feels in the hand. Does it feel plastic or naturally textured? What does this say about the product inside? What does this say about what the winemaker thinks of the product? Does he or she care? Did he skimp on the wine quality, too? Standing out for the sake of it OK, so the label is fluorescent pink and features unicorns. It stands out on the shelf like the proverbial sore thumb. But is it appealing? Would you really want it on your dining table? Does it make you want to try the wine that lies within? Of course, it's important to have a distinctive presence on the shelf, but it's even more important to ap- peal to your target customers. Copying others Just as your wine should be an individual reflection of you, where you're from, and your winemaking skills, so, too, should your design. Settling for being a "me, too" of an existing brand is not only lazy, but it also opens you up to accusations of infringing someone else's copyright. Being too conservative You've got to know when to be brave and do something radical. If you don't want to change 95% of your existing label, don't expect to double your sales with a new design. Leaving the design too late Leaving the design of your new rosé brand until after you've finished picking the fruit, then expecting a cracking label design to be fin- ished by the time it's bottled, doesn't leave much time for what is an incredibly important element of your product. If you want a great creative result, engage the designers early in the process. Give them time to mull over the challenges and opportunities. A rushed project will often mean corners are cut and opportunities not fully grasped. Failing to sync wine and design A great wine is let down by a mediocre label, and a great label can be let down by a mediocre wine. The wine in the bottle must be as great as the label on the front of that bottle. Remember, a great label will get consumers to buy your wine once, but it's the winemaker's job to ensure they come back for a second purchase. Rowena Curlewis is the CEO and co-founder of the of the drinks design agency Denomination, which has offices in Sydney, London and San Francisco.