Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/732978
42 WINES&VINES October 2016 BOTTLES &LABELS I t doesn't seem to matter how a winery gets there, once it finds the right packag- ing for a wine brand, better sales will follow. The right design can come from quirky and offbeat ideas generated in-house and produced with local talent, or it can be the result of a detailed and exhaustive process involving lead- ing design firms. Either way, if a winery can hone in on an effective brand and packaging strategy, its brand will have a definitive advan- tage on retail shelves. The trick is finding the strategy. Experts in design, retail and wine production all discussed how to strike the right balance of brand and packaging at the third annual Wines & Vines Packaging Conference held Aug. 17 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville, Calif. More than 450 people attended the show, which fea- tured expert seminars, panel discussions, mul- tiple tasting bars, a trade show and on-site brand consultations by several designers. This year's conference also included an ex- panded Wines & Vines Packaging Design Awards that featured winners selected by a panel of expert judges and "people's choice" awards that were determined by votes of those attending the conference. (See pages 46-50.) One of the day's most engaging speakers was packaging designer Kevin Shaw, the creative director and founder of design firm Stranger & Stranger. Shaw decried the lack of innovation in wine packaging and provided numerous ex- amples of how spirits, beer and even olive oil do a better job of being innovative. He said he feared the U.S. wine industry is becoming a more homogenous sector, in which all wine starts to taste the same (to consumers at least) and even look the same. When that happens (as he said it did in the United Kingdom), the next step is steep dis- counting and an overall decline in quality. "No wonder consumers are bored, confused," he said. Shaw went so far as to offer free branding services from Stranger & Stranger for any wine company developing a truly unusual wine con- cept. "We want to shake the tree, so let's make something," he said. In another conference session, James Stew- art, president of Napa Valley's Stewart Cellars, described how he worked with design firm CF Napa on an overhaul of the company's second label, Slingshot. Stewart was joined by David Schuemann, owner and creative director for CF Napa, and Steve Lamoureux, senior vice president of product innovation and design for The Nielsen Co., for a panel discussion about the best practices for package design. Schuemann said wineries should expect de- signers to provide examples of their work with references as well as the figures that demon- strate a clear return on investment. He said that a request for proposal is then followed by a creative brief, which forms the basis of the entire brand design and package. The brief can then be referred to later in the creative process. Another popular session featured three wine retailers discussing what wine packaging worked in their stores—and what didn't. The speakers included Gary Fisch, owner of Gary's Wine and Marketplace with four stores in New Jersey, and Debbie Zachareas, the partner and wine director at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco, Calif., and Oxbow Wine and Cheese Merchant in Napa, Calif. Moderating the panel discussion was Curtis Mann, the wine, beer and spirits buyer for Raley's Family of Fine Stores, which in- cludes 118 supermarkets. Mann mentioned that Raley's blind tastes all wines so they won't be affected by the pack- aging. "It's still a surprise when a good wine looks like the label was created by a third grader," he said. Authentic vs. approachable Fisch started by showing popular wines in a wide variety of packages and labels now of- fered to consumers, including cans, boxes, cartons, plastic bottles and glass bottles in vari- ous sizes. Everyone in the wine business is talking about appealing to the millennial drinker, but Fisch said many brands aimed at them are missing the target. "The millennial drinker is looking for authenticity. They have varied tastes and don't hesitate to try something new, but celebrity wines and weird names aimed at them don't work." Labels are an especially important consid- eration for women, who buy most wine in supermarkets. Fisch cited a CreativeFeed sur- vey that found 46% of consumers indicated "traditional, classic and sophisticated" labels hold more appeal than others. In the same survey, "51% of millennial women (ages 21-24) say organic or sustainably produced bottles are an important purchasing factor." Zachareas said many of her customers buy cans of wine to take to concerts, the ballpark How to Create Packaging That Sells Conference delivers insights and opportunities from retailers, winemakers and designers By Paul Franson and Andrew Adams