Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/74662
NA VIGA TION MARKETING the wines and gives contact information and newsletter and club sign-up details. 3. Our materials are designed to show- case the brand's USPs with interesting professional imagery and concise, poi- gnant copywriting. They are up to date and speak to the audience(s) we're tar- geting. They are appropriate for what we're trying to achieve (and not neces- sarily expensive). Your score: How your winery DtC marketing efforts measure up There were nine total sections worth three points each for a total of 27 possible points. You'll see a results area for each range of scores, beginner through pro. If you didn't complete a section because it's not relevant to you (i.e., you don't advertise or don't distribute), be sure to remove those from the total points and use the percentages so your results aren't skewed. 9-14 (or up to 51%): Weak to beginner— at least your winery has a lot to gain by get- ting started! 15-22 (or up to 81%): Average to solid effort with room to improve. 23-27 (or more than 85%): Pro—great job with possible enhancements for "ex- tra credit." SCORE CARD 9-14 = Weak to beginner 15-22 = Average to solid 23-27 = Pro—great job! Your plan Now that you have a scorecard, it should be easier to identify the areas where you have particular weaknesses. For example, is your tasting room running beautifully at a "3" while your website hasn't been up- dated in two years and is therefore operat- ing at a "1?" Or, are you a whiz at social media with a "3," but at the same time for- getting to interact with the press and earn- ing a "1" in that area? I encourage you to rank each area and CalAgX_Dir11.qxp 11/18/10 8:48 AM Page 1 outline specifically what you need to do to enhance your efforts in demand creation. (Even if you're smiling at the "pro" level right now, there is most likely at least one area you've identified where you can take action to continue improving.) If resources are limited, perhaps focus on the lower cost areas such as website copy and social media, where you might hire a college English ma- jor for a project or internship. In any event, use this as an opportunity to make a chart of the short- and long-term tactics you'll use to improve your DtC marketing this month and through the rest of the year. Then add each item to a specific date on your calendar to make sure it actually gets done. Creating a plan and then executing it gets you to the solid end of the perfor- mance spectrum. The true pros practice kaizen, or the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. To bring kaizen to your wine business, you must start by tracking your performance. Then spend time analyzing what worked, what didn't and why. And finally, keep doing the things that are working and alter your methods for those that aren't. The obvious measure of DtC efforts is ONE WORLD – YOUR WORLD – YOUR MARKET What can the CalAgX do for you? California Agricultural Export Training Program May Be for You! Going Global? • Develop the "next steps" for your company to expand your specialty crop sales on a global scale • Respond to international sales inquiries and trade leads • Learn the details of moving your product overseas and getting paid • Identify and resolve company barriers to exporting Add'l Representative: $75.00 Reg. Deadline: January 21, 2011 Program Fee: $199.00 CalAgX 2011 For More Information or to Apply Online, visit: http://www.fresnocitd.org/calagx (888) 638-7888 Class sessions will begin February 2011 and end April 2011 at Napa Co. Farm Bureau, Fresno CITD and San Diego Co. Farm Bureau The CalAgX program is funded by the 2009 Specialty Crop Block Grant program of the United States Department of Agriculture, and is presented by the Fresno Center for International Trade Development in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. 142 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 • Understand the financial and promotional export assistance that is available • Establish contacts with experienced professionals in international finance, logistics and trade sales. Knowing the breakdown between channels—wholesale, direct-to-trade (DTT) and DtC—is the basic level. Measuring within the DtC channel will give you more insight, so you should track phone, e-mail, web, tasting room and club sales. Within the sales numbers lie the de- mand-creation metrics. To track advertis- ing effectiveness you'll need to have the call to action and implement systems to find out what prompted the sales—for ex- ample a drop-down on a website shopping cart and staff person trained to ask tasting room visitors. Measuring ROI from events can be more difficult where direct sale dur- ing that time is not available. That's why the "3s" develop an event-specific offer so that sales afterward may be monitored. Measuring the effectiveness of charita- ble events can be particularly challenging. Rather than spreading wine out among many organizations, I typically recom- mend that clients align themselves with a particular cause to create repetition. Free- man Vineyard and Winery in Sonoma, Calif., has developed a unique way of handling charitable requests. Instead of of- fering wine, Freeman donates $100 to the organization in exchange for each case pur- chased and in exchange for advertisements in the event program. "Our approach has helped us build brand awareness and loy- alty while also giving back," said Amelia Weir of Stephan-Weir Public Relations in San Francisco, which represents Freeman. While media coverage can lead to direct sale of wine (i.e., your Cabernet appears in the local paper and a reader calls to order a case), it is more often a demand-creation activity. These metrics should include num- ber of samples sent, meetings held and ar- ticles generated. "Heavy emphasis on both lifestyle and trade press has helped Free-