Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/918844
46 WINES&VINES January 2018 VIEWPOINT Casinos and hotel companies understand and market to the concept of both most valu- able and most growable purchasers. In success- ful hospitality companies, complete profitability and purchase trends are understood and uti- lized as the basis to whom special offers are extended. They want to know who spends the most now, but they also want to track who is spending more each time they visit. For a major event in Las Vegas, be it a boxing match or a headline show, the best suites at any casino are going to be allocated to the most valuable, or the most growable players—and their friends. In the wine business, this might determine who gets access to the last 10 cases of your best wine. It shouldn't be a mass mailing to your entire list. It should first be offered as a special perk to those who are most likely to continue to grow their relationship with you. Those are not just "good customers;" they are the absolute cream of the crop—the customers who are most likely to continue to grow their role with the you. Wineries don't ever seem to measure or estimate that. The ancillary purchases of best customers are a great opportunity to promote new releases in a warm and friendly way rather than the standard mass email to all members. If some of your top customers bought two cases of the Sauvignon Blanc last summer, and it sold out, shouldn't "first crack" at the new vintage go to them this year? If they consistently bring new members, new buyers, new "promoters," aren't they more valuable than other members? How do you recognize these trends and use them to create real loyalty and enthusiasm? The argument is always, "They're here all the time," "They've been members for life," "They're local" and "They're friends of ______________." All of that to imply that we don't need to do anything more for these customers, they're already sold. That's the wrong attitude. At the highest level of revenue value, the organization can do so much more, and those actions will have a substantial, positive impact on profits. How can you do this? By treating your top- level customers with a degree of personalized service that goes beyond the standard emails and newsletters. By creating private experi- ences and communication to our top wine club members based upon overall contribution rather than just club level. Through their high- level purchases and continued support, they have shown that they are more than just good customers. It should be our job to let them know that we recognize them for this and offer them a level of personalized service and offers that others cannot expect. Mary Loftness is a 30-year veteran marketing strate- gist with extensive experience in customer relation- s h i p m a n a g e m e n t . H e r c o m p a n y, P r o f i t a b l e Customers, has been providing customer relationship management consulting to the hospitality industry for more than 17 years. She teaches casino marketing courses in the University of Nevada-Reno Extended Studies program and frequently speaks at industry conferences including the annual Casino Marketing Conference in Las Vegas. Paul Wagner is president emeritus of Balzac Communica- tions & Marketing and has been an instructor at Napa Valley College for 22 years. With Rick Kushman of Capital Public Radio, Wagner hosts "Bottle Talk," a weekly con- versation about wine, at rickandpaulwine.com. Through their high-level purchases and continued support, our top wine club members have shown that they are more than just good customers. The 2018 Wines & Vines Packaging Design Awards is the place to shine in front of your industry peers. View the finalists and celebrate the winners at the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference on Aug. 9, 2018, in Yountville, Calif. Visit wvpack.com for more information. CALL FOR ENTRIES WINES & VINES PACKAGING DESIGN AWARDS CONTEST OPENS JANAURY 2018