The Wine Industry and the Digital Grapevine

Perhaps it was all the libations we enjoyed over the holiday stretch, or maybe even this beautiful 55-degree weather we’re experiencing in New England that’s made us take a quick mental vacation, but either way, we’ve got wine on the mind (Is it Friday yet?). This was the segue to our discussion of Rhode Island’s bountiful variety of vineyards… but why is it that we so rarely hear from them during the winter months? So we got to drinking, thinking… “How has the wine industry approached the realm of social media?”

For many wine enthusiasts, there is no greater pleasure than enjoying a vintage selection that has been aged to perfection. However, unlike the wine itself, there is no faux pas greater than a winery having a digital presence lay untouched over a long period of time.

If your internet curiosity has brought you this far, you need no explanation as to the potential power and reach of social media. A simple “if we build it, they will come” attitude toward your online presence does not a successful business make in the world of wine or any lifestyle category. A strategic balance of presence, participation & promotion has proven to be a successful business model for many wineries and vineyards, who, despite turbulent economic conditions, have remained on top of the industry.

Nationally, Duckhorn Vineyards and J. Lohr are a couple great examples, but you need not be a major brand to successfully utilize social media and digital marketing. Among our local wineries here in New England, we love Greenvale Vineyards. This small, family-owned winery in Rhode Island has a vibrant blog and engaging social media presence.

The true benefit of social media is its potential to create awareness of your brand, and do so in a way that enables prospective or existing consumers to engage and interact with it. Social media is about being social and—from wine enthusiasts sharing great finds to novices seeking out advice—the subject of wine is inherently social. We’ve seen this first-hand in working with French Wine Explorers—a boutique travel firm that specializes in luxury wine tours to France. Check out their Facebook page and blog to witness how the company uses social media to engage potential customers not only on their specific tours, but on the subject of wine in general.

A recent survey by winebusiness.com showed that the majority (59%) of visitors to wineries relied on word of mouth in planning their itinerary.

“Tapping into the “word of mouth” aspect of social media can be beneficial.”
- wine business

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow savvy wine industry businesses to not only promote their wines, vineyards or tours, but also to illustrate and share their expertise, thereby tapping into and forming relationships with a new, more extensive world of potential clients.


How do you interact with your current and potential? If you knew then what you know now, how would you restructure your digital presence?

Fashion for the Masses: Social Media

In today’s digital society, Social Media has undergone what seems like an overnight transformation from personal representation of profile pages to something far more elaborate. Now, you would be hard-pressed to find a news program that didn’t attempt to engage their viewers via Twitter, or invite them to ‘Like’ their page on Facebook, follow their blog… The list goes on. The result is a personalization and democratization of information. The fashion industry, is no exception to this, shedding its long-standing reputation of elitism, as was evident during New York Fashion Week.

For the first time since its inception, organizers made New York Fashion Week available to the masses by use of live video streaming through YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/liverunway). Here, on its own dedicated channel, spectators from far and wide can view the collections of every designer as they are shown at Lincoln Center, and are able to engage in a live conversation via Twitter feed below. By eliminating the barriers and exclusivity normally associated with this event, designers can effectively engage the global community in their brand. Instilling and maintaining a Social Media presence is crucial to the success of any business expecting to propel itself to the center stage in a marketplace with a myriad of competitors. Clearly, for any designer to experience organic growth, they must step outside of their comfort zone with the idea that they more that they share, and the more transparent they are, the better the relationship will be with the consumer.

Fashion week is also showing us that Social Media has changed not only how brands interact with their clients, but how fashion news and information is disseminated. Blogs have opened a new gateway to information on trends, style, and an unbiased opinion like never before; and they are more influential than any publicist ever imagined. The most sought after seats at each show are now occupied not by celebrities and editors, but by independent bloggers.

How has Social Media changed your own interaction with consumers and your public relations outreach? Do you have a healthy network of influential bloggers in your network?

Are Celebrity Brands Still Relevant (and Working)?

So, another celebrity has jumped into the "designer" fray. Christie Brinkley--model, mother, serial-wife--is adding jewelry designer to her resume. Brinkley teamed up with retailer Ross-Simons to launch the Christie Brinkley Collection. While the line is actually well positioned with great prices (ring, below, is $125) and stylish (if not innovative, with floral, heart and boho themes) design, I'm curious about the whole "celebrity" angle. Is it still relevant? Does this strategy work in this economy? 

It may very well be that I'm jaded. First, I wrote through the years about far too many "celebrity" fashion and jewelry lines, most of

 which barely registered a blip on the mainstream style radar

 (um, Brody Jenner, anyone?). Second, I'm currently absorbed with the business of independent designers, artists and boutique luxury-service providers. Granted, this is a definite PR success for Ross-Simons (if this were just an unbranded line I and many others probably wouldn't pay it much attention). But, given that consumers seem to be focused on value over image right now, it seems to me that, while celebrities are still helping to drive fashion trends, the general idea of celebrity brands may be reaching the saturation point. I'm very curious to hear thoughts on the subject...