PLEASE NOTE: THIS WEEK’S POST HAS TWO PARTS. THE FIRST ADDRESSES THE COVID-19 CRISIS, AND THE SECOND (BELOW THE STARS) IS THE REGULAR “101” CONTENT.

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

First thing’s first: our health.

The physical health of our bodies, I mean, during this COVID-19 crisis.

And also the economic health of our livelihoods, when so many businesses and jobs throughout the hospitality spectrum are impacted negatively and in unprecedented ways.

We intend, in no way, to make light of the seriousness of the situation or to be insensitive to the circumstances that are creating our new reality, hour by hour.

Full stop.

If that’s all you can manage to read right now, I understand if you want to direct your attention elsewhere.

If you’d like to continue reading what’s below, this week I’m sharing observations about the DTC outreach I’ve received so far as a consumer. There has never been a more challenging time for DTC programs to rise to the occasion, and I’ve seen some exceptional and creative examples come across my desk.

From the perspective of Enolytics, we’d also like to share some tips for making that outreach even better.

Finally, let me reiterate my willingness to schedule one-on-one video conferencing to talk about your current offerings and brainstorm ideas to improve. It seems to me that there has never been a better time for that, either.

Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for reading. Thank you, in advance, for letting me know how you are.

* * * * *

As a consumer and DTC subscriber to several wineries, here are four things I’ve particularly appreciated about outreach campaigns in recent weeks:

1. Wineries have proactively addressed the challenge and articulated specifically their own policies to keep their staff and their community safe.

2. Virtual tastings (!!) and effective use of video conferencing tools. Whether not I personally join those tastings, I appreciate winery efforts to maintain consumer engagement. What registers, most of all, is that the winery is trying to stay in touch and front-of-mind.

3. Updates about programming, including ticket sales or refunds and plans (however tentative) to reschedule.

4. Updates about placing wine orders and specific how-to information such as a phone number with the correct extension, a direct link to the ecommerce website, and details for any offers for reduced or free shipping costs.

For wineries who are doing these things, please know that as your consumer I recognize your engagement and I’ll remember it, moving forward.

At Enolytics we huddled together and considered the outreach we’ve been seeing so far. We’d like to plant two seeds of ideas in your head for what more is possible.

Targeted Campaigns with the Database You Already Have

Here’s an example of an email that we have not yet seen, but that is entirely possible to create using the database of customers you already own.

“We can see from our records that you visited our winery this time time last year. Although a repeat visit isn’t possible right now, we’d like to extend a special offer of the newest vintage of the same wines you purchased a year ago. It’s a fun opportunity to open the bottles side by side at home, and taste the difference a vintage makes. If you need a refresh of the older vintage, or the wines you purchased as part of our holiday offering a few months ago, please let us know and we’ll bundle the order together.”

That’s just an idea, and obviously the mix of what your winery can offer is unique to you. Variables you can “mine” and assemble into an offering include order history an interest in specific varietals, activity by channel (i.e., tasting room vs website vs telemarketing), demographics (particularly age and gender) and geography.

Prepare to Take Your DTC Program on the Road

Let’s assume that, at some point, travel restrictions will be lifted and market visits will be a reality again. Now is the time to prepare to take your DTC program on the road, so that you’re ready when the time comes.

We’ve written about it before, and it’s an opportune moment to dig into specifics about the geography of your consumer base. What are the top ten markets for your DTC delivery in October, say, relative to your top ten markets in April? Where are your consumers clustered who have bought from you in the past twelve months, relative to those who haven’t bought in the past year or more?

The potential variable mix is robust, both for taking your DTC program on the road and for creating specific, targeted campaigns. Both opportunities send the message to your customers that you’re paying close attention to their experience with your wines.

I hope this helps, and I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions in response.

Take good care,
Cathy