3 Ways to Make Your Wine Your Distributor’s Priority
Written by Ashley DeCarli
(5 min read)
The growth in direct-to-consumer wine sales is certainly something to celebrate, but third-party channels such as restaurants, bars, wine/spirit stores and online retailers still play a large role in winery sales. And as you know, to get your wine in your desired restaurant and retail settings, the best (and often only) way to do so is through the support of distribution partners. But just because a distributor agrees to represent your wine does not mean that your job is over.
Your wine is ONLY ONE of the MANY wine brands your distribution partner represents. As your distributor approaches restaurants and retailers, understand that it’s far easier for them to sell popular wine brands customers are familiar with and more likely to buy. So it’s YOUR JOB, not the distributor’s, to make your wine sellable!
“Sellability” centers around your brand. It shapes the perception people have of your product, so before you approach distribution partners, make sure your wine brand is buttoned-up and your marketing tools are fine-tuned. Here are three (3) brand-related things you can do to make your wine worthy of your distributor’s time and attention.
1. Dress for the part — make sure your brand appearance is on par with the quality of your product and appeals to your desired audience.
First, keep in mind that your desired audience IS NOT your distributor. Distributors want wines that are attractive to restaurants/retailers and restaurants/retailers want wines that are attractive to customers. So focus on showcasing how your wine appeals to a restaurant’s/retailer’s target customer.
Then, remember people experience your wine with their eyes before it ever touches their lips. Names and labels have a major impact on the first impression your wine makes. Retailers will pay close attention to what those design elements may or may not communicate to their customers. For example, if a retailer is trying to appeal to a more adventurous wine drinker, a wine with a traditional label may be a turnoff. If you need to revisit these key creative elements, do so before you partake in a restaurant/retail push.
And finally, “dressing for the part” extends to your digital presence. Your website and social media accounts serve as the digital litmus test for your brand. Restaurants/retailers will review the aesthetics, style and story conveyed to evaluate if you are, in fact, a lifestyle fit for their customers. So make your website and Instagram page accurately represent the character of your brand or your wine may be dismissed.
2. Tell a stand-out story — make sure your brand story showcases your unique character and sparks an emotional connection.
Your brand story, more than anything else, differentiates your wine from the MANY others out there. Providing distributors with tasting notes and technical sheets is a must, but they will not help your wine stand out from the other wines your distributor represents. If you want distributors to remember and rave about your wine, you need a stellar brand story that sparks an emotional connection.
This sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, brand story is where so many wine businesses go wrong. Too often “brand story” gets confused with the “background/history.” And while that information is a part of the story, it is not the brand story. A brand story must connect people to the heart behind your business. It captures your unique character by showcasing who you are, what you believe in and the experience you offer. If your story leans too heavily on attributes and claims that many other wineries in your region are owning, your story, no matter how true it is, will not separate you from your competitors.
So spend time refining your unique brand story, then bring it to life on your website and social media accounts. As mentioned, distributors will refer restaurant/retailers to your website to get a sense of your story for themselves.
3. Tailor your tools — make sure your marketing materials are created specifically to support distributor sales conversations.
The marketing materials you provide to distributors, whether printed collateral or short videos, must do more than reiterate what people can find on your website and social media. They should creatively and strategically position your wine for a restaurant/retailer target customer and communicate information suited specifically for distributor-led conversations.
Many wine brands are faced with familiarity bias when they’re trying to impact the choices of restaurants/retailers. If this is the case for you — i.e., your wine falls in a common wine category or is up against a beloved brand — try creating collateral materials that position your wine in unique, customer-centric categories. For instance, if you produce an exceptional Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley utilizing a rare wine-making technique, avoid positioning your wine only in terms of Oregon Wine or a medium-bodied red. Give it a categorization that showcases why it’s special and appealing to customers such as “a wine for those who appreciate the unexpected.”
In addition to positioning, convey any additional information that might make your distributor’s meetings with restaurants/retailers more impactful. Maybe that’s a letter written by the winery owner addressed to restaurant/retail managers. Or a short two-minute video of the winemaker explaining how the wine pairs with food and/or what settings and lifestyles it’s best suited for. Whatever creative route you take, the key here is to get specific. Speak specifically to the restaurant owner and provide information specifically relevant to them.
At the end of the day, you’re responsible for making your distributor’s job easy. If you need help developing the brand tools that will make them eager to represent and sell your product, let us know!
