Does Wine Have an Identity Crisis?
Does Wine Have an Identity Crisis?
Wine Label Takes a Page from the Beer and Spirits Industry for Launch
Does Wine Have an Identity Crisis?
Guinness has St. Patrick’s Day, Abita has Mardi Gras and Dom Pérignon gets to share the most special occasions such as New Year’s Eve, weddings and launching ships.
Budweiser gets top-billing for July 4th, Corona is a no-brainer when there’s sand and sun involved, Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam score when college football rolls around, while SKYY and Absolut get the celebrities.
“Does wine have an identity crisis?” asks Bob Bartels, a public relations consultant with Alabama-based b2 ideas, a company that specializes in new product introductions. “If you ask the average consumer to provide you a list of beer brands, you’d get dozens. Yet, if you ask the same person to provide a list of wine labels, you’d be lucky to get one or two.”
Bartels notes that beer drinkers tend to be much more brand-loyal, while wine drinkers will experiment with different labels – a trait that is common among enthusiasts. “Word of mouth tends to drive the sales of wine labels, while beer and spirits invest heavily in promotions. Trying new wines is often based upon the recommendations of friends, restaurant staff or a wine professional at your local retailer.”
b2 ideas took a page from the beer and spirits industry when it recently launched the Pink Ribbon Wines collection. The collection, benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, built the label’s launch around its ‘Toast to the Cure,’ a nationwide, grassroots event where people can gather to share a toast, celebrate the lives of people who we have lost to breast cancer, and show conviction to finding a cure.
“We received tremendous response from our ‘Toast to the Cure’ event, and hope to build off of this promotion. Our ultimate goal is to establish Pink Ribbon Wines as an everyday wine. A great wine, at a great value, supporting a great cause,” says Bartels.
Breaking through the clutter is a tactic that all beer brands attempt, Bartels says, noting that companies will continue to explore non-calendar-specific days for promotions.
The Pink Ribbon Wines collection is currently developing its distributor network, and the label can also be found online at www.pinkribbonwines.com.