A challenge to selling wine online is that unless the buyer has experience of the wine they are either buying on marketing communication or recommendation. As research companyTrendwatching noted “between the knowledge required and the not-unsubstantial investment, choosing a new bottle of wine can feel like a risky endeavour”.
With this in mind, Trendwatching have picked up on vintners embracing tryvertising: sampling something before you buy it. Now that concept is not new to wine brands and is the rationale for tasting rooms and tasting events. But what Trendwatching have highlighted is how to extend this to the online arena.
Trendwatching write about San Francisco-based Brixr which recently launched a set of tasting packs designed specifically for sampling.
“Now in beta, Brixr offers two different tasting packs, each featuring four 50ml bottles of boutique wines along with an online video tasting guide. The 2008 Pinot Noir Holiday Tasting Pack, priced at USD 69, includes samples of three wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands and one from the Sonoma Coast appellation. In addition to the four samples, recipients of the pack get a coupon for two full-sized bottles of their favourite sampled wines, shipped directly to their door at no charge.”
As digital communication and commerce increasingly become a fact of life for wine brands, it is strategies like this that are going to have to be considered, devised, adapted and implemented.