How to Prune Your Marketing For The New Year
Discover how to take full advantage of the winter season by preparing your marketing initiatives for the New Year.
Winter is here, and with it, the dormant season is approaching. Tasting room traffic is slow, temperatures are freezing, and everyone is patiently waiting to process the first club shipment of the year. There is, however, one area where we see more activity — the vineyard.
During the winter months, vineyard stewards work row by row to prune the vines and get them ready for a fruitful growing season. Each vine is tenderly cared for because one wrong snip could impact the production of that row for years to come.
Whenever I look out at those dormant vines, I think how different the industry would be if we took care of our marketing initiatives the way we take care of our vineyards. Instead of cutting everything back to the stump of “marketing basics” every January, what if we invested the majority of our efforts right at the beginning of the year? While the rest of the wine world waits for spring to start talking with customers, what if we dove in now?
The end of the fourth quarter, rounding up to the New Year, has always been my favorite time of year. It’s where you can dream the biggest and focus on what you want to materialize in the future. Whether I was working with a large marketing team or running a one-man show, these are a few steps I used to make the next year better than the last.
Set Clear Intentions – When planning for the upcoming year, it’s easy to set quick goals on increasing E-commerce sales by “X” amount or launching a new experience over the summer. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with these plans, I often found such basic goals uninspiring. It’s not to say sales or traffic aren't the goal, but is there a way to bring in some creativity and enthusiasm to make those goals exciting to accomplish?
This year, try creating three specific, unique, and tangible goals that stretch your marketing efforts to the next level. These goals should be driven by your sales, traffic, and club goals for the year, but shouldn’t be the only result. Some examples are:
Developing a multi-channel marketing campaign targeting new residents to Portland with a "Claim your housewarming gift" giveaway, featuring new wine glasses, a branded wine opener, and a gift card to be spent at the winery with the goal of increasing social media followers, newsletter sign-ups, and tasting room traffic. (Don't forget – You cannot give away wine for free!)
Hosting a Pools & Pinots Party – what could be better? Use influencer marketing and targeted social ads to promote a Pool and Pinots pool party in August with chilled Pinot Noir based cocktails and endless glasses of Pinot Gris with the goal of expanding to a new, younger target market and increasing the entry level club sign-ups for regular shipments.
Designing a "Welcome to the club'' welcome email flow. Focus on two to three emails that introduce new club members to what makes your winery unique. Use it to get more information from those members like special dates, favorite wines, or when they want to visit next, all of which can be used in segmented campaigns and increase club retention.
When your goals excite you about marketing the winery for the upcoming year and feel like a stretch, that is when you know you have your three.
Find A Partner in Crime – Like opening your favorite bottle of wine, marketing is always more fun when shared with other people. For years now, I have worked on my annual planning with people outside my direct team or winery. Not only is it helpful to have a new set of eyes look at something you spend every day thinking about, but that creative energy can be developed into something bigger than if you were brainstorming alone.
These marketing buddies don't have to stop once the ground thaws – These goal-setting partners are great people to check in with throughout the year. From in the moment problem solving to accountability on the goals you set, these partners can change the game for your marketing development.
Maximize Your Impact – Now that you have your goals and a marketing partner, it is time to put those plans into action. What can you do to get the ball rolling now in the winter? In a recent conversation, someone shared the slogan with me, "Early is easy." As a night owl at heart, I’ve never been one to be early, except with my annual goals. I love finding ways to make my life easier now, so in six months or three years, I'm thanking myself.
One of my favorite tactics, which is so easy to execute, is being early to sponsorship opportunities for galas, associations, events, non-profits, etc. Most sponsorships are annual contributions and yet we often put off being a sponsor until halfway through the year. By signing up early, not only are you making the most impact with your contribution, but you are saving yourself time by not filling out a form in the middle of harvest. Plus, you are showing that organization that they were top of mind. Being early and engaged can do so much in the world of marketing, and that attention can carry positive energy throughout your year.
Like a vineyard, don’t expect your marketing efforts to work magic in six months. If we can wait upwards of five to seven years to see the fruits of our labor in a glass, why can’t we be patient with our newsletter or social media accounts? This year, gift yourself or a talented team member the time to develop the right momentum. You will learn more than ever about your brand and target audiences all while moving the needle where it counts.
Most of all, do not forget to have fun. You can always pivot to a new idea or go back to your tried and true promotions in a pinch, but this is a time to think outside the box and see what can happen.
About The Writer
Stephanie Hofmann is a marketing and leadership professional based in Portland, Oregon. She writes about accessible marketing, leadership development, multi-generational collaboration, and realistic DE&I steps to take in your business. Stay up-to-date with the latest post by following along on LinkedIn or Instagram.
