Giant strides are very exciting. In our industry, a slow, seasonally affected, growing, pressing and aging pace sometimes takes over and causes our progress to lag a bit behind faster moving industries (tech, TV, advertising…to name a few). So when the wine industry makes a leap, it generates a wave impossible to ignore, exciting to watch, and exhilirating to participate in whenever you can. This summer in particular, Social Media in Wine Marketing has taken that giant stride, nay leap forward opening up imagination, possibility and interactive wine marketing experiences new in the wine world.
Contributing to the leaps forward upto and including the summer of 2009, credit must go to the Wine Bloggers Conference, Twitter Taste Live, The Open Wine Consortium, the Bloggers Tasting and Planting Forums to name a few; accessible, frequent, groundbreaking online interaction between wine lovers, wine bloggers and the wine industry building a critical mass, connecting technology with everyone and anyone with a passion or passing interest in wine. Then there is the Murphy-Goode, Really Goode Job campaign. Regardless of what you think about the job (temporary, contractually a quagmire, and possibly vague in its mission) or the campaign (missing some basic social media fundamentals, mysterious in its process, depersonalized), the gimick of the search has splash landed as one of the top 10 topics we wine bloggers talk about. Some of my favorite Wine Bloggers were on the MG top 50 list (some are still on the top 10 list). Add to that the VinTank promise to donate $100K in Social Media strategy consulting if Murphy-Goode selects one of the VinTank 4+ and the buzz has gone viral.
Opportunity abounds. And I gotta say that the coolest crest of this wave in Social Media evolution this summer in our industry, in our little Wine Valley has to be St. Supery (and specifically, Lesley Russell’s work) choosing to search, strategize and carve out a position for a highly experienced full time Social Media director to fortify their marketing team. The shift to new media is now working from within the wineries, connecting with and hiring people from a food, wine and social media background. Smart? Hell, yeah. Without the gimmick but with a thorough sifting and months of their own experience, St. Supery jumps in the rest of the way. Their resume of social media history from 2008-2009 includes Lesley Russell speaking on panels (including the ZAP/ Wine 2.0 Social Media Panel and the DTC Summit Panel, “Relationship, Relevance and Results”), Twitter Taste Live wine tasting, a Bloggers Tasting Forum, multiple-avid participants on twitter, real facebook fan page development, and a series called “The Divine Wine Encounter” for trade wine folks.
So we’re talking about St. Supery’s newest hire, Mr. Rick Bakas. I can’t wait to see what happens now…And I couldn’t be
more delighted for St. Supery, the Bakas family and for Napa Valley and the wine industry. In their continuing leadership in social media marketing, I’m excited to watch them execute a thoroughly thoughtful strategy with great wine, talented people on their team and a tremendous growing network of real and virtual fans. It also may mean that social media/wine lovers will have a winery to call home in the Napa Valley, a headquarters to start or finish their wine quests…and a place that gets the brilliance and social value of the technology that connects us.
As if we needed an excuse to raise our glass, these are exciting times. Cheers!
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I’m not quite sure why you didn’t comment on it… but, it strikes me a bit odd that a firm is pledging a reward based on the way that they want it to come out. Somehow, it seems that it would be a significant source of comment if a record label said that they would donate money if a particular person on American Idol was selected the winner. I’m not sure how that doesn’t draw a comment…?
Hi Drew,
Certainly worth conversation, true. And it seems like that should be its own entire post…and has been in other places: the conversation continues here: http://www.vintank.com/2009/05/supporting-a-goode-candidate/ …
And I’m sure SEVERAL other places.
While that wasn’t the focus of this post, I can see strong opinions on both sides…and while I haven’t aired my opinions yet, there has been quite the dust storm …not here: http://1winedude.com/index.php/2009/06/09/tell-me-somethin-goode-vintank-jumps-into-the-murphy-goode-job-fray/
…but for different reasons, here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/07/10/BUJM18I79M.DTL
Sounds like you don’t approve…care to offer more details?
Thanks for being here.
Drew – as you’ll note we’ve changed position and the good we’ve done by helping Rick and the rest of the VinTank 4+ enter the market and work as a team is nothing less that a magical thing for the wine industry. Moreover the team’s ability to help work together to raise MG’s awareness in a positive light has also been good for the brand and wine and social media in general. I am proud of our work and our team.
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I agree with Lisa and Paul. Early in the process, I was very skeptical and played the role of devil’s advocate. In retrospect, I think it was unfounded. Vintank has clearly helped spread the word about social media and certainly helped me in the process of getting my name out there for wineries to recognize the benefits. I am proud to be part of the Vintank 4+. When I finally land a position (wherever that may be), I hope that I can pay it forward and help others to achieve some success in their career search as well.
My sincere congratulation to Rick Bakas. I am almost more excited for his position than my standings in the MG job search. His appointment as the Social Media Director for St. Supéry cements the idea that social media in the wine industry is real, viable and certainly the future of wine marketing. My hats off to him for paving the way for more positions like that. Hip Hip Hurray!
I’d be curious to revisit this blog post a year from now. Twelve months from now we may look back and remember this moment in history as when the wine industry really got serious about social media.
Until now, a few pioneers like Twisted Oak and Hahn have already recognized the importance.
I’ll bet a year from now VinTank’s SM report will still serve as a blueprint, and at least a dozen other wineries will have hired an official person(s) to do their social media. And not just wineries, I suspect many industries will get serious about embracing social media to connect with consumers.
VinTank made the right move to extend the offer to other wineries, which is good for the entire industry. Time will tell us how much their offer will help multiple wineries, not just Murphy-Goode.
I think your points are right on, Rick and Eric.
Though there may be more questions and delicate negotiations regarding the appropriateness of endorsing candidates AND offering a substantial amount of services in support of those candidates, no one can deny that VinTank’s endorsement has boosted the Really Goode Job campaign as much or more than any other single element…and frankly, even if MG doesn’t take their offer, the viral impact, blog posts, conversations about marketing and social media in the wine industry etc…have all been outstanding and great for the industry…giving MG even most visibility.
Isn’t that what they were asking for with such a campaign?
PS. Thanks for the recognition, Rick. Jeff Stai was there before me…and I was fortunate enough to have the title “New Media Marketing Director” by the Summer of 2007. Thanks, Hahn Family Wines and especially Bill Leigon (President).
WineDiverGirl, this is a wonderful post and a great way to congratulate Rick and St Supery!
Like Rick observes, I think we will see a raising of social media appointments even outside of the wine industry… this will be the challenge of the next 5 years: how to engage customers in a world in which we are all individually bombarded with many streams of information at any given moment.
Rick and the rest from the wine socmed scene will be breaking ground here, let’s hope that they do as Eric and Paul say: Pull together, using each others strengths to compensate for their own weaknesses and really embarking on a truely amazing journey. Yes, Eric, you can never forget the little people, help them to move forward and you will go forward in leaps and bounds!
Drew, the discussion with the critical questions but also open responses from Paul and eventually also from Mark Osmun (director of public relations at Murphy-Goode) happened over at 100k for successful Murphy-Goode Candidate.
More interesting than the linked article above is an open radio broadcast on The New Wine Consumer this coming Tuesday July 21st concerning the Marten Sargent drama WineDiverGirl illuded to in her comment to Drew…
But that is again taking a new turn from the great praises of St Supery and Rick Bakas. Truely, this would be a reason to raise a glass!
There certainly does seem to be something “in the air” with regards to wine & social media right now, and it’s not the stench of rotting grapes, that’s for sure!
These *are* exciting times to be a part of, and I count myself blessed to have been able to contribute to it so far, and to have watched some great people go on to do very exciting things. I’m *stoked* for Rick and applaud St. Supery for bringing him on board.
BUT… What is with wine bloggers using the word “nay” these days? Sorry Lisa – I love ya, but I gotta call foul on use of an anachronistic term…
Cheers!
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Hiya, Joe…thanks for the kind agreement.
I think I have a viable answer re: the”nay” …I come from the theatre…2 degrees later, (BA in Theatre and Film from U.S.C and an M.F.A from U.C. Davis in Theatre Arts and Dance, with an emphasis on classical theatre (Marlowe, Shakespeare, Congreve, Dryden, Johnson, Moliere, Webster…)
Sorry…though you may be right, I can’t help it…training hazard, you coxcomb of a thimble-wart!
[...] including a good one by newly crowned Murphy-Goode Job winner, Hardy Wallace (Twitter) and Lisa de Bruin (Twitter)and co., talking about video blogging. We bid farewell to the conference as we darted out [...]
Great article. I’m sure that the wine industry, and winemakers in particular, do not see themselves as “outside the box” as far as a company that needs to advertise their product. And the Social Media is PERFECT for that.
Especially with the wine niche, as we all know that wine and social “gatherings” go hand in hand.
Martin Espericuta
@gsbmartin
Agreed, Martin,
That’s exactly what I thought would give the Wine and Hospitality industry a leg up ~ ahead of, say, a cheese blog, or a twitter account for …shoes.
Wine is romantic, made for sharing, brings people together, etc…and while you could say that about cheese…I doubt if cheese has led to, well, the bedroom as often as wine has…no offense to cheese. (I LOVE goat cheese
But it has much more to do with the person posting, chatting, tweeting, than it does the product! JetBlue, Zappos, examples that break the mold! (pun intended)