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Myths & Legends

“Authenticity” & Pop Culture Marketing: Ur Doin it Wrong

March 19, 2010 By In Basics, Marketing, Myths & Legends, Tough Love

ur doin it wrong

I’m convinced that when EVERY ARTICLE EVER WRITTEN ABOUT MARKETING TO MILLENNIALS talks about how millennials “crave” authenticity, it’s actually a failed attempt to explain bad marketing decisions.  Let me explain.

Now that wine seems to be approaching the point at which it will FINALLY (fingers crossed) start changing its marketing strategy, we all need to take a second to learn from other people’s mistakes (one of the only benefits to being so far behind the curve). In my opinion, there is one gigantic pitfall that I can see wine falling into – especially when reaching out to millennials. Pop Culture Marketing. It is so easy to fail when individuals who don’t pay attention or particularly care about pop culture decide that it’s a good idea to go for the Ol’ Pop Culture Marketing Campaign. In no way am I saying “don’t do it,” but I AM telling you, dear readers, that you must do it right.

Speaking of doing it right, please take five minutes to watch the following two videos. This is a Pedigree commercial that, to quote mashable, has “beguiled the internet.” A friend of mine shared it on facebook, I fell in love, and in turn, regurgitated it all over facebook (and now my blog).

And now take a look at the video below. It’s considered a short film using Vitalic’s Poney Part 1 directed by Pleix. This YouTube video with over 1 million hits was created a while ago. This YouTube file specifically was uploaded in 2006 and obviously has been viral for some time.

Now. Someone at Pedigree that saw that Vitalic/Pleix vid and said “This is awesome. This is dogs in slow motion. We sell dog food. We should do this.” Don’t you just want to find that person and shake their hand? I do. This is a great example of doing pop culture marketing RIGHT. Take something that’s out there and proven and APPROPRIATE for one’s business, tailor it to the business’s needs as simply as possible, and unleash it  (ha, get it?) on the masses.

Getting back to authenticity. There’s nothing particularly “authentic” about the Pedigree commercial. It’s a dog food commercial. But it’s smart, it’s done well, and it’s referencing something that is already a part of people’s lives without pretending to invent it.

I don’t think that we as a generation (millennials) expect advertisers or marketing campaigns to be authentic. We’re not insane. I would venture to say, however, that what people mistake for “authenticity in marketing” is actually respect for one’s audience. This means an understanding of your audience, knowledge of their likes, dislikes, trends and interests. This means ACTUALLY caring about what your audience cares about, not just finding something popular and creating a poor facsimile.  (Sorry people, your branded version of “Pants On The Ground” probably won’t work.) It seems to be tougher when companies try to market to millennials because the PIC (people in charge) usually are not millennials themselves and don’t put the effort in to understand their audience.

So, if you want to go for pop culture marketing – especially to millennials – make sure that you actually care about the same pop culture that we do. If you don’t, it’s understandable – just make sure you have someone on your team that DOES. Put the work in. Do the research. Take the time to understand your target demographic. Then have some fun.

Millennial Stereotypes: Totally True. Mostly.

March 12, 2010 By In Basics, Marketing, Myths & Legends, Tough Love

As a busy millennial, I want to take a moment to address some stereotypes of my generation within the wine industry and beyond. Just fyi, I’m too busy multi-tasking, finding amazing internet videos, trolling hipster hate blogs, and designing my next tattoo to spend a whole lot of time on it. As a matter of fact, in the time it took to read that last sentence, I will have sent out 42 text messages without vowels to my closest friends. So let’s get to it.

MILLENNIALS WON’T BUY EXPENSIVE WINES

This is true, but not because we don’t have the money.  The reason is because we’re too busy burning through our trust funds buying apple products, every bottle of wine that has ever been released with an animal on the label, and 2 Buck Chuck.

MILLENNIALS DON’T USE TWITTER

Kind of true. We do use it to follow twitter-integrated taco trucks and other novelty businesses as well as fake news sources. But we enjoy talking amongst ourselves IRL about how we “seriously don’t get twitter.”

MILLENNIALS LIVE ON THEIR MOBILE DEVICES

Hang on, lemme finish sending this text.

MILLENNIALS CAN TELL WHEN YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN IS NOT AUTHENTIC ENOUGH

Totally true. We can also smell your fear and tell you what you had for breakfast.

YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T APPRECIATE WINE, THEY JUST CARE ABOUT GETTING DRUNK

That’s a bingo – completely true. Our number one priority is getting wasted. Which is why we are the fastest growing demographic in wine consumption the US has ever seen. This is because in order to get blitzed on wine we need to buy like WAY more of it than a mature, refined wine enthusiast would – hence, we buy a lot.

ETC.

There are countless more stereotypes to address, but I really have to get back to facebook. Before I do, though, I have to thank Hardy Wallace for his fab post on wine bloggers on Dirty South Wine that inspired this one.

Millennials: Mythical Beast or Wine's Last Frontier?

July 30, 2009 By In Basics, Growth, Marketing, Myths & Legends, Outreach

Tapping into the Millennial consumer market is a priority in ALL industries, not just in wine.  Wine should have it easier, since it is well documented that Millennials are already drinking wine in record numbers, and we are already having a positive financial impact on the industry as a whole. So why is it SO HARD for the wine industry to reach out to us?

Let’s take a quick look at how wine and Millennials seem to view each other.  From my own work with small businesses and huge companies alike, the Millennial consumer group tends to be viewed as some kind of mythical creature that has magical powers to bestow on whomever finds and befriends it, but is almost impossible to reach.  Sound familiar?

The Mysterious, Mythical Beast

The Mysterious, Mythical Beast

Yep, Unicorns. In most of my preliminary conversations with companies that want to tap into this consumer group, you could pretty much switch out the word “Millennial” for “Unicorn”  just about every time it’s mentioned.  As in “Unicorns have come of age in an era unlike any other,” “Unicorns are very savvy, they can sense when people are trying to pander to them, and they do not like it,” “Unicorns have the ability to communicate with thousands of people in just an instant” or “If we could just reach the Unicorns, we would make millions” and my personal favorite “Why do Unicorns drink wine?”

Now, this is not to say that all of the above statements are not true (at least as they pertain to Gen-Y), but what I take away from these conversations is that businesses still don’t understand us. At all.  Let’s take a step back – we are your neighbors, your kids, your co-workers, your interns, your baristas – not some mythical forest creature.  Yes, we stand to be the wealthiest generation in the world, and yes we grew up being marketed to and now the bar has been raised – but think about it: Why do Millennials drink wine?  Because it’s delicious, interesting and fun.  Why do you wine? I’m sure we’ll come up with some things in common, here.

If that’s how the wine industry views Millennials, then how do we view wine?  This is an easy one, folks:

Sorry, Members Only.

Sorry, Members Only.

In this case it’s just that simple – the wine world tends to be a private club to most of us.  And rather than hiking it to the top of the stairs with the rest of the plebeians, then going through the initiation rituals and membership fees, we’d much rather just sneak in with our friends after dark when the security guard is gone and enjoy the club OUR way.  It’s a thrill, it’s fun, and we don’t have to be someone we’re not.  Eventually, of course, this sneaking around loses it’s thrill, and rather than join the existing club, eventually we will build our own.

So what do these charming analogies teach us?  On some level, each party feels that the other is beyond reach. The irony, of course, is that despite this, Millennials want to drink wine (and are) and wine companies want to reach this powerful consumer group (and are trying).

Unfortunately, there is such a wide gap to bridge in this relationship before the wine industry will start benefiting from Gen-Y.  It’s tough to hear, but it’s true: the responsibility for changing both of these viewpoints lies with the wine industry.

Millennials Will Spend the Money – Just Give Us a Reason

July 7, 2009 By In Basics, Charts & Numbers, Marketing, Myths & Legends, Outreach

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “Will Millennials spend the money on a $50 bottle of wine?”  Ok, sometimes the price changes, but I’d have to say I answer this at least 2-3 times a week.  The answer is YES, WE WILL.  But in order to spend more money than we normally do on wine (or ANYTHING) there must be a reason for doing so.

This spring, I compiled the data from a survey I conducted online – some of the results from that survey I included in my May 5th post, Where Millennials Are Buying Wine.  I asked over 100 Millennials (mainly residing in Southern California) questions about their wine buying habits.  None of the answers were a big surprise to me, but to many people who are not members of the Millennial Generation, the answers are a real wake-up call.

THE NUMBERS

First we need to know what Millennials normally spend on wine.  From the research based on the informal online survey a baseline was established in terms of the average amount on money respondents spend on a bottle of wine.

Average Amount of Money Millennials Spend on a Bottle of Wine

Almost 60% of respondents spend between $11-$20 on average on a bottle of wine, so we have our baseline.  According to survey results,  giving wine as a gift is one of the main reasons the survey respondents buy wine in the first place (these results to be posted soon).  I know from experience and observation that we tend to spend more money on a bottle of wine when we give it as a gift – and so the question was posed: Just how much are we willing to spend on a bottle of wine – in any circumstance – including as a gift?

Most Money on Wine

Most of us are actually happy to pay $50 and above for a bottle of wine as a gift.  Two thirds of us are willing to go above our typical price range for a gift.  So what does this mean in terms of increasing sales among Millennials?

GIVE US A REASON

Seriously. If you are in the position of selling wine to a Millennial, and you get the feeling that it may be more than this young person is comfortable spending on themselves – suggest it as a gift.  Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Hostess Gift, Birthday Present, Wedding Gift – help them find a reason to spend more money on your wine.  I’ve mentioned this before in the April 3rd post, along with a few suggestions on how to engage young people and build a relationship with them – feel free to take a look and do some brushing up.

Now that the numbers are in, let’s see what we can make happen.

Have you tried this approach with success? Without success?  Are you planning to now?  If you have a related experience you’d like to share with other readers, please feel free to tell us about it in the comments section.  We can all learn from what you are doing.

Reaching Millennials: Don't Believe the Hype – YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES

June 19, 2009 By In Basics, Growth, Marketing, Myths & Legends, Outreach, Tragic Millennial Advice

In keeping up with blogs, research, and ideally all things Millennial, I generally tend to come across well-intentioned but TERRIBLE advice. The latest was on a staffing company’s website encouraging human resource departments to create new, Millennial-friendly corporate handbooks. A fine idea for corporations, but incredibly flawed in execution – which is why I’m pointing out an alternate solution that everyone can use.

To keep things short(ish) and sweet,  I’ve decided to summarize below (though if you REALLY wanted to see the original in all it’s glory, you MIGHT find it in my @millennier tweets, and it MIGHT be under TRAGIC MILLENNIAL ADVICE: PIMP MY CO.S HANDBOOK…).

Everyone in the wine industry can learn from this far too common mistake.

The information was found on the company’s website  from June 2009.  The title of the piece was Create a GenY-Friendly Employee Handbook, and like many of these pieces, it was fairly insulting in an odd, benign way.  In the How to Write a Handbook section, the writer suggests personalizing it with current events and fads in order to really get through to us.  It gives the following suggestion as an example:  “compare customers to stars competing for ‘American Idol’ stardom.” While I realize that we may be younger than the person giving this advice, WE ARE NOT CHILDREN.  We do not need a company to create a mascot and a “let’s pretend” example for every single situation we may encounter in the big, bad world.  While I have plenty to say on this topic, I’m going to stop because the point here is that this NOT GOOD ADVICE.

I do want to say in all seriousness GOOD FOR YOU, STAFFING COMPANY. Thank you for putting in the effort to encourage your clients to support their Millennial employees. Unfortunately, you COMPLETELY MISS THE BOAT.

Not on a boat

Is it a bad idea to want a handbook for a company that will resonate with Millennials and get them excited about the company that they work for?  No. In fact it just might work, if it’s done well.  What will that take?  American Idol allusions?  In depth research on gen Y?  Watching Family Guy reruns from the first season?  NO.  It simply takes a Millennial.  If these companies selected a couple employees in their target group to actually write the new handbook, it would be completely customized to their own tastes and interests while communicating all the information a handbook needs to get across.

I don’t understand this trend.  Business has realized what a powerful consumer group we Millennials are, enough to launch campaigns for millions of dollars just to win gen Y hearts – and yet most don’t even think to reach out to us to help shape these campaigns.

Everyone in the wine industry can learn from this far too common mistake.  Many businesses are creating their Facebook pages, holding events (hooray!), and thinking of new ways to reach out to gen Y.  Yes, research is great – I recommend that you check out the links on the side of the blog for some awesome resources. However, an invaluable tool that we all have ARE THE MILLENNIALS THEMSELVES.  Consult your gen Y children, your neighbor’s kid that’s back from college for the summer, your intern, your new tasting room employee – these people can give you valuable feedback and help to shape each of your projects.  Listen to their critiques, learn from their approach – it will save you time and energy and give you a direct line in to the consumer group you want to reach.

If you want to reach out to gen Y, don’t overlook the Millennials right in front of you – they could be the most valuable resources at your disposal.

How Millennials View YOU, Wine Industry

May 22, 2009 By In Basics, Growth, Marketing, Myths & Legends, Outreach

Everybody’s attempting to do the brand new dance now – it’s called TRY AND REACH OUT TO MILLENNIAL CONSUMERS.  Well, what do Millennials think of all this?  Granted, there aren’t nearly enough people attempting, but let’s look at the landscape.

dancefloor

It looks a lot like the dancefloor at the last wedding you went to.  Now, not everyone is out on the floor – it takes a certain amount of courage to get out there.  Of the people out on the floor, you observe a few different types.  First off, there’s the “kids.”  They’re looking pretty good – they know the music, know the moves, and they’re having fun.  Then there’s the “grandparents” – we love them just for getting out there and trying.  Then there’s the “parents” – they’re a bit older than the kids, but they’re out there.  They’re trying.  Some of them are attempting to bring back their own famous dance moves from back in the day – with little success.  Some are trying to copy the “kids” since they must know best, right?  This can be pretty embarassing to watch.  Some of them, however, know the music and know the scene and can get right down to business.

Welcome to the party that is the wine industry right now.  Good for everyone on that dance floor for just getting up and trying.  As an observer, though, you can see that not everyone is… let’s say effective.  Most of the “kids” look great.  You want to go up and hug the “grandparents” just for being awesome enough to try.  But it’s the main population of the dance floor, the “parents,” that are tough to watch.  The best people on the floor know the music and the scene – regardless of whether they are 14 or 62 – the rest are trying, bless their hearts, but they’re not really getting anywhere.

officedance

Let this be a warning…

So if the dance floor is made up of companies vying for the Millennial consumer, that would make the Millennial consumer… YOU. THE OBSERVER.

Millennials have had advertising campaigns shoved in our faces since we were propped up in front of our parents tvs.  It’s safe to say that we’re a pretty savvy group.  It’s not like we don’t KNOW that we’re being marketed to. We fully realize this – we’re used to it.  In fact, we get perturbed if we are NOT marketed to, and yet a company telling us that they are hip will not make us consumers.  We are innate experts at taking in and analyzing information in order to form opinions.  And we are REALLY good at forming opinions, as any Millennial parent will tell you.  And just as it’s crystal clear to anyone looking at that dancefloor that Uncle Billy is making an ass of himself, it’s just that easy for us to see which companies are wasting their time.

Possibly the most simple and powerful example of this comes from a recent post on FineArtsLA.com.  The post is a piece on a new wine tasting group in Los Angeles (WTF LA – yes, this is my group and apologies for the plug, but there is a reason for it…).  The freelance writer, Jenia Gorton, is a Millennial and has some VERY interesting things to say about how young people are treated as consumers in the wine industry.  I think the most interesting is this quote:

It seems like there is “good” wine, which young people are expected to know nothing about, and “cheap” wine, for us ignorant 20 and 30-somethings, bums, and broke alcoholics.

It speaks directly to what many companies and marketers think of young people consuming wine today: we aren’t educated and we won’t spend the money.  Yep, we hear you loud and clear, but maybe we don’t want some company’s version of 2 Buck Chuck.  Or the new Yellowtail.  It’s possible that we want to be respected as consumers and have a company or two reach out to us based on qualities other than our wallets.  Like our tastes, our sense of humor, our lifestyles, our shared experiences – but if a company is not connected to any of these things… that effort will still be a FAIL.

So what can marketers learn from Millennials like Ms. Gorton? If you’re going out on the floor, you better know how to DANCE.

The HOW Series: Reaching Out To Millennials As YOUR Consumers

March 27, 2009 By In Basics, HOW Series, Myths & Legends

The big question regarding Millennials and wine these days is:  Will they spend the money?  The answer is not as simple as you’d like.  Perhaps a better question would be: HOW can we encourage them to spend the money?  This, at least, is an easy one.  Each Friday I’ll be bringing you a specific tip and serious insight on how to reach out to Millennials as CONSUMERS.  You can put these tips into practice immediately and see for yourself how effective they can be.

LET’S PRETEND

For this series, let’s take the topic from the point of view of a winery that’s feeling a slow-down in sales.  Your wines range in price from $35 to $70 and you are pouring each of them today in your tasting room.  It looks to be a tough year and today you need to sell bottles and build up your wine club, which you’ll be relying on heavily for income until the big tourist season.  It’s been a slow week so far.  A couple walks in. You notice right away – they can’t be more than 25 years old.

This is where most people experience a sinking feeling in their stomach.  Two more tasting fees, 10 pours total, and no sales – that’s what you’re expecting.  And if you expect that, you’ll most likely get it.

So HOW can you encourage a sale from these “kids?”  There are a few things you should know and keep in mind the next time a 20-something comes by.

…that young couple in your tasting room are just as likely to assume that you will judge them based on their age… as you are likely to do it.

MILLENNIALS ARE A GENERATION, NOT A TYPE

I came across a blog on the Press Democrat’s site about this year’s Wine Road Barrel Tasting event.  The title of the piece was Has the Wine Road Barrel Tasting become a frat party? The post begins with an Ohio couple saying that they will never return to the event because of the “antics of the younger crowd.”   This surprised me.  Then I read on to discover that someone has named this troublemaking group the “madcap millennials.”   This also surprised me.  What DIDN’T surprise me, though, was reading on to discover that this year’s Wine Road Barrel Tasting was scheduled during Spring Break for local colleges.  First of all, they were college kids.  So were you at one point and I wonder if the Press Democrat would have liked to hear any of the stuff YOU did back then.  Second of all, is anyone surprised that college kids showed up to an ALCOHOL THEMED EVENT DURING SPRING BREAK?  The piece is attempting to stir up some sensationalist buzz (and I suppose it’s working if I’m writing about it) on the hot topic of Millennials  by purposefully misrepresenting an entire generation.  By in blurring the line between college students that fall within the generation’s age range and the ACTUAL ENTIRE GENERATION, the message is a dramatic one -  the very same group that is bolstering our industry is bastardizing and crippling it at the same time.  This is just as erroneous as saying that because half of this generation is under 21, all Millennials are drinking illegally.  Unfortunately, judging from the comments, many people are willing to make a similar leap in logic.  It’s crucial that you don’t make the same mistake by judging and generalizing in this way, even if it’s not on purpose.  It will cost you a consumer.

The Millennial generation, like every generation,  is a group made up of VERY diverse people who all happened to be born within years of each other.  We are rich and we are poor.  We are waiters and CEO’s.  We are crazy college kids and we are parents.  What all of these different types have in common is the world that they grew up in, the universal experiences that shaped both their views and their expectations of the world around them.  This is an important distinction and crucial to keep in mind.  You truly can’t tell what someone in this demographic group will spend in your shop simply by noticing how old they are.  This is a very sensitive subject with young people today, and that young couple in your tasting room are just as likely to assume that you will judge them based on their age… as you are likely to do it.