Suppliers and brands in the spirits and wine business have been settling for less. They deserve in-store tastings with engagement. Engagement from the customers who frequent the retail stores and have the greatest potential to buy their products.
The current in-store tasting generally occurs via an agency that sends out a young attractive female who spends more time on her phone than engaging with the consumer and proactively inviting them to the table to experience the brand and its story.
A look across other industries is warranted. In Blue Ocean Strategy terms, this look across alternative industries is important because there are important takeaways from borrowing what happens in those industries.
Let’s take a look at the conference or convention model. Expos in conferences feature the booth where participating companies set up a table and share their wares. Companies demo, they teach, they give away swag. Most importantly, they build a leads list. Smart conference attendants think strategically well in advance.
We would contend that brands and suppliers should think strategically about their in-store tastings as well. How might the conference/expo model help?
Liquid to Lips Marketing would propose that table setups include swag. In our work, we suggest that customers are invited to earn swag by taking part in social media engagement, sharing, liking, commenting, following, etc. Downloading an app or making a purchase could go toward points that accrue toward the redemption of premium merch. We call our program #tagforswag.
Newsletter opt-ins and virtual tastings or other streaming events held by the brand should be part of the in-store tasting activation experience.
Spending significant dollars on in-store tastings without proper attempts at digital connection and follow-up marketing is an increasingly stupid waste of money.
Enhance the in-store experience with strategies designed to grow sales.
If you have questions about how we work in Middle TN, reach out to Sherman G. Mohr of Liquid to Lips Marketing. Contact him here.
