We’ve seen it pop up everywhere. What first started as a White Claw frenzy turned into a monster of an industry. With high-rated breweries stepping up to the plate, seltzer is without a doubt leading the alcohol industry.
So how can something so different than seltzer compete? Wine CAN compete, you just have to learn how to sell it to this Seltzer generation. Its a demographic that is always on the go, looking for the next best thing, and taking pictures of it all along the way. They might enjoy the taste, but what they really love is the look and convenience. If you search the hashtag ‘#WhiteClaw’ on Instagram, the first pictures that pop up are friends at the beach, at a pool, at a concert, or a party. It’s no longer a drink...it’s a lifestyle. Wine has, for the most part, been marketed to an older generation that enjoys a lifestyle of food, conversation and, of course, wine. For a while, it was seen as a product only the wealthy could afford and it was marketed toward that specific class, which makes sense. The wealthier you are, the more wine you can afford, so you want to reach the person buying six bottles of wine rather than one. However, this method is out-dated and missing a whole demographic that will soon be your main consumer. If you skip over them trying to get the bigger dollar now, you will fall quickly behind other wineries who didn’t leave them out.
There is no one solution on how to sell wine in a seltzer dominated market, and, frankly, some solutions are not doable for wineries (i.e. lowering prices, canning wines, etc), but the one solution most wineries can do is to stay relevant on social media.
You need someone to stay on top of social media, branding and current trends. Wine isn’t just being sold in tasting rooms anymore, it has gone digital. Selling, however, should not be your main goal with an online presence. You need to build your brand and lifestyle. People like to see authentic, natural and candid brands. The seltzer buyers don’t need to be fancy or spend a lot of money, so if your brand is high-end, expensive wine; you may never reach this up-and-coming generation. Price doesn’t impress them, quality of the lifestyle does.
As mentioned above, the seltzer generation loves posting pictures and showing off their life. “FOMO” (fear of missing out) is a very real thing within that generation, so make your product or experience “FOMO” worthy. Wineries can create “media monuments” which are a thing or an atmosphere that is picture and post worthy. Wineries that have media monuments at their tasting room are more likely to get a post on Instagram than those who don’t. Those posts are seen by hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of followers, which means you’re being seen by people who otherwise wouldn’t even know you exist. Which wineries are these people likely to visit when they are in town? The winery they saw on their friend’s Instagram or a winery they haven’t heard of. Peachy Canyon Winery, for example, has a big chair for photo opportunities, and chances are you’ve seen it on Instagram. Another example is Brecon Winery. They have a photo booth backdrop that creates a fun photo for any visitor. This encourages people to take a photo and post to their social media. These media monuments capture the attention of this generation that needs to be seen and heard. It’s an easy way to get “influencers” to post without spending the big bucks. Think like a millennial and you will find yourself selling to millennials. Research their likes and dislikes. Research their social media. The more you know them, the easier it will be to sell to the seltzer generation.