“An educated consumer is our best customer.” If that quote is familiar you’re probably of a certain age and from a certain part of the country. It was the advertising tag line for Syms, a discount clothing retailer. It’s also a great concept for wine shops. [level-members]
The more consumers know, the more comfortable they feel. The more comfortable they feel, the more comfortable they are exploring new wines – new regions, new varietals, even crazy things like, maybe, rosé!
So it’s worthwhile to use some portion of your website, email marketing, and social media content to educate your audience. You can include basics like simple variety profiles and the reputations of various varieties while mixing in more advanced topics like comparing specific sub-appellations or individual vineyards.
You never want to talk down to your audience; instead make it clear that wine, as with so many other things, is a chance to learn something new with every bottle. In fact, that can be a great mission statement for your efforts to expand customers’ horizons: encourage them to learn something new with every bottle.
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