Ah, January. The time to reset, reflect and get ready for the year ahead.
At the end of 2021, we looked back at trends that affected the Australian Wine Industry throughout the year.
Now, it is time to look forward.
It goes without saying that we expect the wine industry to continue to adapt to the ever-changing conditions as we enter the third calendar year of the pandemic, and show their characteristic innovation and resilience.
That being said, let's knuckle down into the specifics of what we predict will shape strategy for wine marketing throughout 2022.
winem8 Top 5 Wine Marketing Trends of 2022
1. Digital digital digital
This may be a predictable trend, but that doesn't mean it's not an important one.
Doing digital right should be the emphasis in 2022 with your e-commerce site being your third sales channel to help sustain growth in the coming years.
E-Commerce continues to be on the rise and it won't be slowing down anytime soon. As Andrew Catchpole outlined in Harpers Wine + Spirit (2021), e-commerce sales are predicted to grow 66% from now to 2025.
In short, if you haven't invested in a digital presence for your company, now is the time to do so.
A digital presence can include;
Website
Online store
Social media
Email marketing
Digital ads
Your digital strategy should reflect the look, feel and tone of your wineries unique brand across all touchpoints.
Some examples of a comprehensive digital strategy include;
Customers can easily navigate your website and find what they're looking for in just a few clicks
Your email marketing is segmented based on your customer's location, interests and more to feel personalised
Your branding and tone is used consistently across all platforms, allowing potential customers to get to know the brand
Getting started with digital can be overwhelming at first, but what you do online will help you build your community, increase engagement and sales, both online and in person.
Need help going digital? Contact the winem8 team to learn more on how we can help kickstart your DtC digital strategy
2. A call for more transparency
Sustainable is a word that is thrown around a lot these days, and for good reason.
More and more, customers want to know what they are drinking, where it was made, and how it was made.
In fact, the definition of luxury is evolving with brands now showcasing sustainable processes and materials in order to justify a higher price point.
Transparency is the key to targeting the growing environmentally conscious market.
However, transparency doesn't stop there.
Consumers want to know what a brand stands for and are attracted to those that are authentic and align with their own personal values.
Hubspot's 2022 Social Media Marketing report recently outlined that value-based content is receiving the third highest ROI than other content types.
Examples of how to increase your brand's transparency include:
Acknowledgement of country featured on products and in the ethos of the company
Pledging to become carbon neutral
Committing to creating a diverse and safe workspace
Aligning with causes and charities that are meaningful to the winery
winem8 predicts that in 2022 we will see wineries increasing transparency of their brand in multiple ways, from disclosing sustainability practices to aligning with causes that matter to them.
3. Storytelling is not just for bedtime stories
To emphasise the point further, consumers are attracted to brands that are authentic in their marketing.
The wine industry is competitive and it is often hard to stand out from the crowd, but you have one thing that other wineries don't. Your story.
We have talked about how consumers want to know what goes into the bottle, and the story behind it plays a big part in that.
Who your winery is and what they stand for should be reflected at every consumer touchpoint, and should contribute to the customer's experience with your brand.
With the increase in transparency, sustainability, and supporting local, winem8 predicts that storytelling will be one of the key strategies in 2022 as people look beyond the product.
4. Craving connection
In March of 2020, you wouldn't have predicted that we would be entering our third calendar year of the pandemic in 2022.
Restrictions are still affecting how we can interact in person, but the need for connection is still there.
For wineries, the challenge is how to keep our communities alive and loyal whilst we are all apart, as well as attracting new customers when tourism is heavily restricted.
In 2022, winem8 predicts that this need for connection will inspire many wineries to turn to interactive and conversational content across their digital channels.
Interactive or conversational content combines content and customer experience to leave consumers with a lasting impression. The consumer wants to feel like they are a part of a community, and not talking to a robot.
Examples of this type of strategy include:
Chatbots on e-commerce sites where you can talk to customers in real time
Interactive social media posts including polls and Q&As
Asking feedback from your customers
Quizzes
Asking your customers what they want to see from your winery
Thought piece with the purpose to start a conversation
5. Video content is king
The rise in the popularity of video content is not to be ignored.
Channels like TikTok and Instagram Reels open up a new way to connect with consumers of all ages, build a community, and increase engagement with your content.
Short-form video is the most popular social media format and is expected to see significant growth in 2022, however, different video content strategies will appeal to different markets.
Hubspot's 2022 Social Media Marketing report outlines:
Younger generations prefer short-form videos that feature funny or trendy content, or content that reflects the brands values
Older generations prefer interactive or educational content such as live videos, interviews or podcasts
If one thing is clear, video content isn't going away fast and is important to consider in your 2022 strategy.
winem8 predicts that we will be seeing creative video content from wineries more often in 2022, including getting to know the brand, the people behind it, and maybe even the vineyards themselves.
Need help with your DtC digital strategy?
When it comes to wine club subscriptions, winem8 offers the ultimate flexibility to you and your members, saving you both time and effort.
However, it doesn't stop there. The winem8 team builds Shopify eCommerce stores that work seamlessly with your winem8 online wine club platform.
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