Marketing for the Millennium

In a recent article of Wine Business Monthly, Dr. Liz Thach at Sonoma State University released the results of a study based on marketing wine to "Millennials," sons and daughters of the Baby Boom generation. In interviews with 228 California Millennials, "participants were asked to provide suggestions on what the wine industry can do to become more consumer-driven and encourage more wine consumption at reasonable levels."

The outcome of these polls and interviews were distilled into seven concrete messages for wineries. So what do you think? Are we doing this right?

Keep it fun

Humor in advertising, fun and colorful labels, bright colors and quirky names.

Emphasize food

Millennials do not consider wine to be a party beverage, but rather an excellent match with food, and a beverage for family gatherings. In videotaped interviews, participants expressed an interest in the connection between food and wine and suggested that the "combination raises both food and wine to a higher level."

Diversity in advertising

The study group strongly suggested that wineries should use more diversity in age, race and nationality profiling.

Use technology

The main characteristic of Millennials is that they are technologically savvy. According to Dr. Thach, "They were the first U.S. generation to grow up virtually 100 percent connected to the Internet." A recent study reports that Millennials spend an average of 16.7 hours per week on the Internet, excluding email.

Focus on family and friends

Millennials like "fun and balance" in life, ads that are direct and unpretentious, and they see wine as a beverage that enhances social and family gatherings.

Promote value

The price of wine was frequently mentioned, since one common trait of Millennials is practicality. "They are financially savvy, and don’t like owing money," reports Thach. "Use marketing messages that focus on value and quality but with no slick advertising, just unvarnished truth voiced by everyday people."

Be "green"

Millennials have grown up in an all-embracing media environment and are very aware of social and ecological issues. They will boycott companies accused of poor labor practices or environmental irresponsibility, but embrace sustainable winegrowing practices and consumer education. According to Thach, "several respondents suggested that more educational information on how wine is made, but put in simple terms, would be very welcome."

Comments

[Galen Struwe]

I just noticed the post on millennials and wine and while it may be a bit old it was still relevant.
Our brand, Sacre Bleu, was just introduced into the marketplace with a presentation designed to appeal to the 21 to 34 and above demographic. www.myspace.com/sacrebleuwine
I warmly invite you to check out our marketing and hopefully one day the wine. We may look good but I believe we taste even better.
Galen