How To Increase Wine Sales Using Print Marketing

The wine industry is fiercely competitive with large wine makers, independent wine brands and wineries in the United States combining to a total of more than 11,000 brands. This means that standing out in such a crowded market is more important than it ever has been. In comparison, there were only just over 6,300 wine brands in 2009.

There are a number of channels that wine labels and wineries use to promote themselves which include both online, offline and traditional media. All have their place and work well depending on the scenario, target market and offer.

But when it comes to increasing wine sales, the most effective channels are those that provide a physical experience for the customer. One study found that 80% of high-frequency drinkers prefer to shop in-store. In this article we dive deeper into these physical channels and explore how you can increase your wine sales when utilizing them.

Use Direct Mail to Sell More Wine

Something that every wine lover enjoys is knowing the history of the wine, the values of the brand, the process used to produce the wine, where the grapes were grown, and every other detail about how the wine came to be. One of the most effective ways to share this information with a wine consumer is through direct mail.

Sharing the story of a wine brand works using direct mail because it’s one of the highest engaged & least cluttered channels across all of marketing. If you look at the stats on direct mail you’ll find that …

• 59% of consumers say they enjoy getting mail from brand about new wine products
• Over 42% of wine direct mail recipients read the mailer sent out to them
• 73% of wine consumers prefer direct mail because they can read it whenever they want
• On average households receive only 454 pieces of marketing mail per year
• Consumers who get direct mail on average spend 28% more on wine

The fact that consumers are looking forward to getting mail, actually reading it, and spending more money on wine because of it makes it a must have in your marketing mix.

Additionally direct mail for wineries or wine brands in general is a good channel to promote a number of time sensitive items in a visually appealing way. The way your wine is promoted from a visual standpoint is extremely important and direct mail makes it easy to put compelling imagery into the hands of your customers and when paired with time sensitive messages such as monthly or seasonal promotions, events, limited runs or new launches you’ll see a much higher rate of response with a corresponding increase in wine sales.

Wine Brochures to Promote Your Brand or Winery

Another visually optimized marketing asset is a wine brochure. These brochures are versatile and cost effective making them a perfect addition to your wine brand or winery marketing arsenal. Your creativity is the only limitation when it comes to what can be done to promote your wine using brochures because of the many options available. Multiple types of folds, finishes, paper weights, paper textures, sizes and die-cuts are things you can consider in your creative ideation of these brochures.

With so many options you’re able to craft a brochure that not only looks good but tells a story, generates emotion, captivates the consumer, grows the brand and increases loyalty.

Similar to direct mail, these wine brochures are also a perfect way to highlight promotions, new brand launches, special events but they can also be used as on-site material to physically engage the customer in their experience at your winery, facility or in-store.

Using Premium Seasonal Wine Catalogs

Another printed product within the wine industry that is proven to increase wine sales are catalogs. You’ll commonly see these created as seasonal catalogs that promote wines best suited for that given time of year. These catalogs will include impactful visuals that showcase the wine and its origins as well as descriptions of aromas / flavors, structure, finish and pairings.

Wine catalogs are perfect to use as in-store displays, giveaways at events and can also be used as direct mail and sent out to customers by mail. In most cases these catalogs are shared in advance of the upcoming season to generate visibility and excitement which in turn leads to an increase in sales and depending on your business strategy advance sales as well. 

Of course increasing wine sales is only one goal, but it’s an important one, and if your wine brand or winery were to implement one or more of these wine marketing strategies involving print then your sales are guaranteed to go up.