How important is social media in gaining entry into the u s market

How important is social media in gaining entry into the U.S. market? USA Annual Beverage Trade Tasting and Business Conference 16 & 17 May, 2017. NYC

How important is social media in gaining entry into the U.S. market? Has it changed the role of critics and influencers in how they impact the success of certain wines within the marketplace?

The Role of Social Media For New Wine Â the U.S. Marketplace Brands Entering In many ways, social media has changed the way new wine brands gain attention within the U.S. marketplace. Previously, the role of wine critics was paramount, and that meant the score a wine received was perhaps the most effective marketing tool a winery could use. Now, though, with the growth of new social media platforms, word of mouth has taken on a much greater role. Peers, quite simply, are the new pundits.

At the USATT Conference 2016, Scott Ades, CEO of The Winebow Group, noted that scores still play an important role in the way consumers perceive wine brands. As he points out, over the past 10 years, scores have become â&#x20AC;&#x153;exceedingly important.â&#x20AC;? They are now the benchmark for how wines are judged. As he notes, the difference between an 89 and a 90 score could be huge. And even more so on a year-over-year basis. Just a one-point fluctuation in scores could have a huge impact on volume for the wine for that year.

Yet, he also notes that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seeing more information getting out in the blogosphere and on social media, and this social content is starting to have an especially strong gravitational pull for younger wine drinkers. These younger millennials are more attuned to social media, and the role of new influencers, who may or may not be the traditional wine critics. Over time, he says, this trend will only build, especially as millennials start to account for a larger and larger segment of the wine market. But for now, the vast majority of wine drinkers are still driven by scores.

How important is social media in gaining entry into the u s market

Published on Dec 9, 2016

Beverage Trade Network

In many ways, social media has changed the way new wine brands gain attention within the U.S. marketplace. Previously, the role of wine critics was paramount, and that meant the score a wine received was perhaps the most effective marketing tool a winery could use. Now, though, with the growth of new social media platforms, word of mouth has taken on a much greater role. Peers, quite simply, are the new pundits. At the USATT Conference 2016, Scott Ades, CEO of The Winebow Group, noted that scores still play an important role in the way consumers perceive wine brands. As he points out, over the past 10 years, scores have become “exceedingly important.” They are now the benchmark for how wines are judged. As he notes, the difference between an 89 and a 90 score could be huge. And even more so on a year-over-year basis. Just a one-point fluctuation in scores could have a huge impact on volume for the wine for that year.