vineyards 2012-2013 Marketing Communications Plan presented by
ADVERTISING
Table of Contents Executive Summary Situational Analysis The Company The Competition The Consumer
4 5
6 8 10
Marketing Strategy
13
Creative Strategy
21
Media Strategy
21
Public Relations & Promotions
33
The Target Audience Mind Map The Big Idea The Experience
Creative Mandatories Sample Executions
14 16 17 19 22 23
Online 26 Social Media 28 Traditional 30 Suggested Events 34 Promotions 36
Additional Recommendations 37 Measurement & Evaluation 39 Budget 41 Conclusion 42 Meet Piranha Advertising 43
3
Executive Summary Since 2009, William Chris Vineyards has been in the business of producing high quality, hand-crafted, “Old-World” style wine with a distinct Texas feel. With more than 30 years of experience, sustainable methods, and meticulous crafting, William Chris Vineyards produce a wine like no other that stands out among Texas wines. After careful analysis and strategic planning, Piranha Advertising presents a communications campaign to address three key business objectives: 1) to increase winery visits among targeted demographics that will be outlined in the plan, 2) to increase Hye Society wine club membership 200% both in 2012 and 2013, and 3) to sell approximately 5000 cases of wine in 2013 with 1000 cases sold through the wine club, and 4000 though winery visits in the tasting room. By achieving these three business goals, Piranha Advertising is confident that the William Chris brand will reach a top 3 position among all Texas Hill Country wineries. This campaign combines both short-term and long-term strategies and tactics that all stem from the unifying theme of “Southern Times, Texas Wines.” This theme draws on the rich history of both the Vineyards and each individual wine, the warm community experience that William Chris creates for visitors on site, and their unique take on Texas wine culture. By focusing on these three elements, Piranha has worked to create a plan that will highlight William Chris as a premier wine destination in the Texas Hill Country. Through primary and secondary research, Piranha Advertising has identified the primary William Chris consumer as couples who enjoy traveling on the weekends to spend time outdoors with their families and friends. A secondary target audience was also identified as “empty-nesters” looking for new experiences and getaways. These two markets will maximize the growth potential in awareness, visits, and sales for William Chris among visitors to the Hill Country. Piranha Advertising recommends a variety of communication efforts across all major media - print, broadcast, out of home, and digital - for a cohesive strategy covering paid advertising, public relations, promotions, and events to highlight and showcase the William Chris brand, and build a strong foundation for consistent future growth. The team has included sample executions, supplemental resources, and additional recommendations to optimally reach target audiences and meet communication and business goals. Additionally, Piranha Advertising has included recommendations for immediate improvements to signage and property to increase ease-of-access and improve the very important consumer experience. Based on William Chris Vineyards’ annual budget of a maximum of $55,000, Piranha Advertising has allocated just under $50,000 for the 2012-2013 communications campaign, distributed among online, social media, out of home, public relations, radio, and print efforts. To implement immediate changes to the signage and property, the team apportioned approximately $7,000 for improvements.
4
Situational
Analysis
The Company
Company Background
William Chris Vineyards opened its doors in 2009 in Hye, Texas. Since opening, the duo has shown they are not your typical winery. They pride themselves on being Texans; once you step on the property you are transported to a southern backyard. The tasting room is located in a 100-year-old house, which was renovated to hold multiple tastings at once. Both Bill Blackmon and Chris Brundrett focus on the quality not quantity of their wine. They don’t want to sell 500,000 cases of wine a year; they want to provide an experience that will create loyal customers simply because of the taste.
Product
6
Each bottle of wine has a story behind it, whether it has to do with asking girl friends to send lip prints for Emotion’s label or featuring a new artist each year for the Artist Blend bottle.
The wines are not only unique in their stories but also in their production. Encompassing the rich flavors of the south, the wines are made with Texas fruit, sourced from vineyards whose dedicated growers play a key part in making William Chris so unique. From planting and tending their own vineyards to bottling their own wines, Bill and Chris hold the quality of their product at a high level. The wines are unfiltered and contain only grapes, yeast, and minimum sulfates. They are fermented in small bins, not tanks and are hand crushed then bottled by the employees. Having low impact wine that uses 100% fair trade, sustainable corks, and not using synthetics makes William Chris’ wines more personalized.
Press
The overall impression of William Chris Vineyards through the eyes of the media is positive. The feedback generally discusses the vineyard being closest on Wine Road 290 when coming from the Austin area, normal tasting fees of $10, and the charm and history the property holds. On Yelp, reviewers tend to agree that it’s a young and growing vineyard that Bill and Chris have turned into an “adorable boutique winery.” Although the overall consensus is good, a few reviews stated that William Chris were more expensive then other vineyards and had less space to accommodate big crowds because they were solely focused on the wines. The main disadvantage as far as reviews would be the price point for William Chris compared to other vineyards.
Current Marketing Efforts Piranha reviewed current marketing efforts & found the following:
such as address, phone number, and event calendar.
Signage
Reviews and first hand experience agrees that the signage from the Highway 290 does not sufficiently direct drivers to the property. The location of these signs are good, but the size and the copy on the signs needs improving.
Website
Piranha also reviewed the William Chris Wines website and found that the web page loaded slowly due to the opening slideshow. The text for the website is difficult to read due to the capitalization and small font. The website gave the feeling that William Chris does not expect discovery from the web but instead will send visitors from their property to their website.Several sections are blank on the site including the most important, “Vineyards.” section. Also, the eCommerce section does not have product information. Overall this means that the site fails to tell the William Chris story. Piranha also discovered William Chris lacked a mobile site, which is mandatory for companies today. This site should be a quick hit list of information that users will need on the run,
The email marketing results are incredible. It is expected to see 20% open rate with a 10% click rate. William Chris is performing much higher than average.
Facebook Ads
Facebook ads are a great way to increase the William Chris page fan base. The $100 budget is a great test; it revealed a large number of clicks but low connections. Connections are the number of people who like a Facebook page in response to a campaign. William Chris is spending money for those high clicks but not getting any return in “likes”. An integral part to Piranha’s campaign will increase those connections.
Social Media
In regards to the actual utilization of the social sites, the Facebook posts are perfect. Pictures are highly recommended for the news feed and carry higher weight in Facebook’s algorithm. However, Twitter might not be the best service to use. If the Twitter posts are no different from the Facebook posts, there is not a real need for it. The YouTube page should be cleaned up by editing the video titles. YouTube is a great opportunity for discovery. Blog writers love to embed YouTube videos in their writing; if William Chris produces quality content, wine bloggers will make the videos a topic of discussion.
7
Competition Based on the target markets and demographics, the main competition for William Chris falls into two categories: other vineyards and wineries in the Hill Country area, and non-wine related landmarks and attractions in the vicinity.
The Wine Road 290 comprises a combination of smaller, boutique wineries like William Chris and larger mass-producers of wine.
Primary Competition
One such winery that we have identified as a major competitor is Becker Vineyards located in Stonewall, ten miles away from the William Chris property. Becker is one of the more well-known wineries in the area, and draws a large variety of visitors. The wine sold by Becker is set at a lower price-point than that of William Chris, and is located west of the Hye property, pulling visitors off of the road from Kerrville, Fredericksburg, and San Antonio. They offer a large selection of both red and white wines, as well as a line of lavender products, produced from lavender fields on the property. Additionally, Becker provides accommodation to visitors in its bed and breakfast, and hosts weddings and events at the reception hall on the property.
As William Chris Vineyards are located on two wine trails, Fredricksburg Wine Road 290 and the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, main wine competitors are advertised on these trails. They play a direct role in pulling and pushing traffic in the area and are most closely compared to William Chris. Primarily, the focus lies on the Wine Road 290 trail. It is comprised of ten wineries located between Johnson City and Fredericksburg, within 45 miles of each other. These wineries include:
8
-----------
Becker Vineyards (Stonewall) Chisholm Trail Winery (Fredericksburg) Fredericksburg Winery (Fredericksburg) Grape Creek Vineyards (Fredericksburg) Pedernales Cellars (Stonewall) Rancho Ponte Vineyard (Fredericksburg) Texas Hills Vineyard (Johnson City) Torre di Pietra Vineyards (Fredericksburg) William Chris Vineyards (Hye) Woodrose Winery (Stonewall)
Becker Vineyards
Mesina Hof
In addition to the businesses on the Wine Trail 290 that are in closest proximity to William Chris Vineyards, there are a few wineries in the area that do not participate in the wine trail but that also pull traffic away from William Chris. One such vineyard is the Messina Hof Hill Country Winery located in Fredericksburg, also ten miles from
William Chris. Based on survey respondents, Messina Hof was repeatedly a write-in choice for the “Wineries to Visit” category. Messina Hof operates two locations, in the Hill Country and Bryan, resulting in significant geographic exposure. Attractions and accommodations include wine tastings, a bed and breakfast, as well as special and corporate events. William Chris Vineyards is also a member of the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail (www.texaswinetrail.com). This organization acts as a secondary level of competition among wineries as it covers a much larger geographic area than the Wine Road 290 (overall central Texas) and boasts 31 member wineries. Thus not all of the wineries play a role in pulling traffic away from William Chris, but it must be noted that some wineries overlap on the two wine trails.
Park Visitor Center in Johnson City offer visitors an all-day experience that is suitable for families and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The size of the property and number of attractions at the Ranch (which include Johnson’s birthplace, school, the Texas White House, and Johnson Family Cemetery) make it a major attraction for visitors in the area, and the Ranch also hosts events throughout the year that direct traffic to the Park. In addition to the Johnson National Historical Park, other attractions for outdoor enthusiasts in the area include Pedernales Falls State Park, Enchanted Rock State Park, and the Benini Studio and Sculpture Ranch.
Secondary Competition
As our target audience is comprised of visitors to the Texas Hill Country area, competition for William Chris Vineyards includes not only other wineries and vineyards in the area but also other landmarks and tourist attractions. William Chris Vineyards is located right down the road on Highway 290 from the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Both the Johnson Ranch and the National
Even though wineries make up the bulk of competition for William Chris in the alcohol consumption category, another player in the field is the Garrison Brothers Distillery, located in Hye 1.8 miles from the property. The Distillery produces Texas Bourbon Whiskey and offers tastings and tours, attracting visitors that want to complement their wine tours in the Hill Country.
9
The Consumer Wine Drinkers
Winery Visitors
Female, but not overwhelmingly so:
Mintel noted the trend of culinary travel, where vacationers plan trips around wineries and food. These travelers tend to be “younger, affluent and better educated”
White
Why People Visit
Wine drinkers tend to be:
---
Culinary Travelers
31% of Men drink wine 37% of women drink wine
% 0f wine drinkers
36% of Caucasians consume wine
Friends and Family was the number one source of visits in both Piranha’s Survey and outside studies. Online search and winery websites also played an important role.
Wine Consumption increases consistently with age
Reviews Influence Decision Making Wealthy
Consumption rates among $25k-100k are relatively even, but increase after $100k
Those who purchase high-end wine Younger
21-34 year olds are 2X more likely to spend over $20 on a bottle of wine
10
1. To Spend Time With Friends and Family 2. To Taste Wine 3. To Spend Time Outdoors/In a Scenic Area
Referrals Drive Awareness
age
Older
Reviews are the most important factor in deciding on vineyards. Use of local grapes and food are also important.
Why People Buy Wine
Taste is by far the most important factor when visitors buy wine, followed by price and customer service. The use of locally grown grapes was also valued by our respondents.
Families & Couples
Piranha Advertising noted that the majority of visitors were either families, couples, or groups of couples. The relaxed atmosphere and intimate enviroment were often cited as motivation for the trip by the visitors.
SWOT Analysis Strengths --------
Texas grown grapes High quality wine Rustic Texas Feel Live Music: 1 of 4 vineyards that hosts live performances Rich history: The property & each bottle have unique stories Hye Society: A loyal customer base with high involvement and repeat purchases Location: Nestled close to Fredricksburg, a popular destination, as well as a daytrip away from large Texas cities
Opportunities ------
Young Factor: Relatively new in the area, in operation since 2009, a lot of room for growth. Area Growth: Fredericksburg and the cities in between Fredericksburg and Austin are expanding, growing and turning into potential marketable areas. Further Involvement in Regional Events Holiday traffic: Major holidays offer more travel opportunities for consumers Coordination with travel stops and local lodging
Weaknesses ------
Small Size: Property lacks a venue to host large scale events & accomodate large crowds Higher prices: Deter younger & less affluent visitors Unestablished: awareness & recognition not yet developed Not “Family Friendly�: Because wine tasting is not a family event, family travellers may be deterred Failure to promote history & wine quality
Threats ----
Other attractions: Historical centers, parks, and shopping excursions. Drinking and driving: Long distance drivers may be hard to persuade Other vineyards that are: --better established --lower prices --better venues --better selection --more visible signage --larger seating areas
11
Marketing Strategy
The Target Audience Primary Target
Secondary Target
Age Gender Education Income
Age Gender Education Income
Couples
25-55 years old Males and Females Bachelor’s Degree or higher $75k or higher
These professionals are in a relationship or married with possibly one or two children and enjoy spending time outdoors with their family and friends. This core group likes to travel the Hill Country and visit local vineyards as a way to escape the chaos of work life. They are seeking a fulfilling experience, which includes time spent with the ones they love and good Texas wine.
14
Empty Nesters
45-60 years old Males and Females Bachelor’s Degree or higher $75k or higher
Empty-nesters seeking a relaxing vacation make up the secondary group. This target is looking for new ways to spend their money and time that they could not do with children. These empty nesters are looking for a selection of wines to taste, a way to support local vineyards, and a relaxing getaway from where they reside. These people pride themselves on the fact that their trip will be unique at each vineyard they visit.
Consumer Portraits The Experience Seeker Carol
Wine Preference Pinot Grigio Favorite Pastime Scrapbooking A day in the life of Carol: Carol wakes up ready to find the next place she can take her family for a relaxing day. She likes making breakfast for her children and spending time watching the sunrise. Carol has the luxury of being able to stay home during the day and likes to get involved with her children’s extra curricular activities as well as a book group. In her spare time she likes to plan out weekend trips that her family can take and look into new places they can stop along the way. With one child in college and the other about to graduate high school, she soaks up every chance she can get to be with her family as a whole. Her perfect day would consist of driving to a familiar place with the comfort of her family and friends surrounding her. They would spend the day laughing, eating great food and drinking to the good times they’ve had.
The Taster
Mark
Wine Preference Malbec Favorite Pastime Spending time with his wife A day in the life of Mark: Mark isn’t your typical taster. He didn’t like the thought of driving to vineyards to try the wines until he met his wife Claire, who happens to be a chef. Mark has become a taster over the last couple of years and now looks forward to the next weekend he can go try more wines or return to his favorite vineyards. He enjoys getting on the road and driving with just a map, his wife and music. The perfect day for Mark would be a day out in the Hill Country trying all the wines and enjoying live music and food with his wife. He feels the escape of reality and his job when on the open road and sitting beneath the trees looking out onto the property of a vineyard. If it were up to him, he would be at one every weekend trying multiple wines and figuring out which ones he would pair with his wife’s pastas. On occasion he will buy a bottle of wine but Mark would rather buy five tastings then one bottle of wine.
15
Mind Map What sets William Chris Vineyards apart? In order to hone in on or big idea, we created a mind map of the qualities that distinguished William Chris Vineyards from the rest of the competition. The words were derived from conversations with Chris and William Chris visitors, as well as our own observations.
Music
Art
Moments Stories
Culture
Rustic
History
Wine
Experience Southern Charm
Homey Folks
We then took our mind map and used it in the development of our Big Idea
Low Impact Community Enzyme Free
Quality
Hand Picked
Locally Grown
Hand Crushed
Relationships
People
Family
Authenticity Friends
The Big Idea S “ outhern Times, Texas Wines” When developing our big idea for William Chris Vineyards, we focused on three elements from our mind map that we feel make William Chris unique: history, community, and its take on Texas wine culture.
History
William Chris takes a great deal of pride in the history behind the business and the stories associated with it. From the history and reasons behind the establishment of William Chris Vineyards, to the history of the property, to the stories of the individual wines, there is a lot to talk about which really connects with consumers.
Community
The sense of community fostered by William Chris is evident when visiting the Vineyards. The staff takes time to welcome visitors, give tours around the property, and is very knowledgeable about wine in general, as well as the different wines produced in the area. The William Chris “experience” is very much about spending time with family and friends,
being outdoors enjoying live music and good conversation, and trying new wine. This atmosphere embodies “Southern hospitality” and distinguishes William Chris from larger wineries and vineyards in the area that do not provide such a personal experience.
Texas Wine Culture
The focus on using Texas grown grapes to produce quality, hand-crafted “Old World” style wine with a low-impact creates a specific niche for William Chris in the area, and places it in a position to compete with larger vineyards not only in the Hill Country, but also nationally. Overall, with “Southern Times, Texas Wines” Piranha is working to distinguish William Chris Vineyards as the place to go for an experience complete with rich history, that Southern hospitality and community feeling, and wine that is truly Texan: in authenticity and quality.
17
The Consumer Lifecycle Awareness
The conumer discovers William Chris
How to achieve this:
-
18
Radio ads Signs Billboards Wine Road 290 Press Facebook Ad SEM Brochures Social Deal Print Ads
Consideration
Selection
How to achieve this:
How to achieve this:
The conumer learns about William Chris
-
News Articles Online Reviews Website Facebook Page YouTube Pinterest
- conumer decides to The - William Chris visit -
Recommendations Social Deal Events Facebook
Satisfaction The - conumer enjoys William Chris -
-
How to achieve this: Tasting room Staff training Wine education Property improvements
Advocacy
The consumer recommends William Chris
How to achieve this:
-
Email Hye Society Facebook Yelp Exclusive events Hye Society referral
The Experience In order to improve the William Chris Experience and ensure that it aligns with the “Southern Times, Texas Wines� idea, Piranha Advertising recommends the following:
Signage
Property Improvements
Piranha Advertising recommends the installation of antiqued wooden fencing around the cemetary and the driveway entrance. This will improve visability of the entrance and highlight the history of the property.
Property signs will enhance the vineyard’s location from the highway and help new visitors learn about the property and what the vineyard has to offer. We recommend that six new signs be added to the property:
--------
a larger entrance sign for higher visibility to travelers a tour sign to notify visitors tours are available a Hye Society sign to spark interest of the club and benefits of joining a family graveyard plaque to showcase the rich history of the property a farmhouse plaque to showcase the rich history of the property an improved, branded sign for the junkyard truck for more visible guidance a vineyard field plaque to showcase where the harvesting is done
19
Staff Training
It is imperative to educate staff members that are dealing directly with clients about everything that William Chris Vineyards does in order to maximize your goals and emphasize the “Southern Times� feel. The contact between potential clients and sales staff represent a valuable tool in closing a sale, establishing a reputation and creating hype for Hye Society. Staff should be able to:
--
------
20
Provide a detailed description of the history of each bottle in order to present a rich historical overview of where the grapes came from, why the bottle was named as such and any other significant detail about how the wine is produced Discuss the events, pairings, specialty wines and exclusive benefits of becoming a Hye Society member without straight out asking if they want to become a member Up-sale a purchase by using descriptive tactics, passionate opinions and customers reviews of other bottles Be able to talk about the property by mentioning its southern heritage and what makes it unique Suggest places or specific areas on site that guests could check out and enjoy a relaxing glass of wine Share knowledge of events that will be taking place at the vineyard and showcase valuable reasons to attend
All of these techniques should be used during conversations between employees and customers during tastings, actions of service, casual exchanges, and at point of sale. The more knowledgeable the staff is the better they can help meet goals by entailing everything that makes William Chris Vineyards a relaxing place to visit, with southern flair and high class wine.
Creative Strategy
Creative Mandatories Logo
To create a more simplistic feel and mirror the new vision, Piranha Advertising elected to update the logo. The newer logo embodies the new creative vision, while still remaining true to William Chris’ past look. Because the updated logo is very similar to the old one, existing implementations of the logo (on t-shirts, glasses, signs, etc) will not have to be replaced. However, when new orders are placed, the updated logo should be used. This allows us to update the feel without the cost of purchasing everything new.
Fonts
“Wisdom Script Al” Upscale and beautiful, while maintaining a friendly and rustic feel, Wisdom looks good at a large size, but can be dificult to read when used liberally or at a small size Use for: Logo, Headers
“Georgia” Classic and simplistic, Georgia is an easy to read, web-friendly font. This makes it perfect for copy, both on and offline.
vineyards Colors
Piranha has selected a color scheme of olive green and grey. The rustic green is warm, inviting, and emphasizes the natural aspect of the grapes, while the grey maintains a simplistic and clean feel.
22
Use for: Copy, Online
“Abraham Lincoln” Fun and rustic, Abraham Lincoln is a perfect fit for William Chris when used in print. Like Wisdom, it can be hard on the eyes at small sizes and large quantities. Use for: Print headlines and tagline
Sample Executions
www.williamchriswines.com
vineyards
Southern Times, Texas Wines vineyards Southern Times, Texas Wines
10352 U.S. Highway 290 Hye, TX 78635 www.williamchriswines.com
23
Website Homepage
Media Strategy
Online Website
Redesign & SEO
The current William Chris website has poor search performance, slow load times, and does not fully tell the William Chris story. After friend and family recommendations, online search and winery websites are the top two ways that visitors discover new wineries. Because of this, Piranha Advertising recommends a full website redesign to welcome online visitors who are unfamiliar with the site, tell them what William Chris is all about, and entice them to visit. William Chris does not currently perform well in organic search. Because search is such an important component for visitor acquisition, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was an
26
important consideration in the redesign of our website. The new website will reduce load time and integrate keywords to improve search visibility. Piranha Advertising has designed a website to align with these goals and has contacted a web development company to code the website. SEO optimization is included with their package.
Mobile
We have experienced a significant boom in mobile web usage over the past few years. We noticed that visiting the William Chris site from a smartphone was an unoptimal experience for the user. Customers only need the essential information on the run, such as hours, phone number, and directions. We have built a site that does exactly this. Found at: https://sites.google. com/site/williamandchriswines/, the site allows visitors to call the winery, get directions, and purchase wine.
Paid Search
Because tourists frequently use search engines to discover new activities both before and while on the road, William Chris should invest in web and mobile paid search with Google. The program is similar to Facebook’s ad system. You select keywords then only pay for what you use while setting a daily budget. Piranha selected four key phrases that will generate the best targeted traffic to the William Chris site. To select these words the team used Google’s competitive keyword search tool to find what keywords are searched the most. Included in the implementation booklet is a table showing the words and exactly how much these words cost, it also shows how many expected clicks William Chris should expect.
To do this, Piranha Advertising recommends redesigning the email format for ease of read and to match the new creative. Additionally, it is suggested that each email follow a similar format to keep the email short and so that readers know what to expect. The recommended sections are: Upcoming Events, Winery News, and a Pairing Recipe. The second recommendation is to add an email drop off on the website to increase the contact database. Other than those few small things, the email marketing appears to be a great channel for William Chris.
Since William Chris is outperforming the market average, there are only a few suggestions in regard to the emails. The first is to make the emails shorter and more visually appealing. Piranha suggests that every email should be mobile-friendly, meaning easily read from a smartphone. If the message is shorter and mobile-friendly then the forward rate should increase because readers won’t mind sharing a quick word with a friend. Also if the message is shorter, the click through rate should increase because the message copy will guide them directly to William Chris’ desired end destination.
27
Social Media Web Series
YouTube is often disregarded in a social media campaign but Piranha Advertising strongly suggests cleaning up the William Chris YouTube channel and adding some professional content. Content should be centered around each bottle’s story, starting with the vineyard through the fermentation process to the bottling and labeling. This series will kill two birds with one stone, it will serve to tell the rich background stories of the wines and vineyards and will give writers a reason to mention William Chris when looking for a good story.
Facebook is a great tool for connecting with fans, building a community and creating a stronger online presence. It’s important to build the page and create ways for people to interact with it.
Display Advertising
As seen in the current marketing efforts, William Chris uses Facebook’s Display Advertising Platform. This platform is great for highly targeted campaigns, and Piranha has a couple of recommendations to optimize this platform:
28
In targeting, it is suggested that William Chris only target cities within 50 miles of Hye, TX, Fredericksburg, TX and Austin TX. Piranha also suggests switching to “broad category targeting” and selecting activities such as, Food and Dining, Literature/
Reading, and Traveling, and interests such as, Beer/Wine/ Spirits. The targeting should include college educated and remove the “only friends of fans of William Chris.” The “only friends of fans” is a good tool that Facebook offers but in order to increase the number of impressions Piranha suggests removing it. With the targeting provided, 216,000 impressions are expected. The second recommendation is in regards to copy; do not jump straight into selling strangers Hye Society. The audience has no prior knowledge or and reason to impulse buy. Instead Piranha recommends inviting readers by saying “Join us this weekend to taste the spirit of Texas and enjoy good company HWY 290 1HR west of Austin!”
Restrict Content After reviewing the current William Chris Facebook campaign, Piranha saw a high number of clicks but a low ratio to connections. As stated earlier, connections are the number of people who “like” a Facebook page in response to a campaign. William Chris is spending money for the high clicks but not getting any return in “likes”. The key metric for success is to evaluate is the number of connections gained from a particular campaign. To improve this number Piranha recommends a “like gate”. “Like gates” restrict content from visitors until they like the page; before they like it, they see a main brand message
that encourages further interaction. There are drag and drop services that provide this for $13.25 a month. Contests
Facebook contests engage fans and encourage sharing of the William Chris name with friends. This is especially important since friend and family recommendations hold the most weight in winery choice. There are apps you can add to the Facebook page to automatically handle sweepstakes contests, but it is recommended that William Chris engage in more personal contests, such as a fan photo sharing contest or weekly trivia about the vineyard. These types of contests are fun for the fans and a great way to get on to friends of fans’ news feed.
By joining Pinterest, William Chris will not only add another social media outlet but they will also become more personable. Pinterest focuses on allowing its members to show who they are and what they like through imagery. Because William Chris’ Facebook page is so picture heavy, this is a great opportunity. Piranha Advertising recommends posting pictures of guests, past events, stories of the wines and much more. Creating a Pinterest is free of charge but would be priceless in regards to showing the kind of down home, southern experience William Chris Vineyards offers its guests.
Currently, Piranha Advertising does not see the benefit of the William Chris Twitter. The feed currently copies the posts from Facebook, and is not visually oriented to optimize picture postings. Optimally, Piranha suggests using this is a channel to connect with industry players: other vineyards, bloggers, and celebrities. However with the current budget, it is suggested that the Twitter account is disabled; in social media, it is better to be absent than to participate half-heartedly.
29
Traditional Print
Print Collateral
Magazine
Print advertising placed in local tourism magazines and guides will help William Chris reach potential guests interested in area attractions. We recommend placement in two publications: Texas Hill Country Magazine The Magazine circulates to more than 18,000 and has enthusiastic readers who love responding to articles. Copies are sold in places such as Wal-Mart, H.E.B., Barnes & Noble and other retailers around Texas.
Hill Country Passport The Passport would be located in Blanco County News and Johnson City Record Courier. These copies will be distributed to advertisers, restaurants, hotels, visitor’s centers and chambers of commerce. With both of these publications combined, William Chris will maximize their potential reach among demographics in the Hill Country. This will also allow potential guests to see who William Chris are and the exact experience they would receive from visiting the vineyard.
30
To educate visitors, both potential and current, Piranha Advertising recommends the production and distribution of the following print collateral: Brochure A brochure will contain information about the vineyards’ location and wine, as well as fun facts about the property. This will entice potential visitors, as well as reinforce the quality of the wine and experience. It is recommended that the brochure be distributed to area hotels, restaurants, and attractions as well as at the vineyards. Menu Piranha Advertising recommends a redesign of the menu for stylistic consistency. About the Wine It is recommended that an “About the Wine” sheet be paired with the menu. The sheet will describe all the thought and details that go into the wine. This will increase the perception of William Chris’ quality, as well as emphasize the Texas focus of the wine.
Radio
In order to target travellers, radio spots will air during peak driving and wine visiting times. Placements on Thursday and Friday morning and evening drives will be good reminders for the target to come out and visit William Chris on the weekend. We decided country and contemporary are good genres to reach the target. KNAF and KKMJ are the two stations we will be using to reach an estimated 193,000 people.
Billboards
Running an advertisement on a billboard helps notify travelers of upcoming attractions and areas for stops. By placing a billboard off of Highway 290 in Johnson City heading west bound, you will be able to notify travelers 10.6 miles outside of Hye. This will give them the opportunity to make arrangements to stop at the vineyard for a pit stop while traveling. The billboard will also notify travelers who plan on staying in the surrounding areas of the vineyard as nearby venue for sight seeing. This billboard will mainly target travelers coming in from Austin and the Dallas Fort Worth area who are traveling in the Texas Hill Country.
31
Public Relations & Promotions
Suggested Events Suggested Events
Events are a great way to attract travelers driving down Wine Road 290. When people see commotion, they are more inclined to seek out the details. Suggested events include but aren’t limited to a Grower Event and a Grape Stomp event.
Grower Event
An annual event William Chris should consider starting is a grower event. This would be a great event to show the dedication and stories behind William Chris. Each Spring, growers would be invited down to the vineyard to host an event where they would each talk about their individual stories. The stories could include how they became involved with growing grapes, how they came in contact with William Chris, and their take on wine. This event would be an interactive way for guests to get a glimpse of William Chris’ philosophy and the dedication they pour into their business. Along with the growers’ stories, William Chris could serve the wines named after some of the families who grow grapes for them as the specialty wines of the night.
Grape Stomp Event
34
In 2011, William Chris hosted a grape stomp event for families and friends to come join in on the fun of stomping grapes and drinking wine. If this is already an annual event, it should continue because these are the types
of events where couples with children could come out and enjoy some wine because there is an entertainment aspect to this event. If it is not an annual event, William Chris should consider making it into one. William Chris should host this event in the Fall and make it nonexclusive to attract even more bypassers. Having an event where the guests can interact and learn more about the process of how the wine is made humanizes William Chris. Along with the grape stomping, live music and appetizers for the guests would keep the event simple yet entertaining for all. To attract more families, a moon bounce is recommended to keep the children entertained while parents enjoy a glass of wine with friends. Both of these would bring together what William Chris is all about and allow a chance for families to come out and enjoy time spent with the ones they love. Nothing beats a gorgeous day outside surrounded by friendly faces and Texas wine.
Outside Events
In order to achieve the marketing goals, William Chris Vineyards must reach out to those citizens that truly appreciate Texas Wine. There are unique festivals all over Texas that showcase the growing wine culture and hidden treasures in the Lone Star State. Attendees have a true appreciation for wine and most likely consider themselves amateur connoisseurs. Attending these
festivals will generate buzz for William Chris Vineyards and help to reach further potential club members for Hye Society. It’s a great way to get the vineyards out there, get people to interact with the social media and start building a reputation.
requiring a minimum percent of alcohol served to be William Chris wines. This would help maintain their philosophy of not becoming commercialized. Having William Chris on preferred vendor lists would be a subtle way of creating buzz. Additionally, creating family experiences embodies William Chris southern experience even more, pushing them to the forefront of Texas vineyards.
Press Releases Piranha recommends sampling bottles of Blanc du Bois and Emotion (or one white and one red) and bringing a case of each for each day.
Event Hosting
Hosting events, especially weddings, should be viewed as a marketing opportunity. It is recommended that William Chris send out brochures to different wedding coordinators in the Hill Country and Austin areas and request to be one of their preferred vendors. Once they obtained a spot on some of these lists, they would be recommended to brides. To keep the William Chris atmosphere meaningful, Piranha recommends setting guidelines with the wedding coordinators on how many guests per wedding would be allowed and
Piranha Advertising recommends supporting events and milestones by coordinating with local media in targeted areas on public relations efforts. This will be done by reaching out to local publications with prepared press releases on highlights at William Chris and building relationships with media contacts. These relationships can help develop greater visibility for William Chris Vineyards among media in the Hill Country and surrounding areas, and encourage further editorial coverage that will work to propel William Chris to a top 3 position among Hill Country wineries. We have included two sample press releases covering an event and a milestone, respectively, that can be provided to media outlets to secure coverage. Please reference the media list for information pertaining to the media contacts in your targeted areas. The media list encompasses all necessary information for distribution of press releases, contacts for pitches and features, and phone numbers for cold calls should you wish to contact the press for high volume or impressive events.
35
Promotions Social Deals
Piranha understands not wanting be the “Groupon vineyard”, but contrary to coupon clipping, there is no negative stigma associated with these sites. Groupon is mainstream, but there are two alternatives: LivingSocial and Tippr. Piranha specifically recommend LivingSocial since the name coincides with William Chris’ main sell, social experience. More importantly, Living Social’s audience is highly educated and wealthy, aligning well with our target audience. Running a 2 for $10 tasting is suggested. There is no up front cost, but in addition to the loss incurred by the discount, LivingSocial takes 50% of the deal’s price. Despite this, we strongly recommend implementing the deal. It won’t damage the brand, but will increase visits, which in turn increases brand visibility and the opportunity to sell a bottle or two.
Hye Society Referral Program
36
As a major business objective of this campaign is to virtually double Hye Society membership in both 2012 and 2013, the team recommends the institution of a Hye Society Referral Program. This program would entail providing incentives to current Hye Society members for introducing their friends and family to William Chris wine, and referring them to the Hye Society. The main incentive is to provide existing members with one free bottle of wine of their choosing on their next shipment of wine if they refer one or more people to a successful new membership to Hye Society. This program would work on a quarterly basis to coincide with Hye Society
wine shipments four times a year. Therefore, members are provided with four chances in the yearly cycle to refer new people to the wine club, with the “count” resetting after every shipment. Members will get to enjoy an extra bottle of their favorite William Chris wine every quarter, and the social nature of the wine culture promoted by William Chris will be conducive to word-of-mouth promotion.
Hye Society On-Site Incentive
Additionally, we propose that incentives are offered to those visitors that join Hye Society on the day of their visit to the Vineyards to capitalize on the instant gratification opportunity. By offering new members a free glass of member-only release wine on the day they sign up increases the instant return on investment for both visitors and William Chris.
Wine Stopper Giveaway In order to increase social media interaction, Piranha Advertising suggests offering a wine bottle stopper to guests who “like” the William Chris Facebook page. This will ensure that guests continue to receive updates from William Chris and use them as endorsers of the brand.
Additional Recommendations
Additional Press Releases
Distribute at least one press release each month, establishing a minimum of 12 releases per year. Keeping your target informed about new happenings at William Chris Vineyards is a sure way to bring in new clientele, keep loyal customers and maintain positive relations with the media.
More Food Variety
The menu should entail a wider variety of foods with some more filling options for the guests that spend hours relaxing at the vineyards. A cheese platter is elegant, but there could be more substantial items, especially since this was noted as one of the most important considerations in choosing a vineyard by survey respondants.
Hye Society Photography
Hang the “Hye Society” plaque on a wall complementary to the tasting room and surround the plaque with photos of Hye Society events, wines and special occasions to generate interest and spark conversation about the benefits of joining.
38
Wine Glass Giveaway
Adding a wine glass giveaway to visitors’ tasting experience would be a great way for guests to keep William Chris top of mind. They need some sort of take-away to show friends what they received when they went for a wine tasting. We recommend addding this into the price for a wine tasting, offering guests the option of paying $10 for just the wine tasting or $12 for the wine tasting and a glass. This would allow them to take a piece of William Chris’ southern charm home with them and share their experience with all of their friends.
Apply to be a Historical Llandmark
The property is old and has historical buildings, graveyards, and significance. Online application includes writing a 4-5 page narrative and submitting to local government committee. Folks that are travelling may be more interested to stop if there is a historical significance to the property. This will also help to differentiate William Chris Vineyards from the other vineyards.
Measurement & Evaluation
Measurement There are several key metrics Piranha wants to evaluate through the duration of the campaign.
Visitors
The first of which would be weekly visitors to the property, we should expect to see at least a 25% increase due to the improved signage and the heavy up periods with the paid search and radio spots. This would bring an average Saturday to 250-300 visitors and hope for 60,000 visitors during 2013.
Conversion
The second metric would be the conversion factor of how many people leave William Chris with a purchased bottle. A goal of 6.5% conversion has been set. Through the property improvements, improvement to the brand equity and staff training, this goal should be easilly achieved. With this conversion rate the desired sales target, of 4,000 cases will be reached.
Hye Society Membership
Doubling the number of Hye Society members will be achieved in 2013 by increasing visitors to the property, enhanced social media and website, and most importantly the referral program. The 2013 Hye Society memberships will sell 2,000 cases. The effectiveness of our campaigns promoting Hye Society will be measured by asking new members how they heard about Hye Society on the application.
40
Social Media Interaction
As stated earlier social media interaction is expected to increase by offering a wine bottle stopper as an incentive to those who “like� WIlliam Chris on Facebook. Currently William Chris Vineyards has 1,853 Facebook fans and 178 followers on Twitter. A 25% increase in social media interaction is expected by adding 500 new fans and followers. Due to the increase in visitors more people will be aware of the social media promotion and spread the word to their networks. Social media is expected to guide new visitors to the property and vice versa.
Google Analytics
The William Chris website needs to be analyzed through analytic software. A great and free tool to use is called Google Analytics. Create an account and simply copy and paste the code anywhere in your html script and the metrics will be fed to your account dashboard. Key insights William Chris should pull away from this tool is the number of unique visitors and their traffic sources to learn how people are finding the website. Looking at which pages are most frequently viewed and for how long is also suggested. This will help with any future redesigns to the website.
Budget
41
Conclusion After reviewing the strategies and tactics presented in this campaign, we hope that you are as excited about “Southern Times, Texas Wines� as we are. We at Piranha Advertising would like to make a promise to you: -- We promise to deliver on our executions and recommendations. -- We promise to maximize efforts to reach William Chris communication and business goals. -- We promise to measure and evaluate every step of this journey to optimize performance. -- We promise to welcome your feedback and implement your ideas in this plan. We look forward to working with you closely over the upcoming months, and are excited for what the future holds for William Chris Vineyards and Piranha Advertising.
ADVERTISING Cheers,
42
ADVERTISING
Meet
Kelly Coonan
Kelly Coonan is a senior Advertising major with a concentration in Media and Business Foundations. She hopes to work as an Account Planner in New York after graduation.
A broke college student, Kelly has developed an astute taste for Andre and Franzia. She anxiously awaits the day that her budget allows her to try real wine.
matthew fisher Matthew Fisher is a senior Finance and Advertising major. Matt hopes to work in the tech industry upon graduation. While visiting Mendoza, Argentina, Matt had his first real experience with wine and has loved the culture associated with it ever since.
Lauren witt
Lauren Witt is a public relations major with a special emphasis in business and event planning. Lauren is hoping to work in a mobile environment that allows her to spend time away from a desk. Lauren, a lighthearted and sassy drinker, enjoys a glass of Cheeky Monkey on Summer nights.
Jessica Dickman
Jessica is a senior Advertising major with a concentration in business foundations. After graduation she plans on traveling through Europe tasting all the wines and then returning to Austin to pursue her passion in event planning.
She loves wine pairings and anything sweet including Riesling, cupcakes, and Moscato.
julia shatilo
Julia Shatilo is a senior Public Relations and History major. Upon graduation, Julia plans to pursue a career in arts management and publicity. Julia likes to relax with a chilled glass of white wine, preferably in a hammock with a good book.