I don’t think most wine companies are customer focussed. If they’d like wine to be cool again, this must change.

Controversial statement, but bear with me.

If you study most wine companies’ marketing efforts, you’d come to the conclusion that the customer is incidental to their business. At worse, not at all relevant to their product. The customer is invisible.

When was the last time you saw Nike bang on about how many stitches are in one of their runners? Or how the sole was manufactured? Or where it was made? They don’t. They consistently and relentlessly extol the tangible and emotional benefits of using their products. But all the wine industry talks about is grapes, vineyard, region and winemaking.

Yes, these things are important, but perhaps terrior has overtaken the customer. Wine is a luxury or status purchase. And it says volumes about the buyer’s purchasing decision, and benefits he or she gains from the transaction. How and when they want to consume it, and with who.

Perhaps it is time to wind back on the winemaking and start to communicate the benefits of purchasing your wines over your competition.

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Matt Remphrey