2012 PROGRAM

2012
Sponsors

WEDNESDAY EVENING

Social Media Marketing for Taste-based Products:
Lessons from the Fashion World
Presentation by Vineet Buch

How do you effectively market a product where the purchase decision is based (sometimes literally) on taste, on emotion, on complex social signals? The Fashion industry has broken new ground in social e-commerce, and shown how product discovery can work online. Let's chat about what learnings can be applied from Fashion to Wine. Vineet Buch manages Google Shopping.

GENERAL SESSION - THURSDAY

Keynote Address by David Blum, Ozone Online
The Experience Economy:
The 5 New Truths of Branding in the Digital Age

Right now, marketing is undergoing a period of intense change. The types and frequency of changes in digital marketing, alone, continue to accelerate. Standing still is falling behind.

David Blum, a 20-year veteran of global consumer goods marketing and digital media, will present a framework that brings order to what often appears to be chaos.

Wine is an experiential product – to be shared – and his thesis is that we are moving towards an “experience” economy. Starting with macro trends underlying culture and communications, David will discuss five factors that are driving this evolution, which (non-wine) brands are succeeding and why, and how companies like yours can enable powerful, differentiated campaigns.

David is currently managing director of Ozone Online, and has developed ground-breaking campaigns, platforms and experiences for brands including MINI, Columbia Sportswear, Priceline, RadioShack, Adobe, T-Mobile, EA Sports and others.

Research Project: DTC Winery Check Up
Presented by Ross Goodwin, Bennett Valley Group
 
We are excited to announce the inaugural research project of the DTC Wine Symposium, the “Winery Check Up”, a comprehensive research project that will help wineries compare their direct to consumer sales performance against their peers.

This project will report on over 18 separate metrics, including Tasting Room club sign up rate, additional club member revenue, average Tasting Room dollar transaction and Facebook likes, from data collected in a survey, voluntarily, confidentially from California wineries during September and October, 2011.

No wineries will be identified in the presentation at the Symposium, just the aggregated data. Results from this survey will be presented January 19, 2012 by Ross Goodwin, managing partner of Bennett Valley Group, our research partner for 2012.

“Tales & Travails from the Tasting Room”
Constructive solutions to common challenges presented in an untraditional way

We’ve heard them all before. Well-meaning but sometimes bizarre questions from consumers in our tasting rooms, such as, “How much water do you put in your wine.”  Or, strange situations with wedding parties, pets, etc. How do you best respond in these situations?  Our cast of improvisational actors and tasting room pros will demonstrate constructive solutions to common challenges – the good, the bad, and the downright silly. 

This series of vignettes of common tasting room situations will be moderated by Barbara Gorder from Undisclosed Location. She will be joined by Marina Mayer, Retail Sales Manager, Gundlach Bundschu and David Devan, Hospitality and Retail Manager, Chateau Montelena.

State of the States: What to Expect in 2012
Presented by Steve Gross, Director of State Relations, Wine Institute

To Infinity and Beyond! Taking Your Wine Club to the Next Level

Is your Wine Club program stalled or static? This panel discussion will focus on reinvigorating your current wine club or loyalty program utilizing both old and new techniques. Engagement, retention and enlistment will be covered, with examples of proven incentives, excellent customer service and program enhancements.

The target audience for this Session is Direct Sales Managers, Wine Club Managers and General Managers.

Education Level: Intermediate to Advanced

This Session will be moderated by Karen Barnes, Owner, Wine Direct Marketing Services

Panelists:
Kori DeVries, Direct to Consumer Sales Manager, Zaca Mesa Winery
Jeff Stai, Owner, Twisted Oak Winery

We Are Ready for our Close-Up, Mr. DeMille: Using Video to Boost Your Sales

The session will focus on the use of video in enhancing and driving increased direct sales programs. Examples of effective videos will be presented, including tasting notes, events, vineyard and cellar tours and other key topics, along with an outline of a successful, well-rounded video series that allows customers to engage with the winery on all levels.

The target audience for this Session is Direct Sales Managers, Website Administrators, Marketing Managers and General Managers.

Education Level: Intermediate

The moderator for this Session is Lisa Mattson, Communications Director, Jordan Winery

Panelists:
Dina Mande, Owner and Creative Director, Juice Media
Martín Rossetti, Creative Director, Artemis Film
Frank Gutierrez, Wagner Family of Wine, Social Media Manager & Filmmaker.

Make Every Day Cyber Monday - How to Improve your eCommerce Efforts

Want to increase your online sales? A panel of eCommerce specialists will offer insights on the key contributing factors to increasing online sales, website and store traffic through effective email marketing, customer service, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Tools on how to measure these changes will also be discussed, including the use of Google Analytics, Google Adwords, and Google Website Optimizer.

The target audience for this Session is Administrators of eCommerce websites, Direct Sales Managers, Tasting Room Managers and General Managers.

Education Level: Intermediate

This Session will be moderated by Jeff Stevenson, President & CEO, Provino Premium Wines

Panelists:
Nyk King, DTC Marketing Manager, Terlato Wine Group
Ron Kreutzer, President and Founder, WineWeb

Now I Know My ABCs - Training Tasting Room Staff from A to Z

Maximize your sales potential through properly trained staff. This session will cover staff training for everyone who comes into contact with the customer, including Tasting Room, Wine Club, eCommerce and Social Media personnel. The panelists will present tips and techniques to connect the winery team with visitors, club members and online customers in order to maximize direct sales success.

The target audience for this Session is Direct Sales Managers, Tasting Room Managers, Wine Club Managers, eCommerce Managers, Social Media Managers and General Managers.

Education Level: Beginning

This Session will be moderated by Christopher Huber, Vice President of Direct to Consumer Sales & Marketing, Foley Family Wines

Panelists:
Eric Sklar, Founder and Owner, Alpha Omega Winery
Jodie Boulet-Daughters, General Manager, Consilience & Tre Anellit Wines
Élan Fayard, Direct-to-Consumer Sales & Marketing Consultant, Élan Fayard Consulting