US wineries use their data to counteract the drop in sales
California's Ehlers Estate winery in Napa Valley uses its data to bring the estate experience directly to its loyal customers.
In the U.S. wine market, many companies are experiencing declining sales. According to The Buyer, the ability to analyze corporate and consumer data is proving to be a winning strategy, and wineries that use it effectively are better positioned to counteract negative market trends.
Ehlers Estate has noticed a growing reluctance among tourists to visit Napa Valley, both due to a feeling of having already been there and the high costs of transportation and accommodation. Sandra Tafur Demaria, the winery's sales and marketing director, explains that the response was the "At the Table with Ehlers Away" campaign, designed to bring the Napa experience closer to their customers.
The first step was to identify the most receptive customers. Demaria describes it this way: “To strategically identify our target audience, we adopted a very thorough data segmentation process. Initially, we analyzed our sales data to define our top 10 markets, focusing on the areas with the highest concentration of interactions and sales. This analysis further focused on the top five postal codes that had a significant number of members in our wine club.”
With this information, the winery identified partner restaurants and wine club members in the selected areas and offered them personalized experiences. The campaign showcased its latest vintage and Adam Casto, its new winemaker, who played a key role in the events thanks to his knowledge of the vineyard's history. The wines were chosen to tell a story of tradition, dedication, and innovation, and each sip was an integral part of the culinary experience.
The campaign began with word of mouth within the wine club community and continued with a targeted email campaign aimed at key clients. According to Demaria, each event sold out in under two hours, and the social media campaign reached its goals within hours of the announcement.
Now the winery is analyzing interaction data to refine its strategies, focusing on referrals and conversions, and to maintain contact with those who couldn't attend. This case demonstrates how a data-driven strategy can turn obstacles into opportunities: by identifying the right audience and offering personalized experiences, wineries can maintain and even increase their sales.
