Making the Most of the OND Season: Beverage Pros Share Tips
What Works for Wine Brands During the Critical OND Period...and the Rest of the Year
By Amanda Wittstrom Higgins
The wine landscape can sometimes seem a mystery, especially during the OND season when most brands are seeing the biggest lift of the year, while others can’t seem to get a call returned.
Eager for insights on top brands that have mastered the holiday period (and the rest of the year, too), we talked to strategic wine beverage professionals nationwide about how they interact with their wine partners, what those brands are providing to set themselves apart and how wineries can better engage the trade within various markets and account types during the OND season.
From offering good price-to-quality ratio and understanding your markets to using data + insights and more, driving sales and growth in the short- and long term is attainable with these insights as a guide, regardless of your business’ size.
The proof is in the product
The most important aspect to overall success in OND or any other time of the year? Offering a quality product at a reasonable price. Within a given distributor portfolio, restaurant list or retail shelf, there are literally thousands of SKU’s from all over the world vying for attention, and the market is more competitive than ever. Remember that you are competing globally and price your products accordingly. Whether it’s charging $10 or $100, “people recognize quality,” says Madeline Triffon M.S., Master Sommelier for Plum Market in Detroit, MI. “If there’s quality in the glass, and the wine overdelivers at its price point, you will get their [the buyer’s] attention.”
Adds Chris Mitchell, Director of Business Development for Breakthru Beverage in Virginia: “In addition to a quality product, eye-catching packaging and a good value-to-price ratio is essential.”
Know your market
It's imperative that you understand the unique aspects of each market you are approaching in regards to seasonality and needs. There’s no “one size fits all” approach and being regionally nimble sets brands apart. For example, says Virginia Philip, Master Sommelier and Beverage Director for The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL., “OND might be a terrific time to visit Florida as their peak season runs November to July 4.”
Mitchell provides another scenario: “In Virginia, the market is approximately 90% chains, so if you have an authorization, you could dive deep into data and ensure that all of your commitments are fulfilled by account.”
In the California or Michigan markets, you may focus your OND efforts on tactical execution aimed at promoting customer pull through. Examples of support activities during peak season are; instore tastings, wine dinners, bottle signings, staff training and double checking to ensure distributors and accounts have adequate inventory.
Regardless of approach, crafting your approach to a specific region, market, and seasonality is mandatory.
Use data to meet their needs and strategically position your brand
“Take time to listen and truly understand the needs of each account and how you can engage them; in some cases individual store locations may have different needs and autonomy,” says Triffon. “Understanding how a specific account operates will dramatically improve your success.” What tools and support can be provided to get them the answers and insight they seek? In some cases, data can provide valuable industry information and hot tips that buyers need, revealing insights relevant to their business and revelations on how your brand could contribute best to their long-term strategy.
Your intel collection could include reviewing IRI data as well as observing what categories are turning above industry standard—and what’s not moving much--on the retail shelf. Whether it’s suggesting swapping out a product from an overflooded, slow-moving segment or strategically adding another in a high-volume category, bringing knowledge, insight and hard data to the table will help everyone win.
“Focusing on business intelligence is critical; buyers want to carry products that represent the needs of the marketplace,“ says Chris Mitchell, Director of Business Development for Breakthrough Beverage in Virginia. “This means you must have a really good understanding of the market as well as how your product fits into each assortment. For example, is there a hot category and price point that is missing from the set or could be expanded upon? Reverse engineer your pitch and make it easy to say yes.”
Make sure to listen
Data alone doesn’t always tell the whole story. It’s important to keep your ear to the ground on trends, tastes and opportunities and be open to what the market really wants. Says Dan Williams, North American Wine Buyer for Hi Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California: “My job as a buyer is not to buy the wines that I like; it's for me to buy the wines that work best for my clientele, that my store will sell. When I go on the sales floor and I listen, or I speak with my customers, I listen to my customers and what they're looking for . . . and then give them options that best suit their needs. I’d recommend the same thing for a producer, distributor or importer. Just listening to what people need will really help.”
Choosing your partners
Whether you are looking to land a new distributor, or secure a featured BTG in a hotel, your reputation, reliability and relationships are critical. The same goes for your partners. If you aren’t opening the accounts you want to or landing target placements, it might not be just you. Your distributor partner has a lot to do with whether producers will be given placements. Working with quality people who know how things work, are honest and direct in their dealings, who are conscientious and thorough and know how to leverage contacts is critical. “In this business it isn’t just about who you know, it’s about who you trust to get the job done. A company's reputation and follow-through are extremely important,” says Mitchell.
Understanding bandwidth is also important: “We do business with 20-plus distributors at The Breakers. The property is home to 10 unique restaurant concepts and each location has a different wine list with 12-16 wines by the glass. The lists are constantly changing so guests have a unique experience at each dining location. Having distributor partners who are reliable and capable of fulfilling these large volume orders is a must.” says Philip.
Provide ample, quality information on your product
Producing detailed, quality informational assets will make it easier for your accounts to support your product. One-sheet informational sheets are easily and quickly digestible, but make sure you don’t cut corners and assume the reader doesn’t care, or that they know more than they do. Your goal should be to make the end user an expert on the product and region; their knowledge and enthusiasm will take a lead from the quality and depth of information you provide.
For guidance, Triffon suggests “meditating on Kermit Lynch’s website and tech sheets,” and also recommends the Winebow Imports site for examples beyond product descriptions, including portfolio-wide regional content. Going deep on all aspects of the product and regions in which they’re produced will allow your accounts many angles of entry dependent on interests and needs.
Williams agrees: “The most useful tech sheets are those that include a lot of detail; breakdown of oak percentage isn’t enough. Describe what type of oak was used and what was the length of time in barrel? Or describe your vineyard site in detail: what is the topography, row direction and facing? Is there any shading of light from mountains nearby or are there interesting wind flow patterns? These aspects help us convey a sense of place with customers.”
Philip says the more insight on the wine, the better, and that goes beyond the technical: “Every time we add a new wine by the glass, we distribute a tech sheet and taste the wine with the Team. Then we discuss the price point, how to sell it, what to pair it with.”
Show up for your accounts
Whether it’s OND or any time throughout the year, the support you provide an account is critical to the relationship and your success. As the old saying goes “Showing up is 90%,” and that’s very true in the wine industry. Show up and offer to help out. That could include inventorying an entire set to help a buyer, stocking shelves of product that isn’t yours, signing bottles for consumers, educating the staff or hosting a dinner. Whatever the case, roll up your sleeves however you can, without expecting something in return.
As the wine industry becomes increasingly competitive and consumers are more cautious with their disposable income, it is essential for producers to work closely with both distributors and accounts to achieve success. By supporting and understanding the needs of your partners as well as the market, you’ll be poised for great things in OND and beyond.
NOVEMBER 2023 WINE BUSINESS MONTHLY