Who are the millennial wine consumers? And what do they want?
Selling a product is difficult without knowing the audience. The best wine in the world could remain to collect dust in a warehouse if the marketing isn’t directed at anybody in particular. Don’t let your wine wait to be placed in a wine rack – the more you know about your consumers, the more effective the sales are.
Marketing wine to younger generations is a good start, and it’s even better to see who makes up such a broad group. Currently, those are Gen Z and millennials. We’ve already written about the Gen Z wine consumers here. In this article, we’ll help you step up your wine promotion game by showing you who millennials are and what they care about.
Who are the millennials and what do they want?
Millennials, also known as Gen Y, were born between 1981 and 1995. Good news for wineries: as opposed to Gen Z, all millennials are of legal drinking age! With 72 million millennials in the USA, they are now America’s largest generation. And despite millennials having been accused of killing various industries, the wine industry remains unbothered. Stay with us to learn how to make use of that data in wine marketing.
A strong wine marketing plan requires knowing the values of the target audience, so let’s dive right into that.
They are aware of health and environmental issues
Millennials care about their health more than the generations before them. They have a holistic approach to health: daily exercise, mindfulness, adequate sleep, paying attention to what they eat... This is a great piece of info to include in wine promotion ideas. Marketing the health benefits of wine can get you a base of health-conscious consumers. The quality of wine is certainly important, but so is the quantity. Millennials who care about their well-being are not so likely to binge drink. If you ask us, this sounds like a great opportunity to drop a luxury line of smaller-sized wine bottles. And there's no reason to stop at physical health. The sense of community does wonders for mental health, especially during these COVID times. Since millennials see wine as a social drink, wineries have turned to online wine tasting events. Innovative, yet simple and effective.
Showing that a brand cares about the environment is as essential as emphasizing positive health effects. Putting in the effort to find a viable alternative packaging, together with using sustainable winemaking practices, is a way to connect with the millennials. So, ditch the old-fashioned heavy bottles and embrace an eco-friendly solution. Make sure your environmental policy is honest and transparent. Millennials can smell phony a mile away because…
They take their research seriously
Possibly because millennials are financially aware, they tend to be careful about where they're spending their coin. Far from impulsive buyers, millennials research the prices, read blogs, reviews and scrutinize websites prior to purchasing. It is vital for wine brands to keep their pages updated, active, and filled with useful content. However, a part of social media wine marketing is up to the customers themselves! Did you know that 91% of millennials buy based on online recommendations from friends? Basically, a winery is the one that has to polish a wine marketing strategy at first, and a chain reaction of good reviews should follow. Due to COVID, now happens to be the right time to perfect your online presence. Comparing the data from April 1, 2020, and November 1, 2020, Rob McMillan found that phone sales and online sales increased significantly. Don’t miss out on such a shift in the wine market. We excel in creating successful wine promotion strategies, and we’ll gladly help you reach your goal.
Check out these 5 Wine Marketing trends led by Millennials.
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Millennials are into wine and they have a huge purchasing power. A great era for wineries, right? Sure, but only if you know your way around marketing. Luckily, when it comes to millennials, they know what they want, so brands can tap into that market with relative ease. Keeping the brand principles in line with the millennial values ensures the connection between a winery and millennial consumers. Marketing wine as a health product made following sustainable and eco-friendly practices is bound to attract like-minded consumers. But, to make your wine brand really shine, you have to do more than that. You have to go to town with your online presence because millennials research brands thoroughly before purchasing. Their friends' recommendations are as important. All this may sound like a lot of factors are in play, but trust us, it’s completely achievable!
