The Anti-Wine Snob

I think everyone is a little intimidated by the culture of wine. Remember Frasier and Niles and their epic taste-off to become cork master of the wine club. Check out Wine Library TV, Gary Vaynerchuk delivers a “Jim Rome meets Jim Cramer,” energetic and enthusiastic daily video series about wine.

Wine Library TV is doing more to grow wine than the industry itself. Gary educates viewers about the effects of regional factors (soil, sun, wind) on wine flavors, and how to buy wine. Debunking myths (red vs. white, big name brands vs. independent growers, the pitfalls of wine ratings, etc.) is another ongoing theme of the show. Specific episode topics have included decanting, how to train your palate, the impact oak aging and barrel fermenting have on wine (Beware of the Oak Monster!), and comparisons of wines made from the same grapes grown in different regions.

Over 700 episodes into it and a cult-like following of more than 80,000 “Vayniacs” a day, Wine Library TV is no longer a blog but a full fledge media outlet. They are also extremely active in the social media networks, with over 850,000 twitter followers and 21,000 friends. I would implore that the wine industry not let itself become a dinosaurs and suffer the same fate of newspaper and watch your loyal consumers (literally) die off. If I was a winery trying to grow my market share and tap into a new consumer base (that means younger), its a no brainer to partner with Wine Library TV.

Old School

Around for about a decade, Canadian brewer Steam Whistle has had a singular focus, to make only one beer of exceptional quality. They brew their Premium Pilsner using only four, all natural ingredients and are dedicated to traditional craftsmanship. Their bottles, which are 30% heavier than the industry standard, allow for 35 refillings. The graphics are beautiful raised-letter printing right on the glass, which also allows the bottles to be sterilized and reused. An example of a company that has got it right by focusing in on quality in their product. Steam Whistle is a brand that has been built through careful attention to detail that reinforces their retro-quality positioning.

The Steam Whistle web site does not veer from their core beliefs. It supports and expands the product on many levels. Of course it has the basics, product details, where to find it, and how to contact us. But it goes above and beyond that to create a deeper and richer experience. Maybe its the attention to detail or creative flair, but when they talk about their environmental initiatives, or give a video tour of the brewery, or talk about their fleet of vintage delivery vehicles, you find your self loving this underdog who is battling the multi-billion dollar mega beers of the world.

They just don’t make them like they use to, when things were built to last and people enjoyed the simple things in life. The golden era when the marketing of goods relied on a relationship of trust between manufacturers who produced quality goods and consumers who eagerly rewarded genuine results. Steam Whistle is a throw-back company and the perfect example of a brand simply talking the talk and walking the walk.

Art: One Shot at a Time

Last year Proximo Spirits, Inc., a high-end liquor distributor, launched a campaign for its top shelf Tequila, 1800. The campaign is called “Essential Artist” and started with nine up-and-coming artists designing limited edition bottles for the premium tequila brand. Each artists' style is unique, representing various designs, mediums and perspectives, the artists include Jorge Alderete, Glenn Barr, Jeremy Bacharach, Will Chambers, Chris Dean, Kim Dosa, Josh Ellingson, Hannah Stouffer and Urban Medium. The artwork is part of an $8 million outdoor advertising and promotional campaign. With only 1,800 bottles being produced of each design, the bottles have become great collectibles.

Fans of 1800 can become the next “Essential Artist” by designing their own bottle and entering the online competition to be selected for the 2009 billboard campaign. The prize is $10,000, plus the opportunity to be featured in a national advertising campaign as well as nationwide distribution. Even if you don't win, you can purchase a bottle with your design for $225. “We hope the Essential Artists campaign will encourage other artists to make their dreams a reality,” said Elwyn Gladstone, Head of Marketing for Proximo.

Soup to nuts this campaign is a great piece of marketing. They’ve added value to the product via its packaging. Created integrated advertisements which speak in the authentic language of the upscale hipster demographic. They've engaged the consumers online and given them a way to become part of the brand. And have publications from MAXIM to Juxtapoz buzzing about it in the media. All this and the cap doubles as a shot glass.

Branding for a Kids Palette

I came across Crayons Fruit Drinks recently and thought what a great idea for a kid targeted beverage. Crayons, Inc. has spent three years developing an innovative and refreshing beverages which are made with 33% fewer sugar grams while retaining a nice sweetness level that kids love today. It may be healthier and taste great but no one will ever know because the branding is all wrong.

The more I think about it, the more flawed the thinking behind this brand is. I picture the meeting where they picked the name, “Let’s call it something kids love ... Crayons!” and off they went. I bet they thought kids would be begging their parents for it in the supermarket isles. Problem: little kids can’t read, Worse, the packaging doesn’t payoff the name. Colorful cans, but they do not look like crayons. On their site they use imagery of kids way too old to be lured by the name. Kids in this demo are going to tend towards aspirational marketing ploys like Gatorade's use of athletes like Tiger Woods, Dwayne Wade or Serena Williams, or Vitamin Water using entertainers like 50 Cent and Carrie Underwood.

It comes down it having core appeal. Imagine if Crayons spent their energy (and money) getting licensing rights to the 100 year old Crayola Brand. This would have given them a household brand name and iconic yellow and green packaging design that everyone would recognize whether they are old enough to read or not. With the power of the Crayola name and health conscious recipe, this drink would be able to compete on a whole new level of distribution and sales.

If they truly are chasing the active/athletic tweens, then they need to go back to the brand drawing board. Do some real soul searching create a brand identity that appeals to the target drinker and their specific nutritional needs ... maybe something like “Gatorade Jr.”

Jock Juice

They say Gatorade is designed to meet the needs of all athletes. Backed by more than 40 years of research, it is scientifically formulated to rehydrate, replenish and refuel athletes. Gatorade controls around 80 percent of the sports drink category but has seen hundreds of competitors from VitaminWater and Powerade to bottled water and energy drinks, are all drawing customers away that otherwise might have bought Gatorade.

In the last year Gatorade named Sarah Robb O'Hagan (formally of Nike) their new Chief Marketing Officer and has made TBWA\Chiat\Day (adidas) their new lead advertising agency. Since making these changes, Gatorade is redesigning everything from the sidelines to the shelf. “Just like any good athlete, Gatorade is taking it to the next level,” said O’Hagan, “Whether you’re in it for the win, for the thrill or for better health, if your body is moving, Gatorade sees you as an athlete, and we’re inviting you into the brand.”

Flagship drink, Gatorade Thirst Quencher will redesign its packaging. The letter G will be front and center along with the brand’s iconic bolt. G represents the heart, hustle, and soul of athleticism and will become a badge of pride for anyone who sweats, no matter where they’re active. The new TV spot “What’s G” (like any good New Years resolution launched January 1) brings sports legends past, present and future together who embody this Gatorade creed.

To help differentiate Gatorade’s sub-brands, each beverage will have a name that conveys the attitude of a coach or personal trainer, through in-your-face names on the label. New names such as BE TOUGH, NO EXCUSES, and BRING IT are designed to energize and excite consumers by reflecting their attitude and approach to activity.

So does Gatorade have more to lose than gain by going G. I loved the last campaigns where the athletes sweat Gatorade or where they celebrate its Florida football origins. But I can see the point of this new direction. They want to be bigger than a beverage. They want to be lifestyle. They have a mantra and are trying to be authentic to it. And to make a splash the size they are aiming for, you have to change everything.

Big problems need big ideas

Water.

Just plain water.

Sounds simple. But an estimated 1.1 billion people in the world don't have access to clean drinking water. The earth is 70% water, 3% of that is freshwater and only 1% of the world's freshwater is readily accessible for direct human use. In poorer countries, water-born disease runs rampant, affecting children the worst, a child dies every 8 seconds. Powerful numbers, but this is the one that I find the most shocking, 80% of all the diseases would be wiped out if you just gave people clean water.

Dean Kamen has a vision: Living a better life through better technology. The inventor of the Segway created a revolutionary vapor-compression water distiller, which can make pure medicinal-grade drinking water out of anything that's wet, including urine or toxic waste. The Slingshot in a single day it can produce 50 water cooler-sized bottles. It does not require any filters, membranes, chemicals, etc, so there aren't continual costs of replacing needed materials. Where do you plug it in? You don’t ... It runs on dung. More specifically the methane gas that is produced as the dung decomposes.

So here is my big idea to the bottled water industry. On March 22 (World Water Day) Dasani, Aqua Fina, Evian, Perrier, Fiji, etc., pledge industry wide to affect the world’s water epidemic. Kamen believes he can get the Slingshot production costs down to $1,000 to $2,000 per unit, how many villages could be helped? What could a $43 billion dollar industry do? With half of one percent they could give clean, drinkable water to over 100,000 villages.

I know it won’t solve the problem. But the might of everyone pulling in the same direction would be powerful. And the idea of Water companies saving lives by giving them clean water feels so natural.

Just an idea. Happy New Year.

From Vine to Box: Thinking outside the bottle

The box of wine has long been the cellar dweller of the wine category. When it comes to the perfect container to hold your vino, the box of wine isn’t what you think of, it’s basically a cardboard box with a plastic bag inside to hold the wine, and a spigot to dispense the wine. Why does this package get such a bad rap?

The wine drinking experience starts with the sense of anticipation that goes with opening it. The uncorking of a bottle is like a ceremony; it's like the difference between going to a restaurant and eating a frozen dinner.

Although some sommeliers may turn their nose up at wine not from a bottle, but boxes are perfect for wines that don’t need to age. Boxed wine has many advantages to the glass bottle: first, it’s hard to break, second, it’s easy to open, and most importantly, it stores wine better than any other container. As the wine is dispensed, the bag shrinks, so no fresh air is exposed to the wine. Oxygenation negatively effects wine; wines can go flat and then begin to turn into vinegar, consumers can enjoy a box wine for over a month after opening.

Aesthetically speaking, designing small labels to woo shoppers to grab their bottle off the shelf can be dwarfed by how much can be communicated on the packaging of a box wine. As the market grows and premium brands enter, boxes will naturally be designed to be unique and reflect each brand.

Glass bottles are also having a negative impact on the environmental. Since 90% of wine is produced in America is on the West Coast, greenhouse gas pollution from shipping creates a huge carbon footprint. Pound for pound the wine in a box produces half the emissions during transportation, the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road. And believe it or not there is a shortage of sand for making bottles in France, so they are having to import glass.

Wine in a box makes sense environmentally and economically. For the winemakers the most important thing is to sell the product. Boxed wine has grown 40% yet makes up lees than 1% of total sales in the wine category. Just imagine what a box of Opus One would go for and how it would change the perception about wine in a box. If the customer is happy to buy the wine in a box, then so be it. Boxed wine may be short on class, but it is long on practicality. And you don’t have to remember where you left the corkscrew!