As we know, the wine industry has been around for over a hundred years. It’s a significant business and economic power. But with the growth of digital marketing, the wine industry is forced to change its ways. To stay ahead of the competition, wine manufacturers turn to digital marketing to reach their target market. The goal is to create real-time awareness for their products to generate more sales. As a result, digital marketing is now at the heart of the wine industry’s strategy. Here, we will discuss some of the trends expected to shape the future of the global wine industry.
1. Stylistic Categories Continue to Blur
Wine is a broad category. It encompasses many styles, from light and fruity to heavy and earthy. But it’s also a constantly evolving category. The boundaries between these styles are becoming more blurred as time goes on. For example, wine is often served as an aperitif or digestif. The food industry has already made great use of wine in this way. But that trend is not limited to the food industry. The wine industry is also becoming more inclusive of wines that fall into other categories, such as “light” and “heavy.”
2. Natural Wine Expands Into New Markets
The wine industry is experiencing a boom in natural wine. The market for natural wine has grown significantly in the last few years. While it used to be a niche market, it’s becoming more mainstream. The natural wine trend has helped the industry expand into new markets. For example, the natural wine trend is popular in China and other emerging markets. For example, China has over 1 million wineries and about 4 million acres of vineyards. China’s wineries produce more than 3 billion liters of wine annually and are starting to export their products overseas.
3. Sparkling Wine Finally Becomes an Everyday Staple
Sparkling wine is a popular beverage in many European countries. But it’s only recently that sparkling wine has become more popular in the US. However, it is expected to become an everyday staple in the US in 2023. Sparkling wine is gaining popularity because people drink less alcohol and more non-alcoholic beverages like juice, soda, and water. Sparkling wine will soon overtake traditional beer as the US’s most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage. Sparkling wine is predicted to outsell beer by the end of 2023.
4. E-commerce Gets Creative to Retain Recently Acquired Covid Clientele
The wine industry is currently transitioning from a traditional to an eCommerce-driven industry. This is because the wine industry is becoming increasingly digitized. The main reason is that sales are soaring in online channels as consumers become more accustomed to buying wine online. For example, recently acquired Covid clientele are helping wineries retain these customers using their expertise and experience in eCommerce. For instance, wineries use digital marketing channels such as SEO and social media marketing to promote their products and services online. This helps to increase their customer base and thus increase sales.
5. Eschewing Formulaic Restaurant Wine Lists for Experimental By-The-Glass Programs
While the wine industry is traditionally associated with fine dining, this is slowly changing. This is because wine lovers are becoming increasingly adventurous and want to try new wines. However, this trend could be affected by the recent rise in grape prices. For example, restaurants adapt to the changing market by offering more experimental wine programs. For instance, they are experimenting with various wines and ingredients in their dishes, such as pairing food with wine and creating new menu items that use wine as an ingredient or seasoning. For example, a restaurant may have a “wine flight” that includes a different selection of wines every night at certain times of the day. This helps increase sales as customers are attracted to wine’s “experiential” aspect.
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6. E-commerce Drives Sales of Smaller Wineries
With the internet, people have become more accustomed to shopping from the comfort of their homes. This has allowed small wineries to reach a broader market and increase sales. For example, the growth of eCommerce has helped smaller wineries market themselves more effectively online. Small wineries also use digital marketing channels such as SEO and social media marketing to promote their products and services online. This helps to increase their customer base and thus increase sales.
7. The Growth of Vineyards in the United States
Due to the growth of wine tourism in the US, wine production has increased. For example, there are now over 10,000 wineries within the US. This helps to increase sales as more people become aware of wine lovers. More people are also becoming more interested in wine and want to learn more about it. They are becoming increasingly adventurous and want to try new wines. However, this trend could be affected by the recent rise in grape prices. For example, restaurants adapt to the changing market by offering more experimental wine programs. For instance, they are experimenting with various wines and ingredients in their dishes, such as pairing food with wine and creating new menu items that use wine as an ingredient or seasoning.
Wine is a popular drink and is enjoyed by many people worldwide. By enhancing your wine marketing strategy, you will increase sales. For example, there are many ways to market wine that you may not have known about. The examples above are some of the best marketing strategies that small wineries and restaurants use to increase sales.