Leeann Froese
Sip, sip, hooray! Congratulations on winning an accolade for your winery; now it’s time to announce this to the rest of the world, humbly and strategically of course.
Why Awards Can Be Marketing Gold
Whether it’s the renowned National Wine Awards or British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards, industry achievements are powerful marketing tools your winery can leverage. They help solidify your winery’s reputation and credibility as the cream of the crop, and set you apart from competitors. Not only can you use this news to generate positive media coverage, it also reminds tasting room visitors of your product’s quality and commitment to excellence.
Most importantly, awards recognize the efforts of your staff, instilling pride, boosting morale, and spotlighting your team’s talent and overall “awesome-ness.”
8 Ways to Make the Most of An Award
I don’t suggest you win an award, have an internal “huzzah”, and then tuck the award away. Use the external accolade to your advantage. Here’s how:
1. Update Product Descriptions on Web Store & Add to Tech Sheets
Use this industry achievement as a “badge” on your winery’s online store and sell sheets. These additions act as visual reminders and credibility enhancers for anyone who visits your site in the future.
2. Display Award in Your Shop
In addition to digital mediums, showcase the award in your wine shop. If you get a physical medal, hang it from the wine that won the award. Makes a great talking point in the wine shop.
3. Enhance Your Retail Listing
An extension of the award in your own shop is to make a shelf talker, or neck tag or even a sticker for the bottle that can get applied to the bottle in the retail locations where the awarded wine is sold. Note that you or your sales team might be the ones to apply.
4. Post on Social Media
The fastest way to share any news is through social media. When crafting posts for Instagram or Facebook, be sure to include thank yous to the organizers and judges, tag accounts appropriately, utilize related hashtags, and end with a call-to-action directing followers to your website to drive traffic. If your team is on LinkedIn, repurpose content for your professional connections and add the award under your “Accomplishments,” or as a mention in the “About” section on all your winery’s social profiles. Get creative with the latest and greatest social media features, such as extended 60 to 90 second Instagram Reels, or go LIVE.
Outside signage
There are many ways to celebrate winning an award – some as simple as the welcome sign at your door like at Blasted Church
5. Distribute a Press Release
An official press release is a great way to announce the news, generate publicity and garner attention, but make sure that the award is significant and newsworthy in order to gain traction via media outlets. Leverage your press contacts to help spread the word. Create interest among regional and national wine affiliates actively subscribed to press feeds. Remember to include outbound links to your winery’s website to boost SEO!
6. Send Out an E-newsletter
Share the announcement with your curated list of subscribers through an email newsletter. Current, past, and future customers may miss the update on your website or social channels, so send the news directly to their inboxes informing them of your team’s accomplishment, what it means for your winery, and add a call-to-action encouraging them to explore more.
7. Encourage Team to Share the News
Speaking of your team, also send out internal communication celebrating this success to drum up excitement. Make this email personal, such as with a special message and genuine thank-you from the founders. Go the extra mile and host a celebration to thank them, and make them feel proud of what you’ve all accomplished. Your staff are your best brand advocates and ambassadors, as well as the people who contributed to winning the award for your winery, and will gladly help spread the news.
8. Onto the Next
Keep in mind that not all award competitions are created equal, or in other words, not always the right fit for your winery’s goals or aligns with how you hope to position your brand.
Oftentimes, wine competition awards are not meaningful to the public, and all they become is an additional talking point for tasting room staff.
Think strategically when researching and deciding which awards to submit for and choose ones that will resonate with your target audience. For example, if all of your winery’s tasting room visitors are from the United States, the Los Angeles County Fair Awards may be worth considering, but they might not know anything about the All Canadian Wine Awards.
Another strategy is to enter competitions where you want the judges to take notice of your brand. Getting your wines tasted by some of the award’s global, prestigious judging panels and bringing home an award is not only the cherry on top, it is also a relationship-building opportunity. Many judges are also wine reviewers, so think long-term and privately send a note to each judge to thank them after the competition.