Wine Label Design Survey Insights

The team over at Iron Design recently sent me this interesting infographic about Consumer Perceptions of Wine Label Design.  

Think about when you last purchased a bottle of wine. Maybe it was for a dinner party, a get-together with friends, or a night-in with the spouse. Let’s say you walked into the store with somewhat of a game plan; in search for a domestically grown red wine in the price range of $12-15. Now, what happens next? What guides us to pick up the 2 or 3 bottles that catch our eye? Better yet, what are the deciding factors that help make our decisions of which one to take home? Well, it turns out the answer is hiding in plain sight; wine labels. A Wine.net survey from 2016 found nearly 80% of consumers say their wine purchases are based mostly on the label. So the question becomes: what is it about wine labels that help influence our purchase decision, and what are some things wineries can feature on their next label to cater to the wants and needs of wine shoppers?

These are the exact questions answered by a recent wine label design study conducted by Iron Design, a creative marketing and branding agency based in Ithaca, NY. They served up four distinctly different wine label designs to survey respondents and asked about their perceived taste, price, and purchase behavior based on the label alone. They also asked respondents to rank the importance of wine label components ranging from the vintage to whether the wine had a unique name. The results were interesting.  One finding that stood out to me was the how well the ‘Classic’ label performed (92%) on the ‘Would you purchase this wine?’ question, while only 58% of respondents said they would purchase the ‘Modern & Colorful’ label. Turns out the loud and colorful labels designed to turn heads are being outperformed by classic & elegant labels that consumers know (& seem to love). Take a look below at an infographic highlighting the rest of the discoveries from this wine label design study. Enjoy!

WineTalent Classifieds: Graphic Designer for Long Meadow Ranch

WineTalent is working with our client Long Meadow Ranch to find a dynamic, creative and innovative person to join the marketing team as a Graphic Designer.

Long Meadow Ranch is a family-owned agricultural enterprise producing grapes and wine, olives and olive oil, grass-fed beef and lamb, fruits, vegetables, and eggs in the Napa Valley, Anderson Valley and Marin County. The many-faceted operation includes the 650-acre LMR Mayacamas Estate home ranch located in the Mayacamas Mountains above Rutherford and the 90-acre LMR Rutherford Estate, located on the Rutherford Bench, and, in Mendocino County, the 145-acre LMR Anderson Valley Estate. The Long Meadow Ranch operations also include an acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant, a general store and wine tasting bar in the historic Logan-Ives House, an outdoor cafe, a farmer's market, working garden and a variety of unique event spaces all located at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch.

Reporting to the Senior Marketing Manager, the Graphic Designer will be responsible for the creative design, production and asset management of the LMR brands and initiatives. The marketing team is a dynamic small team that works collaboratively with all departments to bring together many different layers surrounding the common mission of Long Meadow Ranch. We are searching for an enthusiastic individual who has the passion and drive to create successful and professional marketing initiatives to increase awareness and sales for Long Meadow Ranch.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate on creative vision with the entire marketing team for all projects
• Lead creative design and execution for graphic design projects
• Design and produce creative content for events, including seasonal, wholesale, off-site, brand events and more
• Design menus, invitations, announcements, and materials for marketing events
• Design, produce and collaborate with marketing team on creating consumer facing content including advertisements and announcements on a variety of platforms
• Design and produce new materials for company departments and teams  
• Generate creative design and content for holiday catalog
• Lead execution of labels and collateral for new products and product launches
• Design, develop, maintain and improve select brand assets including but not limited to: collateral, email templates, fonts, and website
• Collaborate with outside agencies on creative content  as required
• Work closely with Marketing Coordinator on design and templates for email campaigns

Education, Experience and Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or closely related discipline
• 2+ years of consumer packaged goods marketing experience
• 1+ years of beverage alcohol marketing experience
• Keen understanding of the hospitality industry
• Mastery of creative applications including Illustrator and Adobe creative tools
• Excellent analytical and communication skills with great attention to detail, even under tight deadlines and a fast paced environment
• Ability to manage projects through from ideation to launch
• Entrepreneurial, can-do mindset and takes initiative
• Ability to communicate and work collaboratively to build relationships at all levels
• Extensive knowledge and proficiency of computer programs including Google Apps, Microsoft Office, Adobe
• Must have a valid California Driver’s License and maintain a safe driving record
• Ability to lift 40+ pounds
• A pre-employment investigative consumer report is required

Compensation and Benefits:

• This is a full-time, hourly position
• Competitive compensation depending on experience plus benefits including medical/dental insurance, paid vacation and 401(k)

All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job

Winejobs Report: Winery Hiring Increases in May 2017

Just received the latest from Winejobs about winery hiring patterns.  Posts were up 16% from the same time last year, and 7% year-to-date.  DTC, tasting room and retail jobs had the most growth year to year at 17%, up 4% year-to-date.  Winemaking increased 16 percent from last year, 22% year-to-date.  Sales and marketing were also up, 4% from the same time last year.  The postings for sales and marketing are down 5% year-to-date however.






 

WineTalent Classifieds: Market Manager - Closures and Corks

WineTalent Classifieds:  WineTalent is working with our client, Saxco International, on a Market

Manager position for the Closures and Corks product category. 

Job Description:  This role is a business leader working with wineries and breweries on their closure needs. The position interfaces with suppliers and understands product offerings to define the portfolio. This person needs an understanding of closures and production needs and will be communicating the technical aspects of the products to customers and colleagues.  The Market Manager will assist salespeople and customers with product selection. This position will be responsible for:  developing and defining brand management objectives, establishing a business plan and forecast management with sales, evaluating supply options with Supply Chain managers, and recommending supply needs to fulfill market demands. This will be done in conjunction with the company’s associated growth objectives including an annual category market budget.

Qualifications: 

·      BS/BA degree, preferably in Marketing.

·      Experience and knowledge of closure technology or related fields. 


·      Minimum of five to eight years of professional services in market management.

·      Extensive experience in all aspects of developing and maintaining product marketing strategies to meet category objectives. 


·      Strong understanding of customer and market dynamics and requirements. 


·      Willingness to travel and work with a national team of sales professionals. 


·      Thorough understanding of branding principles and tactics through multiple media outlets. 

·      Proven ability to design, develop and implement both strategic programs and supporting 
tactics in product development. 


·      Superior written and verbal communication skills, coupled with highly developed 
interpersonal skills. Strong managerial skills preferred. 


·      Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to multi-task and set 
priorities within tight time lines and high client expectations. 


·      Ability to quickly grasp complex category technical and business concepts and express 
them in clear language. 


·      Flexible and open to changing priorities and managing multiple tasks simultaneously 
within compressed time frames. 


Resume Submittal:  Interested candidates are encourage to send their resume to amy@winetalent.net.  All inquiries will be kept completely confidential.

Ampelography blog post: Winemakers Working the Streets

Here's a blog post about the power a winemaker wields in the marketplace. ampelography

Resumes and Winery Marketing--not that much different

Yes indeedy, wine industry recruiting is seasonal. Got a new slew of requirements to work on, and plenty of work to keep me busy.

As I slog through my resumes this morning, I noticed how some resumes tell a good story about someone's career, and others leave me wondering. When I started thinking about it, it reminded me about recent wine industry events I've attended. Several meetings have called attention to the need for wineries to tell a compelling story, and then weave that story through their marketing materials, their branding, and sometimes most importantly, into their label. When you see that dancing coyote on the bottle, it makes you wonder what the brand is about, and then you read the marketing material and have a sense of the winery. And if all gels, you buy the wine, often.

Looking at resumes I sometimes become that Cranky Recruiter. Please, not another objective statement to overlook. But when I see a great resume, I totally understand the person's career history and motivation for looking for a new job. I see their career progression, and possibly career tangents, but understand where they have been and where they want to go. That resume conveys their personal brand, and quickly tunes me into roles they would excel in.

Generic resumes leave me wondering what they really want to do, and why they are contacting me.

So take the time to weave that personal story into your resume. While there most likely won't be a crazy critter on your resume, your personality may just make me call you, often.

Consultants: Branding Yourself

When you decide it is time to start your consulting business there are several things you need to put in place in order to brand and market yourself. Here are a few items to put in place to make sure your potential clients know you are offering your expertise for hire.

1. Be Findable: If you are out on your own now, the only way you can get consulting opportunities is if people can find you. This can be as simple as making sure your information is in various address books online. Google yourself and see what comes up. If the only way to find you is by paying a private detective or online service, many people will see who else might be available with similar credentials.
2. Tell People: Yes, this is networking. Tell your friends, family and colleagues that you are consulting on projects now. Make sure you let them know what types of projects you are looking for and what you have going on . This is also a good time to reach out to some of us recruiters to let us know in case we hear of any opportunities.
3. Make a consulting resume. Put your expertise down on paper, including relevant experience in a form like a resume. It can be more specific for the area you are planning to consult in, but it should give a good outline of your background. You can include projects you have worked on and clients you have worked with, and specific solutions you have brought to companies.
4. Have a business card. Put your name, company name if you have one, and all of your contact information on a card and have them ready for potential clients. You can get cards made up online quickly and inexpensively. I'll put my plug in for FedEx Kinko's who has always done a great job with my previous corporate and now WineTalent printing.
5. Put together a website or webpage so that people can find you even easier. There are many sites that can help you put together a simple web page that will let potential clients know you are in business. I have had good luck with www.register.com and www.godaddy.com. My current website was redesigned this year and S King Design did a wonderful job.
6. Get involved in industry functions. Getting out there and mingling with old contacts and getting your company listed in trade publications is important. If you can provide presentations or topic specific information your name can be put forward as an expert on industry meeting literature. This will also make you easier to find on internet searches as well.

Good Luck with your consulting business, and I look forward to hearing from you.