By David M. Schneer, Ph.D./CEO
Wine is a multi-billion-dollar industry. To stay competitive, wineries have introduced wine clubs to their marketing repertoire. Wine clubs inspire loyalty in customers and are a creative way to deepen the winery/customer relationship both monetarily and emotionally. If you own a winery, there is a good chance that you have a wine club.
Today I’m sharing a few results from our wine club survey. Specifically, a quick profile of wine club members. According to our research, the vast majority of members have personally visited the winery. They’re largely driven by access to hard-to-come-by wines, and personal winery experience or recommendations from others. It’s likely that your club is not the only club to which a member belongs, and a good portion are willing to bolt from one club in order to join another.
We’ve addressed this and other questions from our wine club survey, such as:
- Why do consumers join wine clubs in the first place?
- What suggestions do wine club members have regarding how to improve your wine club?
- What is the number 1 reason why members quit a wine club?
- Are there segments of consumers who are more likely to join a wine club? Who are they?
- How important are non-local members, and how can you make your club a better experience for them?
- How do shipping costs effect the wine club purchasing dynamic?
If you have asked yourself these questions and want to learn how to differentiate your wine club from your competitors, reach out to me at Merrill Research to learn more about our wine club study, and how you can benefit from talking to your own club members. In the meantime, take a look at our Wine Club Members at a Glance infographic to start you on your journey of creating the best wine club for your members.
Just Ask Amy is Amy Walters, Vice President of the food and beverage practice at Merrill Research. Amy has more than two decades of experience working in wine and spirits, foods, and technology. The foundation for Amy’s deep passion for consumer research was based on a wide variety of research projects she conducted in support of the largest, most recognizable wine and spirits, foods, and other consumer category companies in the world. If you have any questions for Amy, you can send her an email at awalters at jonathand149.sg-host.com.
You have a great wine club. Let Merrill Research help you make it even better.