When I clicked on the video link in the email from my friends at Wente Vineyards, I was happily stunned.
It is unusual to see world-class marketing coming from the wine industry but knowing the Wente brand’s culture and the team behind this work; I shouldn’t have been surprised. They play the long game with everything they do.
It is rare to find wineries who understand the value of marketing patience.
Generally speaking, the wine industry hasn’t done a great job of using emotion to connect with consumers. You find a lot of short-term efforts and gimmicks that don’t age well. As my friend Paul Mabray recently wrote in his Emetry blog, the challenge for most wineries isn’t education but engagement.
Wine marketers tend to spread their message everywhere, not letting it breathe. Of course, there are exceptions, and the folks at Wente are the exception to the rule.
Wine marketers often prefer to show me people holding soil in their hand or swirling the wine in a fancy glass. Most of the wine marketing I notice in print and online is transactional, not subtle or genuinely touching. Most wine marketing tends to be generic, not specific, lacking in depth, compassion or real engagement.
It is as if many wineries buy the wine marketing template and then drop in their bottle, label, and a photo of the winery dog. I understand the need to move cases of wine. It is a pleasure to watch someone taking the long view of their brand. Say, five generations long.
The Long View
When I first clicked the link in the Wente #MakeTime video, I expected to see people sitting around and drinking wine or beauty shots of their brand in the background. I anticipated all the classic marketing stereotypes and clichés. I was waiting for the flowing hills or the grapes ripening on the vine. I was confident I’d see the wine filled into bottles or cases stacked at the loading dock. And don’t forget the old, red pickup truck out in the field.
Instead, as the video unfolds, thirty-something humans talking, in black and white, discussing time.
Not wine, but time.
Stories in the video are told to connect me with the essence of the Wente brand that only someone who understands the value of marketing patience could reveal.
If it weren’t for the clapboards at the beginning of the film showing the Wente name I would never know who made this video. This video reminded me of the Dove Beauty campaign and even the Nike Kaepernick ads, about a higher purpose grounded in the company’s values.
Marketing that Transcends Convention
Full disclosure, I’m a big fan of Wente’s Morning Fog Chardonnay and their Southern Hills Cabernet. And, I have always enjoyed my conversations with leaders at this exquisite Livermore, California winery. Their CEO Carolyn Wente, President Amy Hoopes and VP of Marketing, Lisa Kalfus all attended or spoke at a Wine Marketing Exchange conference I used to run for Nomacorc a few years ago.
In case you didn’t know, Wente Vineyards is the country’s oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery. You can taste their patience in wine making in every bottle. 
The #MakeTime video grabbed me by the heartstrings. It didn’t push; it didn’t sell, it didn’t hit me over the head with a marketing slogan. It is as if they took a cord and plugged me in so I could feel a charge from this brand connection. The video rolled over me like the morning fog over the mountains. Subtle, delicate yet touching on an important issue for most people.
In my head, I could hear Judy Collins singing, “who knows where the time goes?”
#MakeTime
The video opens by telling the viewer; we invited some busy people to talk about time. The narrator asks,
“Do you ever feel there just isn’t enough time in the day?”
Then a series of thirty-somethings talk about how much time they spend in front of screens or just not at the moment.
Then the voiceover tells each person how much time they spend on their screens. Ninety-eight hours per month, thirty-two day a year, eighteen years in a lifetime.
If you could have this time back, how would you spend it?
As each person reveals how they’d spend the time, they are surprised by a special friend who has come to connect with them on camera. Partners, friends, and parents. It creates some lovely moments of happiness and reconnection.
Marketing isn’t Selling; it is seeding the future. It is all about the emotional connection. And it requires marketing patience. Most wineries can’t invest today in the brand building that may pay dividends for future generations. Vines planted, take a long time to harvest, just like investments in marketing.
What Emotion Are You Selling?
When I see great ads, videos or other marketing activities, my first instinct is to ask, what emotion are they selling? Is the company hitting me over the head with a sledgehammer or do I feel the soft touch of a compassionate friend? Are they selling or connecting with me? Is their hand in my pocket looking for a buck, or is it on my shoulder, welcoming me to join?
The #maketime video is an excellent example of how to explain the values and emotional connection behind a brand’s story. There isn’t a need to talk or show the brand. Instead, they want to unveil the moment and demonstrate other ways you could be spending time. The video didn’t have the feeling of a marketing campaign. Instead, it felt like a beautiful story anchored in human connection.
From the Wente website:
We know people are happiest when they make meaningful connections with one another but with so much competing for our attention, it’s easy to overlook things that honestly matter. That’s why Wente Vineyards has been committed to making time for one another since day one, crafting wine and wine country experiences that bring friends and family together. We invite you to choose to make time for each other too.
When I spoke to Lisa Kalfus, VP of Marketing for Wente Vineyards, she told me that
“At their core, the Wente family has always been about bringing families together. While updating the language in their mission statement, it because clear that they stood for the importance of connection and making time for the important things in life. They want their employees, customers, and guests to make time for the people and things they love – good wine, food, music, golf, and other life experiences.”
Lisa continued, “Research suggests people are at their best, happiest and most satisfied when they build and maintain good relationships, but often massive amounts of screen time can get in the way. On a daily average, an individual watch nearly three hours of TV spends two hours on social media and checks email almost 300 times! While digital devices have been incredible enhancements and are woven into the fabric of our lives, we also hope we can help inspire a balance to make time for real-life connections.
Marketing Patience – Lessons from #MakeTime Video
- Marketing that pushes too hard can backfire. Don’t ask me to buy, ask me to connect.
- The message must resonate. Are you saying something that matters to your audience?
- Not every marketing asset has to talk about features and benefits. You should invest in some communications that remind you why you are happy to be part of a community.
- Let the message organically spread. Sometimes the best marketing happens when a friend shares with a friend. Slapping #maketime on millions of bottles of wine is easy. Instead, the Wente marketing team is allowing the message to develop. Like a fine wine, it can take a little time for it to open up.
Watch this video, and if it touches you, maybe you will take a look at how you are spending your time.
Do you need a calm and patient marketing presence to support your brand? You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing, communications and messaging challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Try my new chat feature on my site if you have a quick question
Photo courtesy of Wente Vineyards
Note: I do not pay for my posts. I write about those brands that intrigue me and make me curious.
