What I learned about Marketing Communications from Mirassou Winery

Yesterday I was at a wine tasting sponsored by Mirassou Winery where I learned some highly effective marketing strategies. DavidMirassou, a sixth generation owner of this family-run business spoke to a group a over 100 women bloggers and entrepreneurs about his family business at the SITS Bloggy Boot Camp in Chicago.

When David Mirassou, a 6^th generation owner inthis family-run business, first spoke with us, he didn’t start talking aboutthe wine. He started telling us about the family behind the business. He toldus about his grandparents (six generations back) who were visionary enough tosee the fruitful soil for planting rather than being consumed by the Gold Rush fever of 1880’s California. How they found a way for theirfruit cuttings to survive the ocean voyage when the ship’s captain would notlet them use drinking water on the plants.

David told how those original California grandparents were the first togrow a special nutritious plum that kept it’s nutritional value even whendried. And how this dried plum was often found in the back pocket ofgoldminer. H e continued to tell us about the innovations his family brought towinemaking over the generations such as being the first to use mechanicalharvesting.

David had yet to talk specifically about his company’s winesbut by successfully using the above two communications strategies, I couldhardly wait to try the Mirassou wines.

All of this personal story telling was great for setting upa customer to be on your side and want to like your product. But thosestrategies must always be accompanied by this one:

I prefer sweet wines. When David said he had brought aMoscato wine which is similar in sweetness to a Riesling, that was the one Iwanted to try. I love Reislings (sometimes called Ice Wines.) After listeningto the family stories I was inclined to like their wine even before trying it.What was unexpected was just how good the wine actually was. The winery had avery good product.

This Moscato wine produced by Mirassou Winery kept thepromise made by the first two marketing strategies. Listening to a winery familymember tell stories about his family in the business made me want to like theirproduct. Then the product itself was better than I expected. This combinationmade a fan out of me. Usually when buying wine, I go for type rather thanbrand. From now on, my preference will be the Mirassou brand and specificallytheir Moscato wine.

My thanks to David Mirassou for the real life case study insuccessful marketing strategy.

If all of that were not enough to make me a fan of thiscompany, Mirassou Winery believes in Paying It forward. Their Bright Ideasgrant program will be awarding $20,000 to empower innovators to start abusiness or make a difference. Check out their Facebook page to learn moreabout this.

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