Once upon a time…The importance of a good story and brand authenticity

I have a real problem with insincerity. And in a branding sense – insincerity is a real barrier to an effective brand and to potential sales.

There must have been something that sparked your brand name – what was it? Does it tell a compelling story? In the wine industry there are many uninspiring names out there – most of them referring to a geographical identity such as a mountain or river. This can be dull. Unless you have a great story to tell about your particular mountain, river, creek, hill etc. Sure, for those winemakers who launched their brand when there were only a handful of competitors and loads of market demand for their product, the story wasn’t so important but now, with literally 1,000’s of brands, it has never been more important. It should be the number one priority.

A brand needs a soul, an anchor, something meaningful; tangible for those who produce and market it and for the consumer to buy into. Weak brands don’t last – never have the potential of a strong brand. What makes a strong brand? The story. The story and how it is communicated; the consistency of the message across everything the brand touches.

Oh and by the way, in case you are wondering, quality and value for money are givens. You have to have those – the point of difference is what you need, the reason someone buys your wine instead of your competitor’s. If you had an opportunity to sell your wine into a really important customer and they asked you ‘Why should I list your wine?’ Can you answer them in one sentence? Put yourself in their shoes – with your knowledge of this overflowing market, would you list it? Be honest.

Once you have your compelling, authentic story, you have the basis for your brand. This is not about designing a label for your wine, but about giving birth to something with depth, meaning, longevity, vision. This is where you need to invest time and money to get it right. Regularly tweaking your label to make retrospective little changes weakens the proposition – give yourself the best start possible start by creating a strong brand platform.

You need to understand who your target market is, how will your brand appeal to them, how to communicate with them, what is the brand’s consumer proposition, what is the brand positioning, who are your competitors. Which trade channels do you wish to focus on, what about export markets? Exploring and understanding these considerations and more, before you make any wine (or preferably even buy grapes or a vineyard) will give you the best start – a researched, solid approach in a very competitive market.

Back to authenticity. If you don’t believe in your brand, no one else will. Make it real. Always.

And you will live happily ever after.