The Painless Wine List, Neuromarketing Edition

This post is all about how you as a sommelier can stimulate the diners tender psyche with some smart wine list engineering - neuromarketing style. Neuromarketing is a rather new field of marketing research that studies how consumers brains react to certain marketing stimuli. The wine list is not only a list of wines, but a marketing tool. And most sommeliers are expected to know some basic neuromarketing techniques to increase wine sales. Much of this is done without having in mind that there is a name for this science, and of course knowing this is of minor importance. The important thing is, that its being done.   

The most widely known technique, is probably the one about not putting a €-sign or $-sign behind the price of a wine. A little adjustment like this will make the guest spend more, according to researchers at Cornell University. In everything that you do, try to eliminate all potential pain for your guest and they will reward you.

“In everything that you do, try to eliminate all potential pain”

A sommelier who practices more advanced techniques is sometimes typing in a couple of “decoy wines” or “mines” in the list. A decoy is a somewhat more expensively priced wine, placed strategically so that another wine (usually with high margins) is looking very much, fairy priced. Research shows that diners usually is drifting towards the middle, not buying the most expensive, nor daring to buy the cheapest wine in the list.

I’m going to tell you about a psychological issue often facing diners when they are as most vulnerable. In other words before that first glass of wine. And a potential way of solving it that I haven't seen on wine lists so far:  

When the wine list finally is presented, the guest opens it with anticipation on what to find. For a second, in the hungry mind of a diner - everything is possible. The wine list is now wide open, and the white background lights up the diners face in the sober dimmed restaurant. And its as the light wakes him up, his sight immediately strolls over the neat list of producers and vintages to end up at the right end corner of the paper (strangely this is usually where the prices are.) Numbers that as drenched in caffein reawakens the rationale and other feelings that we don't necessarily associate with a good, relaxing dinner.  

However, there is a creative way to reduce that pain. And, perhaps, sell more wine! But its not a mere way to coax diners into spending a little more money. Its about relieving the guests pain, of emphasizing the pleasurable experience of choosing wine, while taking focus from the mathematical one. So what do I suggest, taking the prices of the list? No, I suggest pricing your wines in brackets. In this way, the guest can know what it costs without having to see the numbers and comparing prices, which starts the rational brain activity. Some wines will have a slightly higher margin, but for most guest its impossible to tell which ones. And some wines will have a slightly lower margin and so appeal to the connoisseur, that feels that he is rewarded for his knowledge.  

Basically this can work for any restaurant. Its all about adjusting the parameters. For larger wine lists five price brackets might not be enough, but perhaps seven will. The example brackets I've put in this list, like Budget and Budget + can easily be changed to colors, other words, or heck, even animals! If thats you're style. You just need an explanation to go with it. 

Wine List

Juliénas 2010, Domaine du Clos du Fief   (Budget)

Aloxe-Corton 2008, M. Voarick   (Budget +)

Beaune "Les Prévoles" 2010 J. Claude Rateau 2010   (Moderate)

Vosne-Romanée "Les Beaumonts" 1976, M.G. Lafite & Cie   (Moderate +)

"The Judge" 2006, Kongsgaard    (Premium )

Dear guest: To secure that your choice of wine is as effortless as possible we only have five prices. Budget (30) Budget+ (40) Moderate (55) Moderate+ (80) Premium (150)

This wine list is not organized, the purpose is just to show you how a painless wine list can look visualy.  Have you seen this approach before? Please share your experiences in the comment section below!  

Wine is just the messenger

What do you think that the average consumer considers is the joy, the true pleasure of wine? Of course there is no one-size-fits-all answer, but many. Todays article is about what the pleasure of wine - IS NOT (imagine dramatic sound effect of choice)

To put is as clear as I possible can, I’m going to tell you this story about when I was growing up in the 1990s. Dad was working as some kind of computer expert at the time. As everybody who works with their passion he continued dissecting and reading about these (rather primitive) computers when he came home, after work hours. Things like a optic mouse made him exited as a little child. Of course he wanted me to be interested in these enchanting machines to. But I wasn’t. They oozed of burnt plastic, and didn’t help me clean my room.

Dad opened one of them up for me one day and explained what, exactly everything, was called. He sure knew how to exclude people with this nerdy knowledge and untamed jargon. I was terrified. Instead of planting the seed of interest, he tried to plant the whole (redwood) tree at once.

Wine Sector I’m talking to you. Yes you! (There no one behind, don’t be silly)

It stroke me recently that how my father explained computers is very much how classic wine communication is built up. Dad saw computers as an interesting organism in them self’s. But me, as a potential consumer just asked HOW it could help or entertain me. Many passionate communicators in the wine sector do exactly the same. We open the product up by talking about regions and producers and thereby miss the point - the function.

“Lets talk about wine more like - toilet paper.”

Lets talk about wine more like - toilet paper. How often do you read about if its Vosges or Allier-wood on the back label of your preferred toilet paper? Not that often huh. Its because that the passionate people communicating about toilet paper have taken their passion glasses of, and think function. Outrageous comparison! You say. Surly wine must be different. And that’s partly true. For communicating wine a little passion is important, but always have function in thought, all to often its just product. In other words, I advice you to respectfully wear your “passion monocle” when creating your future wine content.

Wine is just the messenger

Lets say you’re creating marketing content for a wine producer. I don’t now what the use of their wine is to their targeted customers, but I encourage you to find out. One way could be through Social Media monitoring services like VinTank. Question yourself - our wine is a truck filled with what? Even if you choose to talk about the truck the most, don’t forget what its filled with. So, whats the meaning of wine for your consumer? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section. 

More Gangsters Drink RIESLINGS than any other bottle of wine!

"More Doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette!" This 1949 Camel commercial famously stated. At this time in history doctors truly where the epitome of - swag. People were heavily influenced by the opinions of these dressed in white, mini-gods, with auras ever as bright as the white dressed hip hop elite of today, famously mingling on the P-diddy all-white yacht parties.  

But modern doctors such as Dr. Dre and famous nigerian/swedish Hip Hop-doctor Dr. Alban have more in common with the vieux garde of doctors than they might think. People listen to them. And act accordingly: Dear wine industry, take the corks out of your ears immediately! 

“What do Elvis Presley, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen have in common? They all have less number 1 albums than Jay-Z”

As you might have have figured out this blog post is about a boat that the wine industry is totally missing. Sometimes even actively avoiding it, such as in the famous Cristal example. But mostly just out of pure ignorance and maybe even fear. To your knowledge, do you happen to know what Elvis Presley, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen have in common? They all have less number 1 albums than Jay-Z. Hip Hop is a major culture in society just screaming for some beverage to make their own. 

As Hip Hop culture evolves so does the liqueur. From Hennessy over to Cristal, than Armand de Brignac and more recently the wind is blowing to the favor of Moscatos and Rieslings. Famous rapper Fabulous has even named a song after this noble german grape variety "Riesling and Rolling paper" with almost half a million views on Youtube, arguably making it the most viewed Riesling video in history.

“You got 99 problems - and getting people to understand terroir - aint one.”

And the wine industry is like "Riesling transmit the terroir of the place like no other grape" WAKE UP! You got 99 problems - and getting people to understand terroir - aint one. Honestly, is it popular culture or terroir that gets the majority of wines of the shelfs?

Inspirational example: "Wines of Germany US"

Smelling the soil to find more consumers might work for some. Others in the wine industry are seizing new opportunitys just right as i write this. Not unexpectedly the New Yorkers themselves. Just as Riesling speaks of its terroir, the people from the very same terroir where hip hop got its first momentum some 40 years ago are finely getting their rap - strait, their communication - legit. I'm talking about Wines of Germany US, who promotes german wine it the US. The 17th of October this year they launched a video (Imbedded below) that features "Doktor Hans" and "Big Swanky" rapping their way though one of the most enjoyable wine videos I've ever seen.

So, what do you think about Hip Hop culture and wine? Could it be a long term relationship or is it more of  a "one night stand."  Hit me back with a comment. And while you think I encourage you to sip on a Freaky Muscato or maybe a Central Coast Chardonnay from Little Jonathan Winery. And yes thats the same Jonathan as in Lil Jon.