The impact of the Internet on Sacre Bleu as a new wine brand

We began with our Internet site www.sacrebleuwine.com just this past spring. Shortly thereafter we put up our Myspace platform then quickly followed that up with podcasts via The Sacre Bleu Wine Network through iTunes, blogs, creative videos from our master winemaker on Youtube, newsletters and most recently Facebook. The impact of all of this has been nothing less than profound.

There is little doubt that Sacre Bleu's core consumer could have discovered the brand outside of these media venues. It would not have been likely since we did no conventional advertising whatsoever.

As a brand the wine is not yet available in Germany, UK, Finland and Australia yet we receive email every day from those countries asking about our wine. The Internet has made us the brand on the corner. These inquiries speak directly to the new reality in the process and methods for how many new products are now brought to market. But here, to us, they specifically speak to wine.

Emails arrive each day from new customers with details on what store they purchased the wine from and in what state and even the varietal. Our consumers share the most relevant marketing information with us that any supplier could hope for. We hear suggestions on topics like subject matter for podcasts, access to retail outlets and wonderful, innovative marketing ideas. This speaks to the savvy of today's new/young wine drinkers. They have grown up with the Internet and seem instinctively to know that all this information matters to business. This begins to describe for all of us in the global marketplace who make, market or sell anything the framework for the most sophisticated consumer in history. How fortunate are we?

What is happening to Sacre Bleu as a brand is becoming a case study in marketing. Last week I had the opportunity to speak to the University of Wisconsin's MBA wine club. Many of the students are studying marketing/branding. As I told them our story and shared our vision for the brand, I was met with some interesting comments. This was a group of young men and women who not only understood the fundamentals of our strategy but have their own concepts rolling around in their minds that take things one step further. I knew I was in a pretty sharp ideas incubator. More than anything the students affirmed for me that we are moving in the right direction. I was given assurance that if we continued to put great wine in our great packaging and stayed relevant through the various Internet mediums that we utilize that we would most likely be met with success.

I want to offer a special thanks to the students at the University of Wisconsin MBA wine club. I learned a great deal.

Galen