Although Social Media (SM) is a widely talked about subject within the New Zealand media, very few wineries are using this medium to convey their message to those who want to listen. There are 600+ wineries in New Zealand and yet less than 30 wineries are using Twitter, even fewer using it on a regular basis. Most wineries that are using Twitter have made less than 200 Tweets. More wineries are utilizing Facebook but still less than 10% have a regularly updated Facebook page.
Are these wineries missing out on advertising their brand to where their customers are? Or are they correct in not wasting their time? There are many stories of wineries world wide using SM that have increased their sales but more importantly their profile on a world platform.
For those wineries that are not using SM they are likely not to hear what is being said about them and even less likely to know what isn’t being said about them. Wine is inherently a social lubricant and well matched to Twitter where the conversation is immediate and in real time. New Zealand has always been very technically advanced yet remains in the Social Media dark ages. There is a real reluctance for wineries to get involved and start a conversation about their wine/brand. Many wineries suggested it was not worth their time or money to get involved and wanted to know what the Return On Investment (ROI), whereas I prefer to call it ‘Return On Involvement’.
Your return will grow over a period of time; nothing is immediate. Most of the wineries thought that Twitter and Facebook were for kids, but that simply is not the case. Even if it were, they are the next generation of wine consumers.
New Zealand is isolated geographically but the Internet has brought us closer to the rest of the world. Social media has made it very easy for wineries to display their wares and get people, globally, talking about them. Most wineries still believe that it’s not for them and the actual number of New Zealanders using SM is relatively small – so why bother? There are millions of people using it overseas where their wine drinkers are. With so few New Zealand wineries using Social Media, it is allowing those that are a great advantage. These wineries are one step ahead of the game and have already recognized what rewards Social Media plays to their business plan. It’s not only those wineries that are using Social Media but those people who tell others, that do not use it, about the wine/winery.
