Tastings are probably the most effective tool wine and spirit suppliers have to make a direct impact on moving more boxes while building the brand. This is in contrast to couponing and discounting which can also have a significant volume impact, but at the risk of undermining, rather than building a brand.

The most successful retail promo programs are those that help individual accounts increase their volume and margins.

Here’s a list of some of the outcomes you have to aim for from your tasting program:

1. Remind the Trade that the Brand Moves: Even if it might not be the sexiest new product in the store, a brand that is a proven volume generator is part of the foundation on which the retailer’s business is based. Tastings keep your brand top of mind by making your brand’s sales velocity and customer satisfaction strengths more visible.

2. New Distribution: The same is true in terms of new distribution; tastings can be a great tool for sales to use to increase distribution for proven brands, not just new brands.

3. Increase Visibility: Brands sponsoring tastings are the ones that are going to get the floor displays.

4. Increase Volume: Moving boxes is the name of the game.

5. Repeating Events Tell a Stronger Story: Scheduling a series of events in a given store can dramatically increase the run rate in between events. The retailer will be more receptive to stocking inventory and reordering based on sales in their own store. It’s also a great way to say… “we’re here to help you.”

6. Scaling Perception into Reality: A good goal is to achieve a 30% conversion rate…30% of the people tasting, purchased products. Depending on the price point, that conversion rate can often be in multiple bottles purchased.

Here are some tips for developing a successful in-store tasting program:

Establishing your products as fast-moving, top sellers at the retail level will grow your company’s reputation as an industry staple that distributors and retailers will want in their portfolios.

The Sensory Experience 

The five senses have long been the gateway to decision-making over the logical mind. In the case of wine, aroma, and taste lead the way. What better way to stimulate a prospect's senses than by giving them a delicious and pleasing experience to draw them in? Use the strengths of your wine in clever marketing ploys, like bringing fresh samples of chocolate and cinnamon for them to identify the aroma of your wine. Memory by association is a powerful marketing instrument. Use your imagination and bring all five senses alive at your display so your visitors leave with personal experiences that they will remember.

First-Hand Evaluation 

People love to make choices. It makes them feel smart and in control. Having a variety of wines to choose from provides your visitors with every opportunity to decide what they love and what they don’t.

If your visitor already has a favorite varietal, then focus on one of your wines that is similar or of that particular type and ask them their opinion. Make them feel like they are spot on with their remarks and lead them with encouraging conversation.

If they are experimental and want to try new types of wine, then offering a variety of labels also gives them the perfect opportunity to learn as they taste. Ensuring that the prospect takes home exactly what they like best is the perfect situation for creating a future dedicated wine buyer.

Branded Display

An obvious benefit is that your wine will stand out in the crowd with a fabulous display, as opposed to a sea of bottles on a store shelf. It's hard to go unnoticed when your branded packages are stacked high with sharp-looking personal promoters in full view.

Hands-On Engagement 

Because a professional is leading the process, potential customers have the opportunity to not only hear about the story of the brand but also be able to ask questions. An excellent promoter is also good at human behavior and can assess where the prospect is in the buying cycle, and move him/her closer to a sale. Be sure to use an educated sales team.

Record Feedback

No need to wait for the poll results. People will tell you what they think and you'll be able to see their honest opinions in their faces as they enjoy their sample. Keep tallies on this information and use it to perfect your sales pitch. Take as much information away from your tasting as you give to your visitors.

Ask them market-specific questions and get to know your core customer. For example, if your visitor is leaving without a bottle, ask them what it is they prefer and why. This kind of information is very hard to come by. One has to pay a LOT of money for a private focus group - and you don't get to sell them a bottle of wine after.

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Sales

The best part of in-store tastings is the daily sales totals. At the end of a tasting, you have an immediate count of how your wine was received by the bottles sold. This information is key in planning the next event, as well as making any adjustments necessary to sell even more the next time.

Keep your retailers updated with reports on your success. At the end of the day, money talks. If you can keep your partners happy with strong quarterly numbers reflecting solid depletion rates across your distribution and retailer channels, then you will surely be one of their favorite brands to work with.

In-Store Tasting should always be a line item in your marketing budget if you focus your resources on ensuring high depletion rates. Sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell are all heightened in one moment, which is sure to lead to many new customers who will be dedicated to coming back for more.

A final tip on budget: 

allocate $30 an hour for a rep for 2 hours. So $60 per store. Allocate the budget in your top 20 accounts 2 times in the first month. You will see this marketing money work best for you. And yes, the products poured should be yours not the retailers. Products sold are theirs.