Wine is also waiting for its digital switch

Is the world of wine ready for digital transformation?

Despite the evidence that digital technology is a significant lever for development, allowing it to reach a wider customer base, it is clear that many producers have not taken the digital turn. Between disconnecting from the reality of the market, belated awareness and difficulty in knowing how to proceed, many feel overwhelmed and prefer not to pass the milestone. In this context, players are able to accompany wine professionals in their transition to digital tools, the development of their digital strategy, the deployment of their marketing or the optimization of their processes and industrial projects to meet new problems.

“The Assembly” of Skills for Wines and Spirits

François Drounau, who has a 15-year career in multinationals and SMEs, particularly in the wine and spirits sector, has regularly been confronted with the problem of lack of time, lack of human resources and skills or lack of financial resources that hinder the successful implementation of projects. A missing “link in the chain” and it is the sustainability of the project that is being undermined. This fragility is particularly present in areas traditionally far from any strategic dimension.

To fill the gaps in wine and spirits companies, L’Assemblage has been bringing its outsourced marketing, strategy and business development skills since its inception in 2014. For this year 2017, François Drounau is partnering with Cécile Bagot, an expert in quality, continuous improvement and management of industrial projects in the wine and luxury industry. With this complementarity, L’Assemblage wishes to establish its unique positioning in the wine and spirits sector at all times of the chain, to ensure as much as possible the success of its customers’ projects.

Digital, technology and purchasing decision

The mere fact that companies in the sector regularly face issues of lack of resources demonstrate the difficulty in making strategic missions related to marketing (communication, marketing, etc.) a priority. However, more and more extensive solutions propose to facilitate and energize this sector of activity. Technologies operating on scoring, data or sensory analysis for personalized recommendations influence the act of purchase. The 10th edition of the Vinitiques was dedicated to these new tools and the impact they were able to have on the purchasing decision.

The wine trades, traditionally far removed from any technological considerations, are directly impacted by consumer usages and their modes of operation. Now, according to a 2016 Sowine barometer, 34% of French people have already bought wine online (this figure rises to 47% among 26-35 year olds) and 50% of wine consumers buy wine online directly on the producers’ website. In addition, 20% of wine lovers follow specialized pages on wines and spirits on social networks, 25% post content related to their wine tastings and 25% have already bought a recommended wine on social networks.

Figures that have all the arguments to push the concerned to give more importance to the digital transformation of their company.

Candice Cibois – Bordeaux Business

 

Sources:

The Assembly – November 2017 press release

http://digital-aquitaine.com/docs/Vinitiques12/SOWINE.pdf

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