The year 1994 was a big one for me. I had just moved to the Bay Area from the Midwest, and living on the doorstep to the wine country allowed me to spend each glorious weekend scouting out ever more delightful tasting experiences. In those days I pursued such forays for fun instead of profit, as I do today, though that profit thing is stubbornly elusive!
These weekend forays became sanity saviors. During the week, the craft I plied was database marketing, and my employer was a financial services company. Not one deemed “too big to fail”, but one large enough to have a very old boy network. In the midst of that dreary suit-and-bad-tie society was a bright spot named Annie Sammis. Intelligent. Stylish. Funny. Hip.
Click to view video. Then "Vote for Annie!"
Of her many redeeming features, perhaps my favorite was her love of the fermented grape. In the 15 years since our careers parted ways, she has secured her place in the high-tech advertising hall of fame. And now she’s throwing her famed marketing hat into the ring at Murphy Goode Winery, sponsor of the “Really Goode Job” contest. Here is Annie’s entry, out of which I think you’ll get a really “goode” kick. (Note, as with Lay’s potato chips, you’ll find it difficult to stop after watching just one! Fortunately, you can vote for all those you like)
Social Media & The Wine Industry
With this contest, I think Murphy Goode has struck on a brilliant piece of viral marketing. By announcing that they will pay the winning entrant $100K in exchange for six month’s work as their social media guru (details here), they have obtained far more than $100K worth of public relations awareness. Plus they’ll get a highly skilled marketer to boot, and will have given that individual a huge boost in awareness to be leveraged.
So far, almost 1,000 people have submitted their 60-second video application. Just as with the popular American Idol TV show, the quality of entrants is highly inconsistent. Some are even painful to watch. But thankfully, part of Murphy Goode’s decision has been left up to those of us in the universal wine community. Your vote counts!
I’ve said for some time now that the wine industry has embraced social media faster and more effectively than any other consumer goods industry. They just seem to get it! And while the pace of change and development is enough to make my head spin from time to time, I’m glad to be in the mix. It is an interesting time to be a marketer.
Cheers! (And, vote for Annie!)
Dave the Wine Merchant
